The first event of the year is in the books and man what a show down it was. Round 1 at Mid Ohio Sports Car course brought true Time Attack to this historic venue for the first time ever. Here is how it all went down.
#GRIDLIFE TRACK BATTLE ROUND 1 PODIUM FINISHERS
UNLIMITED AWD
888 Anthony Calabrese UNLIMITED - AWD 2005 Subaru STI - 1:27.917 - CLASS RECORD 197 Kendall Samuel UNLIMITED - AWD 2000 Subaru Impreza - 1:38.353
UNLIMITED FWD
41 James Houghton UNLIMITED - FWD 2000 Acura Integra - 1:26.169 - CLASS RECORD 13 William Au-Yeung UNLIMITED - FWD 2003 Acura RSX - 1:31.304
UNLIMITED RWD
18 Brian Faessler UNLIMITED - RWD 2017 Ford GT350 - 1:24.942 - CLASS / TRACK RECORD 70 James Forbis UNLIMITED - RWD 2003 Chevy Corvette - 1:29.605 64 Brandon Clemens UNLIMITED - RWD 1964 Ford Falcon - 1:31.852
TRACKMOD AWD
283 Jess Moeding TRACK MODIFIED - AWD 2000 Mitsubishi Evo - 1:36.640 - TRACK RECORD
TRACKMOD FWD
420 levi brown TRACK MODIFIED - FWD 1991 Honda Civic - 1:39.521 - TRACK RECORD 59 Justin Crenshaw TRACK MODIFIED - FWD 2015 Ford Fiesta ST - 1:45.982 20 Jake Cook TRACK MODIFIED - FWD 1992 Honda Civic - 1:54.124
TRACKMOD RWD
96 Danny Popp TRACK MODIFIED - RWD 2003 Chevy Z06 - 1:30.040 - TRACK RECORD 5 Luke McGrew TRACK MODIFIED - RWD 2016 Viper ACR - 1:32.006 45 Paul Curley TRACK MODIFIED - RWD 2003 Chevy Z06 - 1:32.186
STREETMOD AWD
11 Graham Gaylord STREET MODIFIED - AWD 2011 Subaru STI - 1:35.127 - TRACK RECORD 718 Chad McCurdy STREET MODIFIED - AWD 2006 Mitsubishi Evo - 1:35.642 37 Nathan Bookbinder STREET MODIFIED - AWD 2006 Mitsubishi Evo - 1:37.638
STREETMOD FWD
137 Devin Norton STREET MODIFIED - FWD 2006 Civic Si - 1:43.604 - TRACK RECORD
STREETMOD RWD
350 Joshua Orr STREET MODIFIED - RWD2004 Nissan 350z - 1:38.299 - TRACK RECORD 21 Matt DeReus STREET MODIFIED - RWD2003 BMW M3 - 1:38.368 69 Michael Pagano STREET MODIFIED - RWD2002 BMW 330ci - 1:38.673
HPDE+ AWD
56 Neil Hancock HPDE + - AWD 2004 Subaru WRX - 1:42.993 - TRACK RECORD
HPDE+ FWD
133 Ryan Finch HPDE + - FWD 2006 Fiesta ST - 1:46.815 - TRACK RECORD 58 Jamil fields HPDE + - FWD 2008 Cobalt SS - 1:47.108
Media Contact: Alignment Simple Solutions 205-475- 2419 gil@quicktrickalignment.com Gil Winningham
Alignment Simple Solutions (ALSS) - QuickTrick, is proud to announce increased sponsorship of GRIDLIFE for 2017 as the Official Track Alignment Tool for participants. GRIDLIFE, is THE ultimate automotive experience. A first of its kind hybrid of music and automotive cultures coming together in multiple high energy weekend experiences. GRIDLIFE is truly a one of a kind event and inspiring for drivers and music enthusiasts alike.
(ALSS) QuickTrick products are proudly manufactured in the USA by fellow automotive enthusiast’s owners. “Our company was founded on our passion for the bootstrap racer and supporting GRIDLIFE is the perfect way to continue our efforts of supporting weekend racers everywhere.” Stated inventor, Gary Gann.
The company will be providing a generous contingency program through the GRIDLIFE which includes exclusive discounts for attendees, QuickTrick Alignment products in every raffle and season champions in the Unlimited, Track Modified, Street Modified, and HPDE Plus classes will receive cash prizes at season’s end. GRIDLIFE’s first event kicks off April 7, 2017 and the season closer will be the Track Battle Round 5, at Gingerman Raceway, October 8, 2017. QuickTrick’s success, and story directly stems from the grassroots motorsports community.
Tess Winningham, CEO at QuickTrick announced GRIDLIFE as the first event to see the launch of the newest QuickTrick kit, designed specifically for racers. Media manager, Gil Winningham, will be attending all GRIDLIFE events with exception of the “Spring Shakedown”. Gil will be providing media coverage, QuickTrick expertise and more to fellowenthusiasts.
About GRIDLIFE A first of its kind Hybrid music and automotive festival blending the culture of both Music and Motorsports together into one high energy weekend experience. Race. Meet. Show. This is #GRIDLIFE. For additional information on events and partnerships visit: www.grid.life
About ALSS QuickTrick Alignment Simple Solutions manufactures QuickTrick Alignment kits & Turnplates. QuickTrick tools are designed to improve performance, lengthen tire life through early and fast diagnosis of wheel alignment issues on any vehicle! Quicktrick is Caster, Camber & Toe on the Go! For additional information please visit: www.quicktrickalignment.com
Announcing the full music lineup for #GRIDLIFE Midwest, an additional 25 acts showcasing local, regional and rising national talent from bass music to hip hop to house and everything in between. With 3 stages in total, a new late night silent disco and new production 2017 is promising to be the biggest and best yet.
FULL LINEUP: Keys N Krates / Manic Focus / Grandtheft / Autoerotique /Stooki Sound / Cofresi / Almand / Low Down Brass Band / Azura / GettoBlaster / Cookin' / CrowdCNTRL / Dogma / D-Wrex / DJ Moonlighter / DJ XCAPE / Faren Strnad / Get Low / HeadyBoi / Joel Oliver / Just Alexander / Large Mouth Bass / Maxx DPS / Mingo / Mneiko / Mr. West / Paul Buck / Psyntimental / So Ill / Super Future / Vantage / Willy Wompa / Team Turnup
#GRIDLIFE is nearing sell out but a Limited 3 day passes available now for just $75 and single day passes starting at $45.
The first episode of #GRIDLIFE TrackBattle is now live. This 5 episode season covers the Time Attack battles at each round of #GRIDLIFE. Check out the premiere below.
