On 22 – 23 September, the first vintage car rally ‘ORLEN Lietuva Classic Rally’ integrated Lithuania all the way from Mažeikiai to Vilnius. The two-day celebration of gentlemanly and accurate driving was accompanied through the country’s towns by traffic safety campaigns and classical music performances.
Upon getting off the start on Saturday in Juodeikiai, next to ORLEN Lietuva Refinery, 22 crews passed the distance of 412 km and made the finish in Vilnius, at the City Hall Square. When in the capital of Lithuania, the participants of the Rally were welcomed by the city residents and the St. Christopher Chamber Orchestra playing on the stage with its Artistic Director Donatas Katkus in front. The award ceremony was attended and the awards were presented by the General Director of ORLEN Lietuva Ireneusz Fąfara. He personally awarded the crews with cups and diplomas for the best exterior and interior, as well as announced the winners under the categories of ‘Oldtimer’ and ‘Youngtimer’.
The aim of ‘ORLEN Lietuva Classic Rally’ is to propagate safe and polite (gentlemanly) driving on Lithuanian roads, present technical heritage and unite vintage car enthusiasts in the country’, said General Director of ORLEN Lietuva Ireneusz Fąfara.
The crews which took part in the first event of the kind in Lithuania had to accurately follow the time and to closely keep to the route. On their way, participants of the Rally had the possibility to get familiar with the towns of Samogitia, tell about their cars to residents of the Lithuania’s largest cities which gathered in great number to welcome the racing caravan. The tribute paid by Telšių Regioniniai Keliai (state enterprise in charge of Telšiai regional roads) to the Classical Rally in Mažeikiai and Telšiai was traffic-safety initiatives to children and adults developed by the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
Participants of ‘ORLEN Lietuva Classic Rally’ agree that museums and garages are no place for vintage cars. This was the excellent possibility for machinery conservators and car lovers to celebrate the Year of Museums, as being marked in Lithuania, to which the company ORLEN Lietuva has also contributed with its initiatives and ideas.