GRIDLIFE GT Championship Returns for Sophomore Season with New Entries and Toyo Tires Support

2025 Champion Hans Horpedahl leads James Houghton, AJ Hartman, and Chris DeLucia down the Paul Newman Straight at Lime Rock Park.

The GRIDLIFE GT championship returns in 2026 for its second full season after a successful debut last year. Introduced at GRIDLIFE Midwest in 2025, the series marked a new chapter in GRIDLIFE wheel-to-wheel competition.

Following years of requests from fans and competitors, GRIDLIFE GT was created as a natural step above the popular Eibach GRIDLIFE Touring Cup. The ruleset maintains the same builder-focused philosophy but allows more power, larger tires, and significantly expanded aerodynamic development, producing faster, more aggressive GT-style race cars while preserving the grassroots creativity that defines the paddock.

With momentum from its debut season, the 2026 calendar will bring the series to six venues across the country, including several circuits GLGT will visit for the first time.

New Circuits, New Challenges

The season opens April 17-19 at Carolina Motorsports Park during GRIDLIFE South Carolina. The flowing 2.27-mile circuit places a premium on momentum and mechanical grip, offering a technical test for the high-power, high-downforce machines that define the GLGT field. It will mark the first time the series has raced at the South Carolina venue after its inaugural season began later in the calendar at GRIDLIFE Midwest.

Among the drivers returning to competition is 2025 championship runner-up AJ Hartman. Hartman’s Mustang is one of the most technically fascinating builds in the paddock, combining a New Edge Mustang body with a twin-turbo 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 from a Ford F-150 and the independent rear suspension from a modern S550 Mustang. The resulting machine produces a distinctive exhaust note reminiscent of the Ford GT sports car program.

Also returning is Alex Peitz in his Peitz Performance C8 Corvette, another front-running contender as the series heads into its sophomore year. Two-time Eibach GRIDLIFE Touring Cup Champion Matan Rosenberg joins the field in his Chevrolet Corvette, stepping into the GT realm with GRIDLIFE while he competes in a Hyundai in SRO competition. Chris DeLucia, who scored multiple podiums in his BMW M3 last season, returns with a vengeance and a new motor under the hood of his car.

Round two brings another new venue for the championship as GLGT heads to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in collaboration with Formula Drift. The long straights and dramatic elevation changes of Road Atlanta should play directly to the strengths of the high-speed GT machinery, while the combined event places the series in front of thousands of spectators potentially experiencing GRIDLIFE competition for the first time.

New additions to the grid include Erik Meadows, who makes the jump from Eibach GLTC competition into GRIDLIFE GT in his #3 Chevrolet Corvette, and Jack Haddix, who joins the field in a 2006 BMW 330i.

Midseason Momentum

The championship returns to GingerMan Raceway for GRIDLIFE Midwest June 12-14, the same event where the series made its debut in 2025. As GRIDLIFE’s home circuit and the largest festival on the calendar, Midwest is expected to produce one of the biggest GLGT grids of the season.

Entries already include Gary Wimble, Christian Aranha, Anthony Scafuto, Mat Beck, Josh Flure, Kevin Wesley, and Collin King among other full season entrants. The field represents a wide range of machinery, including Corvettes, a Camaro, a Nissan 300ZX, and even an all-wheel-drive Subaru Outback wagon.

That diversity reflects the builder-focused ruleset shared between GLGT and Eibach GLTC - encouraging creative engineering while maintaining balanced competition across a variety of platforms.

The summer stretch continues at Watkins Glen International during GRIDLIFE Summer Apex in July. The historic 3.4-mile circuit is one of the fastest road courses in North America, with sweeping corners and long straightaways that reward both aerodynamic efficiency and raw horsepower.

Despite the calendar leaning heavily toward the eastern United States in 2026, the #7 Hyundai Veloster N from KDM Tuners is expected to contest the full season, bringing a unique front-wheel-drive presence to a field otherwise dominated by rear-wheel-drive machinery.

KDM Tuners #7 Veloster, driven by Jordan Wiseley, navigates Canada Corner at Road America.

Aaron Leichty’s Winning Formula and Paragon Performance Corvette leads the GLGT field into turn 6 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

Clark Cambern and Anthony Piselli joined forces at Autobahn Country Club last season, piloting this unique Ginetta G55 for one round.

The series then visits Lime Rock Park for GRIDLIFE Circuit Legends in August. The short and intense 1.5-mile circuit has long been a favorite among drivers and fans alike, and with most of the GLGT field planning full or near-full season campaigns, the Connecticut round is expected to feature another deep and competitive grid.

A West Coast Finale

The championship concludes at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, one of the most iconic circuits in North America. The technical California track, highlighted by the legendary Corkscrew, provides a fitting stage for the season finale.

Several new competitors are expected to debut at Laguna Seca, including Gamaliel Aguilar-Gamez, Chas Spence, and Stefan Tomalik, though their vehicle selections have not yet been announced to GRIDLIFE.

Technology and Tire Support Expand in 2026

The 2026 season also sees the expansion of several key technical partnerships across GRIDLIFE competition.

Last year, FireLaps launched a pilot program in GRIDLIFE GT that integrated its Fire Link live telemetry system with the GRIDLIFE Live broadcast. The technology allowed real-time speed, G-force, and performance data to be displayed during the broadcast while also enabling drivers to use FireLaps’ AI coaching tools for immediate post-session feedback. Following the success of the program, the live data capability now expands to all GRIDLIFE series and classes in 2026.

Meanwhile, Toyo Tires joins the championship with a substantial contingency program and becomes the official spec tire supplier for the series. All competitors will race on the Toyo Proxes R in dry conditions, while any Toyo tire is permitted during wet sessions.

The contingency program offers thousands of dollars in Toyo Bucks per race weekend. In fields of 25 starters or more, a race winner can earn nearly $1,000 in Toyo Bucks toward their next tire purchase - and with four races per weekend, the program represents one of the most significant grassroots racing incentives in the paddock.

GRIDLIFE GT, Live

Fans will be able to follow every moment of the 2026 season through the GRIDLIFE Live broadcast. The multi-camera, television-style production features live announcing, onboard cameras, and integrated telemetry, delivering coverage of the high-powered GT battles at a level rarely seen in grassroots motorsports.

From the season opener in South Carolina to the championship finale at Laguna Seca, GRIDLIFE GT continues to build momentum as one of the most exciting new categories in American road racing.

For tickets for drivers and for spectators, visit www.grid.life/events