THE BATTLE BEGINS • EPISODE 1 - MID OHIO
Tickets are still available for round 2 June 9-11 at Gingerman Raceway in South Haven, MI
The whole squad is coming to #GRIDLIFE Midwest, Chris Forsburg, Ryan Tureck & Vaughn Gittin Jr will be on site and on track June 9-11 at Gingerman Racway for high fives, hot laps and hang time all weekend long. #GRIDLIFE Drift presented by Falken takes place all 3 days with 4 hot sessions throughout the day. Limited full weekend and single day passes are still available.
#GRIDLIFE Midwest is about to get a lot more rowdy with the addition of 4 drivers from Team Falken. Joining the already stacked Pro Drift lineup this June 9-11 at Gingerman Raceway are Dai Yoshihara, Odi Bakchis, Tyler McQuarrie and Justin Pawlak. This will be the largest collection of pro drift drivers in the midwest at any event this season. Limited 3 Day and Single Day tickets are still available at www.grid.life
For more information about Falken Tires and the Falken Tire drift team head to falkentire.com
GRIDLIFE and SCCA are partnering to bring Wheel to Wheel Racing to #GRIDLIFE South this summer, August 25-27th. Introducing the GRIDLIFE X SCCA TrackBattle Sprints. TrackBattle Sprints is an extension of the SCCA Club Race Experience, a low pressure guided program for both experienced and novice racers to enjoy the excitement of W2W racing.
The GRIDLIFE X SCCA TrackBattle Sprints are open to all drivers with or without an SCCA membership. A competition license is not needed to participate and the GRIDLIFE X SCCA TrackBattle Sprints can be used as a path point to an SCCA Club Racing License.
Vehicle prep is simple, nearly any production based vehicle can participate. The rules are based off the SCCA Club Racing classes where any driver with a car and drivers gear that meets the required safety rules can participate in this exciting stand alone club race weekend.
The inaugural GRIDLIFE X SCCA TrackBattle Sprints will be held all 3 days of #GRIDLIFE South at Road Atlanta. Qualifying and practice sessions will take place throughout Friday & Saturday, followed by a feature race on Saturday & Sunday. Full details released in the next week with registration launching May 19th.
For more details on the Club Racing Experience visit https://www.scca.com/pages/club-race-experience
Were kicking off #GRIDLIFE TrackBattle ES officially with our first season of official competition. Each week we are asking drivers to build cars, battle for the fastest laps on a specific track and submit photos or screen captures to qualify for the broadcast finals happening each week on Wednesday at 9pm EST.
PARTICIPATION IS SIMPLE
Join the #GRIDLIFE Discord and become a part of the #GRIDLIFE Gaming Community
Race your car on that weeks track and set your fastest time! (Clean laps only with no assists) You can race by yourself or in one of our community or official qualifying lobbies happening nightly in the Discord.
Top 20 fastest times in each class each week will be invited to participate in the broadcast finals for that round happening each Wednesday at 9pm EST.
A season lasts 4 rounds total. Each season we will crown a different champion. Points from all Round finals will count towards Super Stages happening each quarter and at festival and GameNight events.
We would like to share an update surrounding the COVID-19 crisis and the 2020 #GRIDLIFE Season. This virus is affecting each and every one of us dramatically, and know we are thinking about our GRIDLIFE family every day.
GRIDLIFE events have always been about the passion of Motorsports, car culture and most importantly the friendships that surround the shared experience we all have on the GRID each year. As this uncertainty continues, the ability for us to build and ensure that experience becomes more and more difficult.
We want to get back to the GRID with our friends as soon as it is safe to do so, but at this moment it is hard to predict when that might be. So, we are looking at the entirety of the season and putting a plan in place that will give us the flexibility to make decisions on each event as the state of the crisis evolves, and hopefully soon, resolves.
MIDWEST FESTIVAL
The #GRIDLIFE team has looked at every factor for our cornerstone event, and with all the challenges that lie in front of us, We have decided the best way to move forward is to reschedule the #GRIDLIFE Midwest Festival to October 2 - 4, 2020.This Fall date gives us enough runway to safely build the GRIDLIFE experience we love, while most importantly giving us all as much time as possible to continue to social distance until we can safely return to the GRID. We are excited for this new fall GRIDLIFE experience and look forward to seeing everyone back home on the GRID in October.
Existing tickets to the GRIDLIFE Midwest Festival will automatically transfer over to the new GRIDLIFE Fall Festival (Oct 2-4, 2020) For those unable to join us in the fall you can also transfer your ticket over to the 2021 GRIDLIFE Midwest Festival Tentatively scheduled for June 10-13 2021.
Refunds can be arranged for those unable to attend either date. Emails will be sent in the coming week with more details to all ticket holders
TrackBattle Rounds
The move of the GRIDLIFE Midwest Festival to October 2-4, 2020 will swap with our GRIDLIFE Fall Special event. As of now, we are anticipating the ability to be able to return to motorsports by June 1st, and are planning to produce our first TrackBattle round of the year June 5-7 at Gingerman Raceway. For the remaining #GRIDLIFE TrackBattle events, including the recently rescheduled June Gingerman date, we will make any postponement decisions 15 days prior to the start of each round.
We have essentially secured a replicated 2021 schedule for most of our events this year, and any forthcoming TrackBattle rounds affected by the Covid-19 crisis will be automatically postponed until the 2021 Season.
Alpine Horizon Festival
With so many changes happening in the Motorsports world the 2nd half of the season is becoming very compressed and due to scheduling conflicts we are moving our Alpine Horizon Festival dates up one week to Aug 14-16th. This small move ensures that our drivers committed to other events series are able to attend the Alpine Horizon event as well.
Existing tickets to the GRIDLIFE Alpine Horizon Festival Aug 21-23rd will automatically transfer over to the new dates no further action is required.
Once again, we appreciate all of your support during this difficult time. The GRIDLIFE experience is built on our strong community, and we want everyone to be and feel safe when they arrive on the GRID.
As you weigh your options for the coming year please consider that this community is the foundation of these events. We are an incredibly small operation and your investment in GRIDLIFE is what enables this community to exist. We ask that if you are able, please choose to keep your support and investment with GRIDLIFE as we navigate the challenges ahead.
We know this moment is difficult and we share your emotions over these changes and disruptions. The health and safety of our community is our first priority. Please take care of yourselves, your friends and your family and we will see you on GRID as soon as possible.
Chris, Adam & The GRIDLIFE Team
Emails with more detail on transfers refunds and other information will be arriving in your inbox soon. In the meantime please direct any questions See Tickets US Customer Support here.
