Drivers Charged Records, Corners and Fun at GRIDLIFE Festival Finale
First-ever west coast stop brought new fans to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
Monterey, CA (October 27, 2023) – The first-ever west coast tour stop for the GRIDLIFE Festival saw a packed field of competitors, solid crowds, and a new music debut this past weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. The unique youth-oriented music and motorsport tour featured 175 cars on track, a show car Concours and a retro arcade to keep fans entertained long after dark. Concert headliner T-Pain debuted his “Baby Got Brap” single on stage.
“Our goal is to bring a new generation into the culture of motorsports and we were excited to see a whole lot of people come to the track that have never been there before,” said GRIDLIFE co-founder Chris Stewart. “I’m proud we could be the key that unlocked this legendary facility to a whole new generation of drivers and enthusiasts.”
On track, four-time Pikes Peak Champion Robin Shute set a blistering 1:10.92 lap at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca to top the rankings at this weekend’s GRIDLIFE NOS Energy TrackBattle Championship competition but fell short of his goal to topple the track record.
Jason Chin set the second-fastest time of 1:24.417 in the Super Unlimited class in his Ginetta LMP3-classed racing car. Production record hopeful Eric “Dewey” DeWitt suffered a mechanical failure in his Subaru Impreza that ended his weekend early and well short of the 1:27.62 time set by Randy Pobst in a McLaren Senna.
The NOS Energy TrackBattle is an inclusive time attack format that allows virtually any level of vehicle preparation, from popular, near-stock Honda Fits through to 1,000 hp supercars. Racers can choose to run in one of eight classes: Falken Sundae Cup, Falken Club TR, Street, Street GT, Street Modified, Track Modern, Unlimited, and Super Unlimited. Each driver gets two practice sessions and three qualifying runs. The top five from each class advance to a two-lap podium sprint, with the fastest lap determining the NOS Energy TrackBattle Championship weekend podium.
In GRIDLIFE Touring Cup, series regular Matan Rosenberg took his first weekend win at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, finishing all four of the single-class sprint races in the Top 3 in his 1999 Chevrolet Corvette.
Jeremy Swenson became the first-ever repeat champion in GRIDLIFE Touring Cup history – despite his 2001 Chevrolet Corvette being a no-show after the transport hauler broke down en route. Swensen himself arrived to support the rest of the GLTC paddock but was unable to take the victory lap he had hoped. With eight sprint race wins and only one finish outside the top 10, consistency and speed vaulted Swenson clear of any other points attack in the final round. He also won the title in his rookie 2021 GLTC season.
GLTC is a single-class road racing series that sees drivers compete each weekend in four, 12- to 15-minute sprint races, with points allocated for each. The driver with the best cumulative score at the end of all four sprints takes the win. After five successful seasons, the series is recognized for its exciting racing and stacked fields: GLTC races regularly have 50 cars racing wheel-to-wheel at the same time.
Pro drift driver Matt Coffman was among the 25 drift drivers to join the first-ever open freestyle sessions at the 2.24-mile, 11-turn road course. The circuit’s historic significance and high-speed, roller-coaster layout marked it as a much-anticipated destination for the discipline and Coffman’s full-send into the Andretti Hairpin has become one of the most popular social media clips to emerge from the weekend.
With origins in Japan, drifting is a high-skill, high-powered motorsport with an emphasis on car control. GRIDLIFE drift sessions are freestyle, with no judging or timing and drivers are free to push the limits of speed and style.
This past weekend, GRIDLIFE Laguna Festival also hosted the Model 3 Challenge and, for the first time, RUSH SR series racing. GRIDLIFE is expected to announce its 2024 Festival tour dates in the coming months.
About GRIDLIFE
GRIDLIFE is a motorsports and automotive lifestyle brand that has created a community of enthusiasts and participants across the United States. With a focus on inclusivity, accessibility, and a shared passion for cars and motorsports, GRIDLIFE hosts events that include live music, structured racing, and open track time, bringing together a diverse community of people who share a love for all things automotive. The 2023 GRIDLIFE Festival tour is supported by sponsors including Hyundai, NOS Energy Drink, and Falken Tire, who have partnered with GRIDLIFE to reach the next generation of automotive enthusiasts.