Vanagas’s Car Catches Fire After Dramatic Baja Poland Finish

Benediktas Vanagas’s Toyota Hilux caught fire just after the Lithuanian crew crossed the finish line at Baja Poland, turning a strong result into a dramatic ending.

The clutch failed with about eight kilometres left in the final stage, but Vanagas and co-driver Aisvydas Paliukėnas continued to the finish. The car then began filling with smoke, forcing the crew to put out the fire immediately.

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When the clutch disappeared, I already understood that we had a problem, but there was not much left to the finish, so our task was to reach it. After crossing the finish, smoke started pouring out. Fortunately, we already had experience in this situation. We knew exactly where to look for the source of the fire, what to remove from the car first and where to extinguish it.

Vanagas said the team knew where to look because it had faced a similar incident in Hungary last year. They also finished near the service area, where additional fire extinguishers were available. “When the clutch disappeared, I already understood that we had a problem, but there was not much left to the finish, so our task was to reach it,” Vanagas said. “After crossing the finish, smoke started pouring out. Fortunately, we already had experience in this situation.”

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This time, it is very simple to say: all’s well that ends well.

The crew’s main goal in Poland was to collect points in the FIA European Baja Cup. Preliminary results gave them the round victory, third place in the Ultimate category and fourth place overall in Baja Poland. Vanagas arrived leading the Ultimate standings, and the result was expected to strengthen that position.

Competitors covered more than 360 kilometres of timed stages during the 18th Baja Poland rally, most of them at the Drawsko Pomorskie military training area. The results remained provisional when the report was published.

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The main goal that brought us to Poland was the European Cup points. Today we got much more drama than we planned. The car is now extinguished, we are at the finish and waiting for the podium and official results. That is the most important thing.