The online action continues with the second season of TrackBattle ES. A virtual Time Attack competition in Forza Motorsports 7. Each week we are asking drivers to build cars, battle for the fastest laps on a specific track and submit photos or screen captures to qualify for the broadcast finals happening each week on Wednesday at 9pm EST. This season will take Drivers to 4 Tracks, Lime Rock Park, Maple Valley, Road Atlanta and the Homestead Road course.
PARTICIPATION IS SIMPLE
Join the #GRIDLIFE Discord and become a part of the #GRIDLIFE Gaming Community
Set the fastest clean lap you can on Lime Rock Full. (You can race by yourself or in one of our community or official qualifying lobbies happening nightly in the Discord.)
Mike’s HARDER will present the “Hard Times Challenge” Four race series with #GRIDLIFE iRacers
#GRIDLIFE Gaming is very excited to announce that mike’s HARDER is presenting the second season of #GRIDLIFE iRacers on iRacing.
Aptly named, the “Mike’s Harder ‘Hard Times’ Challenge” four-race championship series will kickoff Tuesday, May 19th at 9pm EST at Virginia International Raceway. Each week, drivers will qualify at a new track and points are accumulated across the series.
The car selected for the series will be the will be Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (991), and GRIDLIFE has designed custom mike’s HARDER liveries that will be available to drivers for free.
#GRIDLIFE iRacers is produced in collaboration with SymTV and is the virtual version of the GRIDLIFE Touring Cup wheel-to-wheel racing, and is one of the most competitive iRacing Leagues around featuring multi-week Championship seasons. #GRIDLIFE iRacers is played on iRacing, and is announced by SymTV’s Kyle Heyer, and GRIDLIFE’s Motorsports Director,Adam Jabaay.
Qualifying is open to anyone who has access to iRacing. Driver’s will need to download the Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (991) to enter. This vehicle will remain unchanged through the 4 race series.
#GRIDLIFE welcomes Gold Eagle Company as an official partner of the 2020 #GRIDLIFE TrackBattle season.
[06/06/20 - GRIDLIFE HEADQUARTERS - Chicago, IL]
#GRIDLIFE welcomes Gold Eagle Company as an Official Partner supporting the 2020 TrackBattle season. Gold Eagle Company will join GRIDLIFE fans and drivers at both #GRIDLIFE Alpine Horizon Festival at Pike’s Peak International Raceway, August 14 - 16, and #GRIDLIFE Midwest Festival at Gingerman Raceway, October 2 - 4, showcasing their full line of automotive lubricants, fuel additives, and surface protection products including STA-BIL®, 303® Products, TriNova® and HEET® Gas-Line Antifreeze.
Recently, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the good folks at Gold Eagle Company shifted production from automotive, marine, outdoor power and home products to produce hand sanitizing products for first responders. Gold Eagle and GRIDLIFE are utilizing HEROES’™ Hand Sanitizer at GRIDLIFE event’s to keep fans, drivers, crew, and staff healthy and safe.
For more information on Gold Eagle Company’s full line of products including the HEROE’s Hand Sanitizer visit:
Founded in 1932, Gold Eagle® Co. is a family owned and operated full-service private label and consumer products manufacturer. Leveraging its existing, proprietary expertise in the lubricant, fuel additive, and surface protection markets, Gold Eagle takes established product lines and expands legacy brands into new verticals.
Gold Eagle® Co is an industry pioneer in the production and distribution of performance chemicals and surface treatments. Gold Eagle Co. is driven to produce innovative products that protect and preserve the things we love, and its award-winning lineup of products includes STA-BIL®, 303® Products, TriNova® and HEET® Gas-Line Antifreeze. For more information, please visit:
31 drivers made their way to the grid for the last session for the weekend. At the front, Feras continued to get familiar with Gingerman Raceway, and shaved another hundredth off of his previous best time. Finishing with a 1:30.548, improves on the previous The sub 1:30 wall continues to give pressure to the entire Track Modified Field. Both Alex Moss and Ronnie Soliman of RS Motors tried to improve, but couldn’t quite get there. With Jackie Ding not far behind, these 3 represent your Street Modified podium. Coby Shield lead the Street GT field one last time, but wasn’t able to improve his best. Halka too, failed to improve in the final heat.
As the track began to warm up, many drivers found it difficult to improve on their incredible times from Sunday morning’s session. Feras didn’t seem to have trouble, as he continued to dominate the Track Mod group. Resetting the overall TM record with a 1:30.557, it seems like everyone is hoping he’ll be the first to dip into the 29s. Not far behind, Alex Moss was on pace for another record lap in the Street Mod group before a differential failure caused him to pull into the pits and end his session early. Josh Halka improved in Street class to a 1:37.770. It looks like his competition is going to have to think of new ways to catch him at future events. Quietly, Chad Meeks and reigning Spec Fit champion Matt Williams have been battling back and forth all weekend. Trading positions and reseting Spec Fit records all weekend, Meeks appears to built an insurmountable lead with a 1:53.459, besting William’s 1:52.822.
Only a few drivers came out swinging on Sunday morning, with Ronnie Soliman setting a personal best 1:33.140 in Street Mod, and Coby Shield 1:37.313 in Street GT. Ronnie’s time is now only 0.05s away from the top of the leader board in SM. Coby seems to be running away from competition in SGT, but continues to improve with each session on this unfamiliar circuit.
Feras continues to drop time as he gets familiar with the track. Now the first Track Mod car ever to break into the 1:30s, he’s now reclaimed the record with a 1:30.820. Alex Moss finally got everything going the right way, and was able claim the Street Mod record with an incredible 1:33.095. Now 0.4s behind Alex, Jackie is going to have to turn it up in the morning if he wants to close the gap. In Street GT, Coby Shield was able string a very respectable 1:37.587 together on his way to a class record. Finally, in street class, Josh Halka was able to achieve what many thought was inevitable and break Spaz’s standing 1:38 record and dip down to 1:37.964. The track’s cold for the night, but we’ll be back in the morning an early start for the final day of time attack. Let’s take a minute to appreciate some awesome rollers by longtime #GRIDLIFE photographer Chris Sullivan.
Feras Qartoumy continued to improve his pace, setting a new Track Modified record in his turbo C6 Corvette with a 1:31.641. Hot on his heels in Street Modified, Jackie ding set a new Street Modified record with a 1:33.509. #GRIDLIFE newcomer Ryan Mathews dropped a ton of time in SM, and is now 1.3 seconds behind Jackie. Josh Halka is knocking on the door for a record in Street class, needing to improve by about 0.2s. In Street GT, Alex Artayet was able to set a new record with a 1:38.315.
