The long-awaited 2026 Lithuanian Rally Championship (LARČ) season finally begins this weekend. Traditionally, the gravel roads of Žemaitija or Dzūkija would be shrouded in dust for the season opener, with the finale taking place in Aukštaitija. However, due to changes in the calendar, this year’s opening will see racers experiencing not the autumn, but the spring landscapes of Zarasai through the windows of their sports cars.
This year, Rally Aukštaitija is truly special, not only because it is being held in spring for the first time. The experienced organising team has likely included everything the Zarasai district has to offer in a single rally day. The route features the legendary, extremely fast and wide road from Salakas to Zarasai through Gražutė Regional Park, complete with several jumps, as well as the renowned asphalt road towards Stelmužės Oak Tree, interspersed with nearby gravel sections. Crowds of spectators will also be drawn to the famous Salakas jumps, where a spectator zone full of entertainment and catering will be set up. Such a rally configuration – rich in jumps, blind turns, extremely fast yet technical sections, and hilly terrain nestled between lakes – will be easy for other regions to replicate.
Not only is the rally itself special, but so are the competitors. This year, LARČ will be somewhat different from usual – it is natural that as some racers retire, others take their place. However, some things remain unchanged, and this year Vaidotas Žala will begin another season defending the Lithuanian rally champion title. This time, though, neither Vladas Jurkevičius nor Giedrius Notkus, who have usually been Vaidotas’ main rivals, are aiming for the main trophy. It appears Vladas is now focused on cycling, and while Giedrius’s “Škoda” is up for sale, the Panevėžys resident will compete with a BMW M3. However, this news does not mean an easier challenge for the reigning champion. Last autumn, Deividas Gezevičius acquired an identical Škoda Fabia RS Rally2, having already shown impressive results with the slower Ford Fiesta N5. Deividas has also had one of the best preparations – competing in Portugal, Finland, and Visaginas, with many tests promising a competitive pace from the very first kilometres. Rokas Steponavičius has demonstrated, and seems set to continue demonstrating, an extremely fast pace, having returned to the tried-and-tested Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo after an adventure with the Hyundai i20 Rally2. All three crews will start Rally Aukštaitija at the front.
The competition for the top three this weekend will not be limited to these crews. Justas Tamašauskas, who spent last season adapting to the Hyundai i20 VRT, will fight much more fiercely for the top places this year, as shown by his pace in the recent Visaginas rally. Meanwhile, one of last year’s Lithuanian Rally4 Trophy favourites, Aras Kvedaras, will need to adapt after switching to the Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo this winter, with his progress being closely monitored by the experienced GSR Motorsport team. Two fierce competitors on the track, but good friends off it, have also switched to factory equipment – Lithuanian rally masters Ramūnas Čapkauskas and Vytautas Švedas. The former has acquired a Škoda Fabia R5, while the latter will attempt to master the Volkswagen Polo R5 for the second time in his career. They will be joined by another rally master, Giedrius Firantas, for whom this will be his second season with the Škoda Fabia R5. Although Vladas Jurkevičius will not be competing for the championship, his championship-winning Škoda Fabia Rally2 Evo will continue to raise dust in Lithuania. The renowned and fast Polish rally raid driver Aron Domżala will compete in this car and has promised to contest the entire LARČ. As Lithuania has earned a strong reputation among Polish competitors, and with no gravel events left in Poland, we can expect a significant contingent from the west.
There will also be no shortage of battles among two-wheel drive crews. Andrejus Apočkinas aims to lead with his BMW M3. Nedas Radišauskas will likely try to surpass his former car, having acquired this year the most loud rally car in Lithuania in terms of decibels – the impressive creation of Samsonas Motorsport, the BMW M3 E36N5. Nearby, we should see an intriguing battle between Irmantas Buivydas with his Ford Fiesta Rally4 and the improving Pole Bruno Gryc with his Opel Corsa Rally4. However, Irmantas will probably be more focused on the fight for the €80,000 scholarship established by the Lithuanian Rally4 Trophy, for which the Kelmė native will compete with Erikas Valkeris, Majas Masonas, and Saimonas Daudžvardis. The contest for the title of the fastest 2WD crew will feature the aforementioned Giedrius Notkus with his BMW M3, brought from Latvia.
Rally Aukštaitija will also serve as the first stage of the Lithuanian Extreme Rally Championship, which features competition in SSV’s and jeeps. In the second season of this championship, six racers will participate, all driving Can-Am Maverick SSV buggies of various specifications. The main contenders for the top places appear to be Aurimas Lekavičius, Tomas Mikulėnas, Aurimas Juodvalkis, and Paulius Urbonas, who finished second to fourth in last year’s annual standings. In total, 75 crews from Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic will start at Rally Aukštaitija 2026.
