While no rally is free of some level of damage, the opening LARC round in Dzūkija was especially ruthless. Out of 85 starters, 23 cars didn’t reach the finish at “7bet Rally Lazdijai” – a figure that might seem close to the norm. However, a few of the fastest, most crowd-thrilling crews suffered such serious accidents that a Shakespearean question now hangs in the air – could this mean the end of their entire season?
Among the hardest hit – in every sense – were Nedas Radišauskas and Justas Vičiūnas. Their Škoda Fabia R5 landed awkwardly after a jump in the first special stage, missed the next corner, and flew off into the forest at nearly 170 km/h. After hitting the trees, the initial inspection declared the body shell “beyond repair.” Major components are still being assessed, but one thing is clear: the damage is serious, and this crew won’t be appearing at “Rally Žemaitija 2025.”
Despite the track being checked by officials in Dacia Bigster vehicles before the second pass, the rally gods claimed two more top-10 crews in the same stage. Giedrius Firantas and Matas Valiulis hit a gravel mound in the ruts with the skid plate of their Škoda Fabia R5 and rolled nearly end over end. Strangely, there was no rock or root involved – 999 times out of 1000, this would’ve just thrown up gravel, not flipped the car.
“There was absolutely no fault on our part – both V. Žala and V. Jurkevičius took the exact same line just before us. The road surface didn’t have time to change drastically. Maybe our ride height was a few millimeters lower, maybe the car’s weight shifted slightly – but that’s all just speculation. It’s hard to grasp why this happened. What’s clear is that the damage is worth at least several tens of thousands, and the chances of solving everything before ‘Rally Žemaitija’ are minimal,” says G. Firantas.
Just a minute later, in the same spot, Rokas Steponavičius and Dovydas Ketvirtis suffered the same fate. Although spectators managed to slow them down slightly, it looked like someone had dropped an invisible anchor on the front axle of their Hyundai i20 Rally2 – the car flipped nearly straight over the hood. The damage? Bent safety cages, some of which legally can’t be rewelded. Since the cage is integrated into the main structure, the whole body shell is likely a write-off.
“The car is brand new – it’s only competed in four events – so both we and Hyundai Motorsport are doing our best to find a solution. We’re negotiating and trying to find the best path forward, but whether we’ll be ready in time for the second LARC round in Kelmė is still unclear,” explains R. Steponavičius.
Interestingly, Rokas and Dovydas were unofficially the fastest in the opening stage of “7bet Rally Lazdijai,” but lost about 30 seconds stopping for cows that wandered onto the course. They officially finished only 10th. Time compensation was planned – but after the crash, that procedure became irrelevant.
Latvian guest Kārlis Folkmanis, who had planned to compete in the full Lithuanian championship this year, also crashed his Mitsubishi EVO X in the first stage. Fortunately, while the mistake looked dramatic, the damage was relatively minor. There’s a 99% chance the Latvian crew will make it to “Rally Žemaitija 2025.”
Another optimistic name is Klaudas Bučinskas – a rising star of the new rally generation. Having switched this season to a front-wheel-drive Peugeot 208 Rally4, he was locked in a fierce battle with Markas Buteikis (separated by less than a second before the final stage) when he turned into a corner just a fraction too early, clipped an edge, and ended up rolling.
“After switching from a BMW, I knew I’d need time to get used to the new car. We stayed calm throughout the event and felt no pressure. Only before the final stage did the ambition to win kick in – and that probably caused the incident. The silver lining? Even though we rolled 4.5 times, only the bodywork was damaged. The suspension geometry stayed intact, and all vital components are in good condition. That means there’s nothing stopping us from competing in the second round,” says Bučinskas.
Markas Judzentavičius is also confident about reviving his VW Polo Proto. After a hit into a ditch, the crowd’s reaction included plenty of words unsuitable for broadcast.
“Most likely, we misjudged how a small jump before the corner would affect grip. When the front wheels lifted unexpectedly, there wasn’t enough time to react. Thankfully, our car is built like a tank – we chose stronger-than-standard roll cages, and they weren’t damaged. The scrutineer had no major concerns – even the radiator, transmission, and key systems survived intact. When the tow truck arrived, we drove onto the platform ourselves. I hope a full teardown won’t reveal any unpleasant surprises, and we’ll be ready for Kelmė,” Judzentavičius says.
“Rally Žemaitija 2025” is scheduled to start on June 14 in Kelmė. Nearly 60 crews have already submitted entries, including guests from Latvia, Poland, and Ukraine.