Fresh off a brand new car build Feras Qartoumy wasted no time making his way to the top of the leader board, despite having never driven at Gingerman Raceway. Putting down a 1:32.402 he’s only about 0.5 seconds off a class record in the Track Modified Group. Jackie Ding is running well, with a new turbo swap in his TA90 and not far off his personal best here at Gingerman. With 1 heat in the books, there’s still plenty of time left to get that perfect lap in the books.
With 6 cars inverted at the front of Race 4, Luke McGrew took pole position and it was his to defend during a wild final race. Eric Kutil started in 29th, and made his way up to 3rd overall before an illegal pass under yellow resulted in a race DNF. Incredibly, Luke McGrew was able to hold off a late charge by Winning Formula K-Miata drivers Robert Manouchehri and Aaron Leichty to take his first ever GLTC win. It’s been an uphill battle for him since his first GLTC some months ago, while he continues to dial in his setup and improve his pace.
Another great start for Kutil and Leichty ultimately lead to a DNF after Kutil suffered a mechanical failure a few laps into the race. Emile Tabb seized the opportunity to fight against Leichty, going door to door in the later half of race. Ultimately Leichty won out again, taking even more rewards weight into race 4. With the top 6 finishers being inverted for race 4, it’s going to be a real battle to see who comes out on top.
Another clean start in the #GRIDLIFE Touring Cup. Despite taking pole, Aaron Leichty gave up the lead by turn 2. Eric Kutil was finding is rhythm in his recently K-swapped EG Civic Hatchback, on his way to a race lap record (1:38.448) and a spot in victory lane. Emile Tabb and Robert Manouchehri were neck and neck for almost the full race, with Tabb just barely taking 3rd place. Race 3 grids based on Race 2 Finish order, so look for Kutil and Leichty to battle it out again tomorrow at 10:40EST.
A wild start to race 1 as Leichty, Smedegard, and Kutil went three wide into turn 1. Smedegard was able to take a brief lead, before giving back several positions by the end of the first lap. Kutil was able to take advantage and work his way to 2nd position. Halfway through the race, a motor failure in the #0 Miata driven by Erik Meadows ended the race early for drivers. It’s unusual to see a red flag in a W2W race here, but many spun off the tarmac after coming into contact with an oil patch on the racing surface. Race 2 will be gridded based on fastest times recorded for race 1, so stay tuned.
Plenty of new builds for our GLTC W2W drivers at the Spring Kickoff. GLTC veteran Aaron Leichty in his Winning Formula K-swapped Miata continued to dominate the competition setting a personal best and new GLTC track record 1:38.372 on his way to pole position. Time attack driver Andy Smedegard is a rookie for GLTC in 2020, but that didn’t stop him from being right on Leichty’s heels with a 1:38.490. Let’s see if Andy can keep up is performance in race pace.
After a winter break that was far too long, the drivers of #GRIDLIFE TrackBattle and GLTC made their way back to Gingerman Raceway. Keen to pick up where they left off in the fall, drivers wasted no time setting new track records on the familiar circuit. In time attack 5 class records were set (Mees, Halka, Moss, RS Motors, Qartoumy), and in GLTC both the qualifying and race lap record were reset (Kutil and Leichty). GLTC racers fought hard over 4 races, with mechanical gremlins and unexpected issues taking drivers out of the championship contention. Ultimately, the k-swapped Miatas of The Winning Formula couldn’t be matched, and Leichty, Manouchehri, and Tabb rounded out the GLTC podium.
7 | Joshua Halka | STREET | 1:37.770 | Impreza WRX ** Class Record 55 | Charles Miller | STREET | 1:38.788 | Evo IX 87 | Team Twitch | STREET | 1:38.962 | M3
130 | Coby Shield | STREET GT | 1:37.313 | Camaro ** Class Record 5 | Dan Ireland | STREET GT | 1:38.951 | Grand Sport 335 | Christopher Bickford | STREET GT | 1:39.317 | Camaro
150 | Alexander Moss | STREET MODIFIED | 1:33.095 | S2000 ** Class Record 414 | RS Motors | STREET MODIFIED | 1:33.140 | Evo IX 86 | Jackie Ding | STREET MODIFIED | 1:33.509 | Supra #TA90
72 | Feras Qartoumy | TRACK MODIFIED | 1:30.548 | Corvette ** Class Record 84 | Peter Collins | TRACK MODIFIED | 1:34.171 | M3 62 | Brian Blaine | TRACK MODIFIED | 1:36.564 | Rx7
88 | chad meeks | SUNDAE CUP/SPEC FIT | 1:53.459 | Fit Sport ** Class Record 129 | Matt Williams | SUNDAE CUP/SPEC FIT | 1:53.822 | Fit 139 | Kevin Head | SUNDAE CUP/SPEC FIT | 1:59.935 | Fit
#GRIDLIFE TrackBattle is making it’s 6th annual visit to Autobahn Country Club this year. Shaking up the competition format at bit, drivers will only have to focus on the notable south course as they attempt to break records from last year. The entire field has developed in the last 12 months in ways that no one could have predicted, and it’s likely that we’ll see new track records set in almost every class of competition. Here’s a primer on who to look out for this weekend:
STREET
Street class has seen some new competitors for 2020, with Ben Thorn’s well documented EK K-Swap, and Brandon Ranvek’s S54-swapped E36 M3. Neither are strangers to GRIDLIFE, and Brandon Ranvek and his Evo 9 held the South Course class record in years prior. Look for them to be hot on the heels of Chris Neuman and Austin Hertel for a solid 4-way battle. Chris Neuman’s record time to beat from last year is 1:34.027
Ben Thorn - K-swapped EK Civic Hatch
Brandon Ranvek - S54-swapped E36 M3.
Austin Hertel - Refreshed 370Z.
Chris Neuman - Mint condition track-prepped E46 M3.
STREET GT
A year after it’s introduction, Street GT is gaining some serious attention for quality competition within class. Last year, Alex Artayet was behind the wheel of a Subaru STI, and now he’s driving a 2015 M3. He’ll be battling with SGT regulars Chris Bickford and Coby Shield. Coby’s been working on both his car setup, and driver mod with consistent seat time out on the east coast. Look for one of these three to break the 1:33.416 set by Cars & Coffee Survivor Racing’s GT350 from last year.
