Although the calendars have only recently turned to 2026, the Lithuanian rally community is already anticipating the new season, which will begin soon. On 31 January, the first event of the Lithuanian Automobile Rally Sprint Championship (LARSČ) will take place in Rokiškis, notable for the fact that crews will race on gravel roads covered with snow and ice.
Rally competitions in winter are an extremely rare and special occurrence. Due to unpredictable and warm weather, Lithuania has often been without a winter rally, but recent winters have sometimes allowed racers and spectators to enjoy this exceptional experience. In 2025, the Biorina Winter Rally Rokiškis was postponed several times due to unsuitable conditions. To avoid damaging the roads, a thick layer of ice is necessary, into which the sports winter tyres with extremely long studs, used by rally cars, can grip. Of course, snow adds much charm to the event, so it is hoped that the end of January will be as favourable as the beginning.
When the main rally documents were released, the crews immediately became excited. As soon as registration for the “Biorina Winter Rally Rokiškis 2026” opened, the first applications poured in. Lithuanians have been longing for a winter rally, as shown by the start of registration for the winter rally in Latvia, where the first applications were also submitted by crews from Lithuania. The winter rally, held for the first time in 2025 in Rokiškis, attracted almost 50 crews from Lithuania, Latvia, and Poland. The number would have been much higher if not for the date changes, so this year an even greater influx of participants is expected. The list of participants promises to include competitors from the sprint championship, which is experiencing a renaissance, as well as guests from the main Lithuanian rally championship, and crews from neighbouring countries are also expected to visit Rokiškis. Among the first to register are some very interesting crews – we will see the debut of the impressive Ford Puma N5 and the legendary technician and engineer Darius Biesevičius returning to the rally stages, bringing his own Porsche Cayman to Rokiškis. It is gratifying that LARSČ participants are also actively registering, so we can expect interesting battles between them, which were quick to appear last year.
The crews will have to complete eight special stages at maximum speed, two of which will be at night, amounting to over 60 competitive kilometres on extremely challenging roads in the Rokiškis area. For the convenience of spectators, a spectator zone will be set up for safe viewing of the race. After the competition, all participants and guests will be treated to a fakir and laser show, followed by awards ceremony.
During the Biorina Winter Rally Rokiškis, wristbands (tickets) will be available for purchase at the entrances to the special stages and from 30 January 2026 at 12:00 at the Rokiškis District Municipality (Rally Centre).
The event is free for children under 12 years of age.