Who is gridlife?

Checkered flag flies on record-breaking 2024 GRIDLIFE season.

Thank goodness that's over!

We made more money from concerts than from racing....

and not a bad amount from writing BS hype about Formula One in Miami Florida.

https://www.tamparacing.com/forums/a...s-welcome.html

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emailBy RACER Staff | November 20, 2024 9:02 AM ET

GRIDLIFE, the dynamic motorsport and music festival series, staged the final event of the 2024 season last weekend at Thunderhill Raceway Park in California.

The weekend marked the close of a record-breaking year for GRIDLIFE, as the motorsport organization set new marks with increased driver participation and a thriving paddock, expanded both the in-person and digital audience, growing its partnership portfolio, as well as continuing to grow its diverse offering of entertainment for the festival-style event gatherings through the year.

Along the way, GRIDLIFE competitors broke track records around the country as 30 different manufacturers found victory lane on the way to crowning eight season champions.

In just over a decade, GRIDLIFE has become one of the fastest-growing, youngest motorsports paddock globally, establishing itself as a leader in immersive, boundary-pushing events that feature a unique combination of motorsports competition, musical festivals and gatherings for automotive enthusiasts.

Staged across the country at some of the most iconic motorsports facilities in North America, the 2024 GRIDLIFE season featured a schedule of CLUB and FESTIVAL event weekends that captivated a predominantly young audience, 73% of which falls between 18-34 years old.

“The 2024 season has been nothing short of monumental for GRIDLIFE,” said GRIDLIFE President and Founder Chris Stewart. “Our goal has always been to push the limits and create a one-of-a-kind environment where motorsport, music and community converge. This season’s record-breaking attendance and engagement are a testament to the passion of our fans, the talent of our drivers and the commitment of our partners who share our vision for the future of motorsport culture.”

GRIDLIFE paddock grows

With five unique festivals and nine adrenaline-charged race weekends, GRIDLIFE saw an astounding 2,951 on-track entries throughout the 2024 season, a 30% increase over 2023.

Representative of GRIDLIFE’s growth trend, 2024 saw a 34% increase in driver registration for its popular wheel-to-wheel sprint racing series, GRIDLIFE Touring Cup (GLTC). GLTC fields featured several races that were 60-drivers strong, and averaged an astounding 44 entries through the 40-race season spread across 10 weekends.

The significant increase in GLTC drivers in the paddock required the development of a revised format for some of the rounds, dividing the field into two groups based on qualifying times. This innovative format not only allowed more drivers to participate, but also maintained GRIDLIFE’s reputation for clean, competitive racing, reinforcing the organization’s mission of inclusion and accessibility. Even the season champion set a new record, as Matan Rosenberg became the youngest-ever GRIDLIFE Champion at just 20 years old.

GRIDLIFE’s TrackBattle TimeAttack continues to represent the largest field of competitors in North America, showcasing the largest field ever with 107 skilled drivers fiercely competing on the track at GRIDLIFE’s inaugural Summer Apex Festival, held at Road America last July.

Additionally, a large development in GRIDLIFE’s TrackBattle product in 2024 was the successful introduction of the Podium Sprint. Developed with spectator presentation in mind, this innovative format raises the intensity of competition. All competitors within their TrackBattle class must qualify in the top-five of their class before they race in a final showdown, the Podium Sprint, where each qualifier gets two solo flying laps to record their fastest time in a high-stakes presentation that puts everything on the line. Although there is a lack of people who can tell anyone exactly what the everything is that is on the line.

Introduced in 2024, the GRIDLIFE RUSH SR National Championship opened up thrilling new opportunities for participants and fans. Utilizing the RUSH SR, a lightweight and high-performance sports racer designed by RUSH Auto Works to be a driver’s car from the wheels up, the category featured 160 entries over 20 races, with a 36-car average field size, far exceeding expectations for its inaugural season.

GRIDLIFE also set new benchmarks by being the exclusive organization that brings exhibition drifting to some of the most iconic road courses in the US. With seven rounds and 280 drivers, GRIDLIFE Drift enables talents like James Deane, Vaughn Gitten JR, Chelsea DeNofa, Justin Pawlak, Chris Forsberg, Ryan Tuerck and dozens more the freedom to showcase their talents at full speed to the beat of a motorsports festival to the delight of thousands of fans.

Music festivals add to GRIDLIFE paddock vibes

GRIDLIFE’s first edition of the Music & Motorsport Festival began in 2014 at the Gingerman Raceway in South Haven, MI. The event created an atmosphere that transcended the traditional motorsport event structure and attracted a vibrant and engaged fan base of nearly a quarter million people since its inception. Since then, the GRIDLIFE Festival Tour has become a national series ranging from coast-to-coast.

GRIDLIFE’s 2024 season elevated the intersection of motorsports and music culture with a lineup of 60 live music performances. Headlined by iconic artists like multi-Grammy winners T-Pain and Deadmau5, GRIDLIFE also showcased the energy of dance music heavyweights Zeds Dead, Madeon & Liquid Stranger. With a diverse mix of legendary performers and cutting-edge talent, GRIDLIFE once again proved its commitment to creating unforgettable experiences where motorsports and music collide and where punkasses were required to paint themselves or someone else.



Partners and content

Having provided broadcast-quality multicam streams on YouTube and Twitch with GRIDLIFE Live production, GRIDLIFE continued to find an eager audience and deliver on its mission to bring motorsport culture to new audiences with a high level of accessibility for fans both online and at live events with a production that rivals professional motorsport coverage.