Alex Artayet - F80 M3
Chris Bickford - C7 Corvette Grand Sport
Coby Shield - Camaro SS 1LE
STREET MODIFIED
This is my pick as the class to watch for the weekend. Drivers in the Street Mod class continue to commit to developing their cars and themselves. Alex Moss is looking to continue his winning ways, fresh off a record-setting victory at Gingerman Raceway. He’ll be facing some tough competition though. Shawn Krebsbach is teamed up with Ronnie Soliman as RS Motors, is the current record holder on South Course. He’s coming equipped with a new 2.2L 4G63 and a Garrett G25-660 turbo setup. He’s up about 100whp compared to last year, sitting right above 550whp on Ronnie’s heartbreaker dyno. We’ll see if he can make good use of all that new power. Jackie Ding continues to develop his TA90 Supra, and was very fast at Gingerman recently. A new turbo and supporting mods from AMS puts this car also right around 550whp. He’s been hard at work trying to get all the kinks worked out of this new platform, and has the potential to be at the top of the podium for the weekend. James Forbis is my dark horse driver for the weekend. He’s been VERY fast in the events he’s run with GRIDLIFE. This will be his first event with us this year, so let’s hope he gets a good start to his race season. The record time from last year is Krebsbach’s 1:30.808 from last year. I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 28-29 if the weather conditions allow it. Who’s going to be at the top of the podium? I have no idea.
Alex Moss - Turbo K-swapped S2000.
Shawn Krebsbach - 2.2L 4G63 Evo 9
James Forbis - C6 Corvette making ~550whp.
Jackie Ding - A90 Supra with Spage Sport aero.
TRACK MODIFIED
This weekend, Feras Qartoumy is going to have some serious competition. Debuting his TT C6 Corvette at Gingerman Raceway at Round 2, he ran away from the competition, as others continued to sort out their cars. With South Course veteran Michael Puglisi back in the mix, I fully expect to see a battle in this group. ASMotorsports put together an LS7-swapped E46 M3 with big aero and a sequential gearbox that ran well at Round 1 and 2. Owner/Driver Pete Collins and Builder/Driver Andy Smedegard could easily put their entry at the top of the overall time sheets. Joel Morrison is making the trip north to compete in his first GRIDLIFE event of 2020. With a new transmission, he’s ready to put some power down in his turbo S2000. He’s been fast here before, so don’t over look him as a potential front runner. The current record is held by Luke McGrew in his Viper ACR with a 1:28.701. I don’t expect that time to stand by the end of the day Saturday. Look for times in the 26-27 range from any of these drivers.
Michael Puglisi - 4G64 powered Evo 9 with Gen 2 Garrett GTX3076
Feras Qartoumy - Twin Garrett G35-900 turbo 430c.i. LS7 C6 Corvette with a sequential gearbox.
AS Motorsports - LS7 swapped E46 M3 with a sequential gearbox.
Joel Morrison - Turbo F-series S2000 with new dogbox transmission.
UNLIMITED
With the border to America’s hat closed with COVID restrictions, our friends Will Au-Yeung and James Houghton aren’t available this round. Unless we see some new entries to the unlimited field, I don’t expect much action here this weekend.
SUNDAE CUP
Matt Williams has long been the king of Sundae Cup in his Gen 1 fit. A few weeks ago, newcomer Chad Meeks put the class on notice in his 3rd gen Fit. This is by far my favorite class to watch. The low power and slower speeds demand every ounce of perfection on track, ensuring that no time is wasted by over breaking. With the additional power output of the 3rd gen, Chad’s had to add some ballast to the car. We’ll see if he’s able to continue his hot streak here at ABCC.
Chad Meeks and Matt Williams in their 3rd gen and 1st gen Fits, respectively.
The Street Mod and Street classes stole the show at the end of the day on Sunday. In last week’s Round 3 Competition Guide, we new that SM was going to be a real barn burner. Shawn Krebsbach, Alex Moss, Jackie Ding, and Ryan Mathews all lined up with a shot at taking the top spot on the podium. At the end of the 1st hot lap, all 4 drivers had put down fast laps. It was Shawn Krebsbach that kept the lead, with an unprecedented class record 1:27.820. As Alex Moss crossed the line behind him, he clocked a 1:27.898. Not wanting to be outdone, Jackie Ding put down a 1:28.119. It was Moss that took a minute to regroup in the pits, and take another shot before the checkered waved. Despite being on pace for another great lap, a broken 5th gear hindered the lap as he clocked a lap in the 1:31 range. In Street Class, Team Twitch and Austin Hertel had been battling back and forth the entire weekend. With Twitched hindered by some traffic on his first attempts, Hertel was quick to capitilize and put down his personal best of the weekend on his way to a Street Class Record 1:32.125.
Rising temperatures didn’t stop class leaders from going even faster in heat 5. Feras Qartoumy dropped more than a second and put down a 1:25.422. Having battled a misfire issue all weekend, Qartoumy was content to call it a wrap for the weekend. He’ll sit on the sidelines for the last heat. In SM, Alex Moss jumped into second place, with a 1:28.729 and now now only about 0.3s from Krebsbach’s top time in class. With the final session of the weekend left, let’s see who has any more time left to gain.
Sunday mornings are almost always the ideal session for fast laps in #GRIDLIFE TrackBattle. Drivers took to the track early today, with A-group going hot at 08:40am. With a fantastic first lap, Feras Qartoumy reset the overall top time and TM class record with a 1:26.713. An improvement of more than 0.5s, we’ll see if there’s anything left to gain by the end of the weekend. In SM, we finally saw the performance from Shawn Krebsbach of RS Motors that we were expecting to see. Setting a new class record and taking the lead from fellow competitor Jackie Ding, Krebsbach put down a 1:28.443. In SGT, Coby Shield continues to outmatch his competitors, and reset his class record with a 1:30.946. Second place in SGT is more than 2.5 seconds behind him. The battle rages on in Street class as well, with Team Twitch stealing the lead and record from Austin hertel, as driver Brandon Ranvek posted a blisteringly fast 1:32.475.
The rain held off, and drivers didn’t waste the opportunity. Feras Qartoumy continued dialing in his turbo Corvette. By the end of the day on Saturday, he further improved to a class leading 1:27.300. In Street Mod, Jackie Ding improved to a 1:28.804. After a brief off-road excursion, Alex Moss was able to close the gap and put down a 1:29.361 before the checkered flag flew. In SGT, Coby Shield improved to a 1:31.833, and Austin Hertel was able to take the class lead from Team Twitch in Street with a 1:33.295. Tomorrow’s forecast shows high temps, but it looks like the rain is going to stay away. Expect everyone to go faster tomorrow morning.
Drivers took to the track for what could be the final dry session of the day. With rain in the forecast, everyone was looking to get a banker in the timesheets. Feras Qartoumy managed to retake the overall lead, as he broke the class record with a 1:27.493. Everything was going right for Jackie Ding in the Street Mod, as he threw down a 1:28.967. Jackie’s time was more than 1 second faster than the previous class record held by Shawn Krebsbach. Brandon Ranvek and Team Twitch improved again with a 1:33.269 and furthered his lead in the Street class.
