GRIDLIFE’s New ‘GRIDLIFE GT’ Series Features More Power, Speed, and Diversity

James Houghton tested his GLGT entry - a Honda Civic Type R TCR - during Taco Track Day in May. Photo by Rob Wilkinson

South Haven, MI - GRIDLIFE’s newest racing series, GRIDLIFE GT (GLGT) is set to take its first green flag during the GRIDLIFE Festival weekend at GingerMan Raceway Jun 6-8th. The new class leverages the success of the Eibach GRIDLIFE Touring Cup (GLTC) rules, with a higher power-to-weight limit and more aerodynamic allowances, while retaining the flexibility to balance cars with tire width, power, and weight. The new category’s target ratio is 8.5 pounds per horsepower, targeting cars that make anywhere from 350 to 500 horsepower - a significant increase over the 190-250 target of the existing Eibach GLTC series.

Same Spirit, More Speed

GRIDLIFE GT is anchored by the same grassroots racing spirit that cemented the growth of Eibach GLTC - a paddock full of comradery and sportsmanship where the focus is on the quality and cleanliness of the racing. GRIDLIFE’s co-founder Adam Jabaay echoed the desire for a faster class.

“A huge variety of cars can be made to fit Eibach GLTC, as we’ve seen over the past six seasons, but a lot of cars simply are too fast, and their owners want to keep them fast,” Jabaay said.

“The culture and fun of Eibach GRIDLIFE Touring Cup is what people seem drawn to, so it is our goal to build on the lessons we’ve learned and provide a great place for a lot of new friends to race.”

The new GLGT series will continue to field diverse cars, but with a much higher performance ceiling, giving drivers and teams the opportunity to either build to, or buy, a much faster racecar. James Houghton, longtime competitor in GRIDLIFE’s Touring Cup Series, elected to race a Honda Civic Type R TCR with support from his sponsor.

“I told the owner of K-Tuned I was thinking of turbocharging [the GLTC] Acura TSX. He thought it was a bad idea considering how well sorted it is for TC right now. He thought the TCR car would be good exposure and I thought it would be a competitive car for the class,” said Houghton.

Despite Houghton electing to go the route of purchasing a homologated car, others, like Jax Odinson with his BMW 3-Series, have built their cars from the ground up and have made modifications to fit into the GLGT class. The ability to choose between buying and building is intentional, allowing drivers and teams to pick the chassis and method that fits their resources the best. 

The series also will utilize a wide selection of 200 treadwear tires, reducing costs in comparison to series that allow more expensive slick tires. Street tires last longer, are less expensive, and are more durable than the softer, more performance-oriented racing tires. Sprint races also reduce wear and tear on the engine, gearbox, brakes, fuel, and other consumable items, while simultaneously creating an exciting spectator experience.

Top-Level Presentation

GRIDLIFE GT will be front and center during GRIDLIFE’s live stream productions at six key events in 2025, starting with GRIDLIFE Festival at GingerMan Raceway, with additional broadcasts at Road America in July, Lime Rock Park in August, Autobahn Country Club and WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in September, and Pittsburgh International Race Complex in October. The GRIDLIFE Live broadcasts, executed by Florida-based Project Priime, are television-ready 8-camera productions, complete with live commentary, dynamic and informative on-screen graphics, and pit lane interviews. Each event is presented live on GRIDLIFE’s YouTube channel, Twitch, and Facebook pages and garnered over 500,000 total views at GRIDLIFE South Carolina over a three-day period. The broadcasts are best-in-class and show off competitors and the racing in an unprecedented way for grassroots motorsports.

Be a Part of the Start

There can only be one inaugural champion of a new series, and the GRIDLIFE GT Championship is an opportunity to cement a driver and team in GRIDLIFE history. The new series criss-crosses the country for the remainder of the 2025 series schedule, placing drivers squarely in the spotlight for over 75,000 spectators and hundreds of thousands of broadcast viewers. A full season of GLGT entries can be purchased for under $7,000, including licensing costs. With GRIDLIFE’s focus on clean and fair racing, along with the short race durations and 200-treadwear tires, running costs are expected to be low in comparison to other series at the target power to weight ratio. 

Tickets are still available for the opening round of the GRIDLIFE GT season.