First Time Podiums, Broken Records Highlight GRIDLIFE Laguna Competition
Mark Kilgore leads Charles Kuhnau in matching BMW M4s into the Corkscrew in GRIDLIFE TrackBattle Time Attack
Kilgore Scores First Victory, Track Mod Upset Shocks Spectators
GRIDLIFE’s TrackBattle Championship featured nearly ninety competitors across eight classes, including half a dozen in the exhibition Super Unlimited class, a category reserved for the fastest and wildest cars in North America that bear little resemblance to road cars. Throughout the weekend, drivers were treated to fairly consistent track conditions, leading to several track records falling at different times throughout the weekend. Overall, five classes saw records fall, eight including drivetrain subclassifications, but the challenge of Podium Sprint turned some battles on their head.
In Falken Club SC, Mike Janssen reset the track record, previously held by Sam Deuling, by nearly two seconds in his #156 Honda Civic. Though Deuling led for the first few sessions, a few skids through the gravel at the Corkscrew cost him some valuable time. In Podium Sprint, Janssen doubled down, scoring a new record of 1:49.658 over Sam Deuling, Courtney Ward, Robert Miller in his #433 Kia Rio, and Matthew Reinhart in his #343 Honda Fit. Deuling again made the trip in his racecar all the way from Michigan, but came up just short this year.
The title hunt heats up after WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca with Falken Club TR’s Mario Mirone resetting the track record with a 1:37.586 in his #727 Honda Civic, handily winning in the Podium Sprint. Despite having scored maximum points on his long trek to California, he remains vulnerable at Pittsburgh International Race Complex to Peter Granberg and Evan McLaren next month. Alexis Fregoso’s #740 Acura RSX was second, then Jared Ramirez finished third in his #242 Toyota GR86.
Mario Mirone won Falken Club TR handily, scoring 26 points and leaving him in the class lead heading into the season finale.
Though records fell for two of the three drivetrain categories in Street class (Luke Lederman in a RWD Porsche Cayman, 1:39.090, and Willem Drees in a FWD Hyundai Elantra N, 1:38.533) neither was able to eclipse championship leader Joshua Halka, who set a 1:36.272 during one of the qualifying heats. Halka won Podium Sprint by over two seconds, but like Mirone in Club TR, is vulnerable to Andy Holst at Pitt Race in October. Halka was unable to claim the extra point available for breaking a drivetrain record, a point which could prove critical next month. Halka defeated Drees and a Tesla Model 3 driven by Rafael Guerrero in Street class.
Joshua Halka didn’t break the track record, but did easily win Street Class - but his battle isn’t over - he must defeat Andy Holst at Pitt Race in October.
Mark Kilgore scored his first ever win in GRIDLIFE competition in Street GT with a win in Podium Sprint. Kilgore, driving his #909 BMW M4, was in fierce competition with the #182 of Charles Kuhnau, also in an M4. Kuhnau led early in the weekend, but relinquished the best time in Street GT to Kilgore. Kilgore’s best of the weekend was a 1:35.267, shy of the record, but his Podium Sprint performance was nine tenths clear, earning him the win over Kuhnau and Joe Drane in a BMW M2.
Street Modified was a battleground, setting a new entry size record for the class, with 24 entries spanning 13 different car models. Among them were midwest competitors Luca Barberis, Kal Fortner, and Jaime Santos, who were favorites to win, but it was Barberis who would obliterate the class record with a 1:30.369, nearly 2 seconds quicker than Fortner’s record set last year. Luca would go on to win Podium Sprint in his #444 GR Supra over Isaac Torres’ Supra and Kai Anderson’s Chevrolet Corvette. Kal Fortner scored fourth ahead of Ope Oladipo in another Corvette. Jaime Santos had a rod bearing failure early in the weekend and was relegated to sixth in class.
Luca Barberis reset the Street Mod record several times during the weekend in his Toyota GR Supra.
Unlimited class was well-attended, with the #57 Camaro of Mike Dusold present, alongside the #280 of Lief Storer in a Nissan GT-R. Two high-horsepower MX-5 builds, one from Joshua Briggs and one from Ryan Raduechel, also joined the event, alongside Tom Tang, Shawn Bassett, and Rob Dahm in his 3-rotor RX-7. Though no records fell in this class this year, Dusold, Storer, and Raduechel put on a show in Podium Sprint, where Dusold ran his quickest time of the weekend with a 1:25.403.
Mike Dusold’s 2000+ horsepower Camaro made it to Podium Sprint, beating out the AWD Nissan GT-R of Lief Storer.
The Super Unlimited category, reserved for factory racecars or tube frame cars not based on a road-going chassis, featured six cars. Though no points and trophies were awarded, Codie Vahsholtz pushed his Ford Custom Pikes Peak car to 1:26.325, Jeremiah Burton brought his Trans-Am Camaro to a 1:28.896, and Cole Powelson brought his Stryker and scored a 1:34.579. Scott Birdsall stole the show with his Legends car, and Danny Aitken ran with his stock-car bodied Pikes Peak car. Robin Shute returned for another go at a track record in his #49 Wolf TSC-FS, but had an incident during the second heat of the weekend.
The Track Mod class featured a huge upset in Podium Sprint. With all eyes on Jackie Ding’s must-win scenario and Callan Spence’s 2GR Lotus Elise showing serious speed on Friday, resetting the track record, Bailey Woods, Gabe Zamora, and others engaged chase mode in the heat qualifying. Jackie Ding’s BMW M2 suffered a braking issue and crashed in the Corkscrew, ending his weekend, leaving the door wide open for Spence to pick up a win. Spence had reset the record again on Saturday, scoring a 1:26.381, almost two seconds quicker than Brad Perkins last year, but missed turn 5 on his first flying lap during the Podium Sprint. On lap 2, Spence ran a respectable 1:28.492, a time that may have been good enough to win in most other sessions, but Bailey Woods in his E36 BMW M3 laid down the hammer and eked out a 1:28.486, just 0.006 seconds faster than Spence. The upset win is one of the closest defeats in TrackBattle history. Woods finished first, Spence second, then Gabe Zamora, Cody Bulkley, and Jackie Ding rounding out the top 5.