Drivers wasted no time finding pace on the South Course. In TrackMod, Feras Qartoumy took to an unfamiliar circuit without hesitation and quickly reset the overall Track Modified record with a best 1:28.234. However, that time didn’t stand at the top for long, as Andy Smedegard piloted the MS7 to a blistering 1:27.867 and capturing the class record. In Street GT, Coby Shield was able to shave a half second from last year’s record and lay down a 1:32.979. In Street class, Brandon Ranvek of Team Twitch put down a 1:33.475 and took the class record.
The top 8 from race three in GRIDLIFE Touring Cup were inverted for the forth and final race of the weekend. Jake Price's pole position vanished with a slip-up at the exit of turn three on lap one, while Aaron Leichty snuck through the field to grab the lead from Woody Heimann. But it was the #13 of Ryan Upham that charged through the field late, sneaking alongside Aaron Leichty on the outside of the final corner. Leichty caps off the weekend with his third win - but only by a tenth and a half over Upham.
Aaron Leichty struggled at the start with some light contact into turn 1 and lost several positions. Smedegard continued with pace and was able to create an early lead. Emile Tabb was very quick at the end of the race, but ultimately ran out of time as the checkered flag flew.
The battle between Leichty and Smedegard continued on, with Smedegard making a pass shortly into the race. He wasn’t able to hold onto that lead though, as Leichty continued to show poise through the checkered flag. Laptimes in GLTC are impressive, with cars solidly on pace with many of the higher power time attack cars. With the last 2 races tomorrow, we’ll see if Leichty can keep it together and take the win for the weekend.
2020.06.27 - 16:20 - End of Race 1
As the green flag dropped, Andy Smedegard attacked pole sitter Aaron Leichty. Shortly after the race began, Smedegard was able to make the pass and maintain that lead up until the last lap. As the white flag waved, Smedegard continued to challenge each other, but it was Leichty managed to defend some last minute maneuvers to take the checkered flag.
30 cars made their way to grid for the start of GLTC qualifying. Winning Formula’s Aaron Leichty had reported some mechanical trouble prior to qualifying, but was able to make good use of the session on his way to pole position with a 1:32.597. Andy Smedegard was not too far behind in his “trainer” S2000 with a 1:33.743. Making his debut for 2020, Justin Kelly continues to dial in his K-swapped FRS and managed 3rd position with a 1:35.044.
Cars and drivers of #GRIDLIFE TrackBattle’s round at Autobahn Country Club are always subjected to sweltering summer temperatures. This year was no exception, but that wasn’t an excuse to take things slow. Feras Qartoumy continued his quest to set class records at every event he attends. His TT Corvette and his ability to learn new tracks are equally impressive. By the end of the weekened, Qartoumy walked away with a new class record 1:25.422. In Street Mod, 3 drivers traded the top spots throughout the weekend. Shawn Krebsbach, Alex Moss, and Jackie Ding finished the weekend separated by less than half a second. Krebsbach took the win and class record with a 1:27.820, Moss a 1:27.898, and Ding a 1:28.119. In Street GT, Coby Shield pummeled his competition by 2.5 seconds on his way to a class record 1:30.946. In Street Class, Austin Hertel and Team Twitch’s Brandon Ranvek traded fast laps. By the end of the weekend, Austin Hertel came out on top with a 1:32.125, and Twitch not far behind with a 1:32.475.
In GLTC, it was a battle between Winning Formula’s’ Aaron Leichty, and ASM’s Andy Smedegard all weekend. Both cars are K-swapped RWD cars, and both go faster than you would expect a 200-220whp car to be able to go. By the start of race 4, Andy was 1 point behind leader Leichty, and both were starting at the back of a top-eight field invert. Leichty got a fantastic start and was able to work his way though traffic quickly. While Andy was able to make up a few positions in race 4, it wasnt enough to win the weekend, as Leichty took the overall weekend championship.
34 | Austin Hertel | STREET | 1:32.125** 370Z 87 | Team Twitch | STREET | 1:32.475 | M3 330 | Vladimir Skirda | STREET | 1:35.323 | STi
130 | Coby Shield | STREET GT | 1:30.946** | Camaro ** Class Record 335 | Christopher Bickford | STREET GT | 1:33.603 | Corvette 77 | Alex Artayet | STREET GT | 1:33.610 | M3
414 | RS Motors | STREET MODIFIED | 1:27.820** | Evo IX 150 | Alexander Moss |STREET MODIFIED | 1:27.898 | S2000 86 | Jackie Ding | STREET MODIFIED | 1:28.119 | Supra #TA90
129 | Matt Williams | SUNDAE CUP / SPECFIT | 1:47.616** | Fit 395 | Michael Smith | SUNDAE CUP / SPECFIT | 1:48.603 | Fit 8 | Not So Fit Racing | SUNDAE CUP / SPECFIT | 1:53.702 | Fit
Luke McGrew’s GLTC Miata throwing down a smoke screen during Friday’s GLTC Practice Race 1. [photo credit Kyle Heyer.]
JD86's TA90 Supra
Jackie Ding’s Supra looks the part of Time Attack. We’ll see if he can take an SM win this weekend.
Drifting in Time Attack
Driver Feras Qartoumy continues to develop his turbocharged C6 Corvette. ABS issues lead to some exciting moments early Friday.
Eric Kutil's K-swapped EG GLTC Car
Kutil joined the K-swapped gang in GLTC this offseason. Let’s see if it pays dividends this weekend.
Dynamic Duo
Husband and wife GLTC drivers Justin and Tiffany Kelly continue to improve their cars and work toward the front of the field.
Thrill of Victory
DJ Alessandrini drove a perfect race 1, on his was to his first GLTC race win.
2020.08.02 - 14:00 - End of TrackBattle Heat 8
The final session on track concluded without too many theatrics. A damp track stopped drivers from putting down their best times, while many began loading their trailers for the weekend. Official results for the TrackBattle Round 4 are HERE.
2020.08.02 - 12:00 - End of GLTC Race 4
Eric Kutil continued his brilliant performance this weekend with a dominant race 4. A wet track. Drivers from the Winning Formula were chasing the leader almost the entire weekend, as Kutil continues to refine his recently K-swapped EG Hatch. With Mid-Ohio GLTC now in the books, drivers set their sights on the roval of PPIR in just a couple of weeks. Drivers looking to make improvements to their setups have no time to waste.
Not a lot to report on this session. A wet track kept the majority of drivers in their garages. Only a few took the opportunity to gain some wet driving experience. Jackie Ding and Coby Shield enjoyed nearly a private track as they searched for grip without the assistance of traction control or stability management. Jackie came out ahead in the friendly competition, but pace was off compared to previous wet events here at Mid-Ohio.