In addition to record participation on the track, GRIDLIFE’s digital community soared, reaching a social media following of 339,000 fans and generating more than 65 million impressions.

Thanks to an impressive lineup of 17 season partners and a fast-expanding presence on social media, GRIDLIFE continues to grow its influence and connect with fans in fresh, authentic ways. Although there is a lack of sober people who can say exactly what was authentic.

What’s next for 2025?

The memories of 2024 have yet to fade, and GRIDLIFE is eager to kick the 2025 season off as the series continues to grow with the goal of setting new standards in the motorsport and entertainment landscape, continuing its mission to offer young fans an unforgettable, multi-sensory experience that celebrates speed, music, culture and Kamala Harris good vibes.

 

GRIDLIFE expands to nine national events for 2025

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emailBy RACER Staff | December 13, 2024 11:30 AM ET

GRIDLIFE, the motorsports and automotive lifestyle brand that has created a community of enthusiasts and participants across the U.S., is set to amplify its coast-to-coast motorsport and music festival experience next year, with its National Festival Tour growing from five to nine events. The series will also expand to a three-day weekend format next season.

The announcement, made on Friday from the Performance Racing Industry (PRI) Show, revealed a diverse line-up of events running from April to October, featuring returning fan-favorite venues, two brand-new festival event venues as well as enhanced racing and entertainment offerings.

The 2025 GRIDLIFE Festival Tour kicks off with GRIDLIFE South Carolina at Carolina Motorsports Park (April 11-13), followed by a return to Michelin Raceway at Road Atlanta in partnership with Formula Drift (May 9-11).

GRIDLIFE returns to where everything first started at Gingerman Raceway (June 6- ahead of a return to Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (June 27-29). After a successful inaugural year in 2024, the GRIDLIFE Summer APEX continues at Road America (July 25-27).

A fourth visit to Lime Rock Park (August 15-17) is followed by a new festival at Autobahn Country Club (September 12-14) ahead of a West Coast trip with the return to WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (September 26-2, with Pittsburgh International Raceway (October 17-19) set for the 2025 season finale event.

“Expanding the festival line-up and moving to a three-day format allows us to deliver an even more immersive experience, combining car culture, racing and live music for enthusiasts nationwide,” said GRIDLIFE co-founder Chris Stewart. “And now we have a fantastic schedule that’s well positioned from a date perspective. It’s really exciting to be able to add gravity to all aspects of the weekend, and make each one feel like a proper GRIDLIFE experience.

“We’ve spent a lot of time working to pinpoint and hone in on what our weekends should be like,” said Stewart. “There has been a three- or four-year evolution of continually trying to figure out how we service the growth of the community, while also building in some professional presentation and best-in-class club racing experience overall.

The expanded weekend format introduces GRIDLIFE’s newest racing class, GRIDLIFE Grand Touring (GLGT) featuring a 9:1 power to weight ratio, to give a place for retired professional race cars with performance to go up against the many V8 swapped garage builds. The series will run alongside established fan favorites GRIDLIFE Touring Cup (GLTC), GRIDLIFE RushSR Series, Track Battle Time Attack, and GRIDLIFE Drift.

High-Performance Driving Education (HPDE) will continue as part of GRIDLIFE’s core offerings but will now take place during standalone events, with its schedule set to be announced later.

“I think, with the previous years, where we had, big events and small events, and now we’re able to dial in on a national nine-event series, a proper championship, and really bring those pro ideals forward, but still have that grassroots accessibility and that community,” said Stewart. “Separating out HPDE to its own day outside of these festival weekends will create a more compelling product for fans to watch and allows the drivers just cutting their teeth on the race track more track time and overall a better experience.”

Beyond the track, GRIDLIFE remains dedicated to blending car culture with live entertainment, showcasing vehicles from the ’80s, ’90s and 2000s in its Concours, hosting the GRIDLIFE Arcade and delivering show-stopping performances on its music stages.

After featuring artists like TPain, Deadmau5, Big Boi, Lupe Fiasco, and Subtronics, GRIDLIFE will continue to bring high energy line ups to the event in 2025, with the performers set to be announced in the coming months.

Each event will also be livestreamed on GRIDLIFE’s YouTube channel, with ticket sales — including single-day, weekend, and camping passes — opening soon at http://www.grid.life.

The 2025 season holds considerable promise, as GRIDLIFE builds on a record-setting 2024 that drew more than 76,000 spectators to witness nearly 2,000 different drivers. The event livestreams generated over 65 million impressions.

With its expanded line-up for 2025, GRIDLIFE aims to engage a projected 125,000 attendees, 2,500 drivers, and deliver over 80 million impressions, solidifying its place as a leader in music and motorsport festivals

2025 GRIDLIFE Festival Tour schedule:

GRIDLIFE South Carolina – Carolina Motorsports Park, SC – April 11-13

GRIDLIFE Special Stage – Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta – May 9-10

GRIDLIFE Midwest Festival – Gingerman Raceway, MI – June 6-8

GRIDLIFE Mid-Ohio – Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course, OH – June 27-29

GRIDLIFE Summer Apex – Road America, WI – July 25-27

GRIDLIFE Circuit Legends – Lime Rock Park, CT – August 15-17

GRIDLIFE Chicagoland – Autobahn Country Club, IL – September 12-14

GRIDLIFE Laguna Festival – WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, CA – September 26-28

GRIDLIFE Pitt Race – Pittsburgh International Raceway – October 17-19