Bailey Woods’ striking BMW M3 stole a victory from Callan Spence during Podium Sprint by 0.006 seconds.
Horpedahl Sweeps GRIDLIFE GT in California
GRIDLIFE GT joined Eibach GRIDLIFE Touring Cup in a multiclass racing format for the first time, as the series debuted in California. Among the entrants, Hans Horpedahl, Chris Delucia, and Collin King, travelling from all over the country to drive the famous WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Jordan Wiseley, driving for KDM Tuners in a Hyundai Veloster N, was also present, as well as a handful of new competitors. Of these, Charles Spence entered a beautiful Lotus Exige, and Rob Tachovsky entered an air-cooled Porsche 911.
KDM Tuners finally enjoyed a home race, but Jordan Wiseley’s Hyundai Veloster N suffered a clutch issue during the weekend, forcing him down the order.
Though Collin King won the first two races of the weekend, a mix up of tire sizes caused King to be disqualified in both, allowing Hans Horpedahl to inherit the win. Horpedahl would also win the final two races, over Charles Spence in race 3 and Maxwell Lisovsky in a similar C5 Corvette in race 4. Jordan Wiseley’s Veloster N suffered a clutch issue and managed 7th in race 3 and 4th in race 4. Chris DeLucia, travelling all the way from New York, had an engine failure in race 1, ending his weekend early. Horpdahl won the weekend with 102 points, just one away from the maximum possible, over Lisovsky and Anthony Scafuto, whose #87 Chevrolet Camaro scored third four times. The GRIDLIFE GT Championship will come to a close at Pittsburgh International Race Complex in October.
Hans Horpedahl leads Maxwell Lisovsky and Charles Spence through turn 3 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in GRIDLIFE GT.
“Stubz” Hillo Scores Second Career Win, Ross Comes Out on Top in Eibach GLTC
Eibach GLTC returned to WeatherTech Raceway for the third time, with an entry least featuring 25 cars, including championship contender Matan Rosenberg in his Falken-sponsored #484 Chevrolet Corvette. The field was stacked with California competitors like Justin Ross, in his #272 BMW 3-Series, along with a host of other BMW machinery driven by Joe McGuigan, Abdul Osmani,Tony Rodriguez, and more. The event at Laguna Seca also marked the first time Eibach GLTC ran in a multi-class format, with GRIDLIFE GT.
Michael Hillo drops a wheel into the gravel during Eibach GLTC qualifying.
The first race of the weekend saw Justin Ross defeat Matan Rosenberg and Joe McGuigan. Ross picked up his second ever career victory after beating Rosenberg at this event once last year. Michael “Stubz” Hillo finished 4th in his Eibach Nissan 350Z over Tony Rodriguez. In race 2, the podium was exactly the same, with Jayceton Lapid in a Nissan 350Z over Rodriguez. Race 3 contained the highest-drama moment of the weekend, with Ross and Rosenberg splitting a GRIDLIFE GT Porsche 3-wide heading into the Andretti Hairpin. Rosenberg took the inside and stole the lead on the final lap, winning the race, and critically, earned more points in the championship, launching him ahead of Eric Kutil by eight points. In the fourth and final race of the weekend, Michael Hillo took the lead from pole early and ran from Oscar Jackson, the other front-row starter taking advantage of the five-car invert. Though the gap ebbed throughout the race, Hillo earned the win, just over Oscar Jackson’s FR-S and Rosenberg’s Corvette. Matan’s weekend places him ahead of Eric Kutil for the season finale at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, putting pressure on Kutil to beat him or face defeat next month.
Mersberger, French, Top RUSH Series Weekend, TJ Hunt Lands First Race Podium
GRIDLIFE’s RUSH Series came to a close this weekend, with the finale of four races finishing up on Sunday afternoon. The field was forty cars strong, dotted with talents like championship leader Ryan Leach, Andy Voelkel, and James French, and featured star power in TJ Hunt, Nate Hamilton, and Ellis Spiezia. Leach won the first race of the weekend over James French and Blair Hosie. In race 2, a late full course yellow restacked the field for a one-lap shootout. TJ Hunt, ninth behind the safety car, advanced one spot forward as Ellis Spiezia suffered a mechanical failure, then pounced on the restart, carving his way through the field and scoring 3rd, before a technical infraction promoted him to 2nd place post race. Hunt followed up those finishes with a 9th and 6th in races 3 and 4. Michael Schneider won races 2 and 3, with Bryce Mersberger holding off a hard-charging Nico Bratz for the final race of the year. Pending final checks, Ryan Leach scored 467 points across 22 starts, earning 15 wins and had an average finish of 5.0, enough to earn him the 2025 GRIDLIFE RUSH Series National Championship.
TJ Hunt shares the front row for the race 3 start alongside Michael Schneider.
Ryan Leach ran just two races on the weekend, but claims the championship for the 2025 GRIDLIFE RUSH Series.
GRIDLIFE next competes at Pittsburgh International Race Complex, which will be one of the last events at the facility. The course recently announced that it will cease operations in December after its sale. Tickets are available now and the event will be broadcast live - the season finale for TrackBattle, Eibach GLTC, and GRIDLIFE GT.