A wet track made for an exciting race start for GLTC Race 3. As the green flag dropped, Aaron Leichty mis-judged grip into turn 4, and took a trip into China Beach. He avoided getting stuck but dropped several spots in the process. He had to fight his way back from 9th to 4th by the time the checkered flag flew. Eric Kutil ran a brilliant race, and ran nearly unopposed on his way to taking his second victory of the weekend.
The rain fell almost immediately after the conclusion of #GRIDLIFE Touring Cup Race 2, but not before Eric Kutil cruised home to his 9th career victory. While it looked easy for the #82, mid-pack battles characterized a wild event, with Bill Griffin, Sally McNulty, Tiffany Kelly, and a host of others racing deep in the field. Aaron Leichty, D.j. Alessandrini, Pervez Randelia, and Emile Tabb rounded out the remainder of the top 5. Tom O'Gorman was nearly passed by Jeremy Boysen, with a drag race to the checkers closing out their second race of the weekend.
The final TrackBattle session of Saturday was dry for everyone but group C, and many drivers took advantage. New records set in Street, Street GT, Street Mod, and TrackMod. Josh Halka and his Street Class Subaru further improved to 1:34.362. He now leads Austin Hertel by about 7 tenths. In Street GT, Coby Shield improved with a 1:32.849. In StreetMod, Jackie Ding took the lead by being the first car to dip into the 29’s, with a 1:29.457. It was only a few years ago that we were talking about whether any street tire car could go sub 1:30 here. Now we can say we’ve seen it on a car with limited aero, and width restricted tires. It’s an incredible testament to the development progression we’ve seen in this class over the last several years. Jeremy Swenson further improved his TrackMod time, with a 1:26.881. TrackMod pace now lags Unlimited record holder James Houghton by only 3.5 seconds.
Changing things up between Races 1 and 2, GLTC took the top 10 finishers from race 1, and gave them each a private lap at Mid-Ohio. The grid order for the top ten spots in race 2 would be set by a single lap qualifier. DJ Alessandrini backed up a steller performance in Race 1 with a dominant 1:35.661 lap. A tenth of a second behind was Eric Kutil, followed further by Aaron Leichty. With the top 10 shuffled up, Race 2 should be action packed.
A few drivers took advantage of a dry track and compressed track schedule for session 5. In Street Modified, Shawn Krebsbach reclaimed the overall lead, edging out fellow competitor Jackie Ding by a tenth with a 1:30.121. Who will be the first SM car into the 29s here at Mid-Ohio? Not content to sit in second place in TrackMod, Jeremy Swenson improved by about a half second with a 1:27.702. He now leads against Eric Fleming by only 0.04s.
Damp track conditions and an uncertain forecast made for a tense #GRIDLIFE Touring Cup Race 1 start , with Aaron Leichty losing three spots as he sought grip at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in the first corner. D.j. Alessandrini snuck through to steal the lead, holding off Eric Kutil and Aaron Leichty in a tense three-way battle to claim his first GLTC victory. Behind him, a shakeup in the order as drivers searched for grip around a damp course. Emile Tabb and Rob Manouchehri rounded out the top 5. Ben Dozeman skated off course momentarily and dropped to 22nd after starting 14th. The top 10 finishers will each get one lap to lay down a qualifying time for Race 2 later in the afternoon.
Drivers found track conditions not ideal for setting records here this morning. A damp but drying track slowed everyone down compared to yesterday. Jackie Ding continued to impress in his Street Modified Supra leading the field in Group A by several seconds in these slippery conditions. Drivers that have had the chance to be on track here in the rain know that this one Mid-Ohio in the wet is a test of car control and skill. The three TrackMod leading Corvettes took their warmup lap, before quickly pulling back into the pits. High torque and RWD isn’t a winning recipe in the wet. Let’s hope we get another dry session this weekend, but we’ve got some heavy rain in the forecast for later today.
Street Class is neck and neck with Austin Hertel in his 370Z, and Josh Halka in his WRX. Less than a tenth of a second separate the two with Halka narrowly in the lead with a 1:35.134. In Street GT, Coby Shield leads his peers by nearly 3 seconds with a new class record 1:32.933.
GRIDLIFE Touring Cup qualifying from Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course on Friday saw the series' fastest man, Aaron Leichty, grab yet another pole this season with the session's fastest lap - a 1:35.295. Eric Kutil's #82 Civic slid in three tenths back, as the two drivers look to reignite their 2019 battle in the first ever GLTC event. GingerMan race winner Luke McGrew qualified 3rd, followed by D.j. Alessandrini and Emile Tabb to complete the top 5. Rob Manouchehri, Pervez Randelia, and Scott Bowling's Winning Formula machines took 6th through 8th, with Ryan Kristoff and Justin Kelly's S2000 powered FR-S rounding out the top ten.
The trio of TrackMod Corvettes continued to improve in session 2. Fleming, and Qartoumy made their way into the 29’s, but Swenson put down an incredible 1:28.155. It’s not just TrackMod with close competition this weekend. In the StreetMod class, Shawn Krebsbach and his RS Motors Evo 9 have been trading fast laps with Jackie Ding in his “TA90” Supra. Jackie is riding high after a win in “Street” class with Global Time Attack at Road Atlanta, but he’s not been content to sit back and hope to cruise to victory here. Development pace in SM is breakneck this year, and all drivers at the front have committed huge time and resources trying to secure a season championship. Jackie leads SM after heat 2 with a 1:30.501.
Drivers wasted no time on track to find their pace from last year. 2019 TrackMod Bracket Champion “Team Swurley” (Jeremy Swenson and Paul Curley) jumped to an early lead. Nearly all of the frontrunners in TrackMod this year have swapped transmissions to take advantage of the recently allowed sequential gearboxes. Jeremy Swenson’s C6 ZR-1 is no exception. The first car of the year to break into the 29’s, he was followed closely by Eric Fleming and Feras Qartoumy. The trio of Corvette’s combine for more than 2000whp, and will almost certainly be the fastest cars setting times this weekend.
Plenty of tension in grid, as drivers Alex Moss and Jackie Ding battled back and forth for the entire session. A tire change in this morning gave Alex some more confidence as he closed the gap to first to less than 0.1s, but wasn’t able to take the top spot yet. One more session left for the weekend, before a full rebuild scheduled for his S2000. Time to turn it up.
The lights are on and the intensity picked up for GLTC race 3. After a wild top 10 shootout leaving Myriad Motorsports driver Justin Kelly on pole, the field took the green lit up with LEDs under a dark Colorado sky. Cox, Kutil, Smedegard, and Kelly all took turns in the middle of three-wide scenarios as they raced through the technical infield of Pikes Peak International Raceway. Kelly protected in the inside line into turn four, leaving Kutil with no choice but to follow. In the closing moments, Andy Smedegard snuck up the inside of Kutil and stole the silver, leaving Kutil on the bottom step of the podium. Stephen Cox and a charging Tom O'Gorman finished out the rest of the top five at PPIR.
As the sun went down, Charles Miller took to the track for the first time on Saturday. Wasting no time to reclaim the lead from Austin Hertel, Spaz was able to run a personal best 1:02.719. Alex Moss was able to close the gap on Jackie Ding with a 59.160, still trailing by two tenths. He’s surely going to pull out all the stops on Sunday morning to try to take the lead.
GLTC race 2 was the first day race of the weekend, after a pitch black race one on Friday night. At the front, the fight was with Andy Smedegard and Eric Kutil. Coming off of a race 1 win, Smedegard started on pole, and defended from Kutil lap after lap in the infield road course. Kutil was unable recover from a late-race lockup into turn four, and fell back to the second step of the podium. Justin Kelly, Stephen Cox, and Sally McNulty rounded out the rest of the top five with her best career finish.
With Charles Miller taking the afternoon to head to the top of Pikes Peak, the lead in Street class was up for grabs. Austin Hertel took advantage in his 370Z, with a personal best 1:03.248.
A late start on Saturday affected track quality, and driver’s ability to go fast. In Heat 4 all frontrunners all running slower than their best from Friday, except for Feras Qartoumy. A quick couple of laps before he headed to the airport and back to Texas allowed him to improve to a 56.402.
#GRIDLIFE Touring Cup Race 1 from PPIR got off to a rocky start in the shadow of the Colorado mountains. Tom O'Gorman and Stephen Cox jumped the start in the darkness, creating chaos on the opening lap. At the front, it was Cox, Kutil, and Justin Kelly vying for position, each lap trying to out brake the other. Contact entering the infield sent 11-time GLTC winner Eric Kutil to the paddock for repairs. Kelly, Cox, and Smedegard continued their three-way scrap for several laps, before overheating tires on Cox's Corvette sent him to the bottom step of the podium. Smedegard sped into the darkness and snagged the victory, giving him the pole for Saturday's Race 2.
Drivers took to the track for the final TA session on Friday with a chance to go fast. 5 drivers now have laps below one minute, and we’re still in the first day of competition. Feras Qartoumy put down back to back fast laps and ended the night with a new overall track record 56.402. Fellow TrackMod competitor Cody Miles is a few seconds back, but dropped his laptime below 1 minute, with a 58.646. Jackie Ding continues to learn the course and was able to take the StreetMod record from Shawn Krebsbach with a 59.187. Look for him to drop into the 58’s in the morning. Not far behind, Dewey DeWitt and Alex Moss are only 1-2 seconds off the pace from Jackie. Dewey’s dealing with some mechanical issues which could keep him from taking the track again this weekend, but expect Alex and his S2000 to drop some more time on Saturday.
With the sun no longer overhead, drivers improved in qualifying. Andy Smedegard claimed the top spot on the timesheets on his first flying lap with a 1:02.756. Justin Kelly was not far behind with a 1:03.046. Eric Kutil rounded out the top 3, with a 1:03.522. With a small field of 13 cars at this event, and a time spread of only 6 seconds from first to last, expect a close finish in Race 1.
Punishing heat in the second session of time attack slowed many drivers down. Air temps of 96°F, put track temps well into the triple digits. Until the sun goes down, don’t expect anyone to be going faster today.
Tiffany Kelly got off to a fast start on a familiar track. With 3 wins under her belt here in 2019, she looked poised to repeat in 2020. Her best time in practice was a 1:04.393. A late fast lap by Andy Smedegard put him at the top of the time sheets though, with a 1:03.803. Eric Kutil struggled with a battery issue that kept him out of the session. Now fully repaired, look for him to take to the grid for the first time in the qualifying session.
With many drivers new to PPIR and the roval format, drivers were encouraged to work up to pace this first session. Already familiar with the track, Feras Qartoumy wasted no time taking last year’s track record from Jeremy Swenson. Feras was able work through some mechanical gremlins during the short break after Mid-Ohio and brought the car to Colorado at full strength. On his first and only timed lap of the session, Feras was able to put down an incredible 56.922 in the TrackMod class. Jackie was fastest in StreetMod with a 1:00.522, but has to find a bit more time to match Shawn Krebsbach’s winning 59.829 from last year. Expect a 3-way battle this weekend in the SM group, with Alex Moss and Dewey DeWitt here this weekend too. Chris Mayfield is rookie to #GRIDLIFE, but is a proven fast driver with 4 SCCA autocross nationals titles to his name. He’s in the hunt in StreetMod as well with a 1:01.751. Austin Hertel is leading the Street class with a record 1:03.517.
The special stage event will be GRIDLIFE’s first event at NOLA Motorsports Park
GRIDLIFE RETURNS TO THE SOUTH
Sunday, August 16th, 2020 – Chicago, IL – GRIDLIFE and the NOLA Motorsports Park are teaming up to execute a special stage motorsports weekend called the “#GRIDLIFE TrackBattle Bayou Bash”, scheduled for the weekend of November 7-8.
The Bayou Bash will use NOLA’s many surfaces to feature the motorsports GRIDLIFE is known for, with a heavy emphasis on drift. Drift programming will range from beginners learning to go sideways at NOLA’s Drift school, to amateur drivers, and some familiar faces from GRIDLIFE’s Pro Drift friends.
“The emphasis on further developing and incorporating drift into our event schedules is in line with the GRIDLIFE philosophy of Motorsports Inclusion, and follows our announcement earlier in 2020 that promised more drift at more TrackBattle weekend events.”
- Shawn Fenton - GRIDLIFE Strategy Director
Outside of the Drift activities, GRIDLIFE will have its HPDE program, TrackBattle Time Attack racing, and GRIDLIFE Touring Cup wheel to wheel racing.
The Bayou Bash represents the first in a series of events making up GRIDLIFE’s “Residency” at the NOLA facility. The GRIDLIFE Residency’s aim is to create an environment, in partnership with NOLA, where GRIDLIFE can execute a variety of motorsports experiences across everything the NOLA facility provides in order to serve the community developed out of four years at GRIDLIFE South.
“Since our first conversations with GRIDLIFE, we knew we had the same goal: create incredible experiences for drivers and spectators on and off the track. Today, we’re announcing a special partnership to build something great in motorsports. With our 5 race surfaces, over 1100 acres, and our combined expertise in events, we can’t wait to see what we build through this Residency.
- Dennis Lomonaco - NOLA Motorsport General Manager
More details will be solidified in the coming months. Stay tuned to GRIDLIFE Official on instagram and facebook for updates!
