GRIDLIFE RUSH Series Builds Momentum Entering 2026 Championship
The GRIDLIFE RUSH Series returns in 2026 with a packed field of drivers, including the previous season champion, at all six events on the GRIDLIFE calendar.
Introduced in 2024, the series quickly established itself as one of the most competitive forms of wheel-to-wheel racing in the paddock. The championship utilizes the RUSH SR built by RUSH Autoworks - a lightweight, open-cockpit sports racer that delivers high performance in an affordable package. Weighing just 1,350 pounds and producing roughly 150 horsepower, the cars reward momentum, precision, and racecraft.
More than 30 entries are already registered for the opening round of the 2026 season, with additional drivers expected to join the grid as the championship approaches.
A Champion Returns
Reigning champion Ryan Leach returns to defend his title beginning at GRIDLIFE South Carolina.
Leach delivered one of the most dominant seasons in GRIDLIFE history in 2025, scoring 15 victories in 22 starts on his way to the championship. His campaign began with an extraordinary run of form, winning the first twelve races across the opening three rounds of the season at Carolina Motorsports Park, Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, and GingerMan Raceway.
Among the challengers looking to break that momentum is 2025 runner-up Andy Voelkel. Despite scoring ten podium finishes in 24 starts last season, a race victory remained just out of reach for the driver of the #34 RUSH SR. Another returning competitor is Jaylan Battley, who finished seventh in the championship and returns in his #88 entry.
Andy Voelkel’s striking TurnIn Concepts #34.
Jaylan Battley (#88) charges up the inside of Bryce Mersberger (#114) on a race start at Autobahn Country Club in Illinois last September.
RUSH is Back at an Iconic Circuit
Like last season, the RUSH Series joins GRIDLIFE’s collaborative event with Formula Drift at Road Atlanta in May. The historic 12-turn circuit has quickly become one of the most exciting stops on the schedule for the spec racers.
The long back straight at Road Atlanta creates powerful drafting opportunities for the RUSH SR field, often resulting in dramatic slipstream battles. Drivers regularly line up “slingshot” passes heading into the heavy braking zone at Turn 10A - one of the most thrilling overtaking spots in American road racing.
Additional competitors expected at the Georgia round include Jake Sanders, AJ Camp, Jeff Hardesty, and Doltyn Snedden, who joins the championship in the #881 RUSH SR.
Sports car driver James French scrambles over the wet turn 5 exit curb at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.
Summer Festival Season
The championship continues at GingerMan Raceway during GRIDLIFE Midwest, the largest event on the GRIDLIFE calendar.
The Midwest weekend places the RUSH Series in front of thousands of spectators and has already drawn notable guest competitors in previous seasons. Last year, popular automotive creator TJ Hunt joined the field alongside professional drifter Nate Hamilton, with both drivers scoring top-ten finishes during the weekend.
TJ Hunt leads teammate Nate Hamilton towards turn 11 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in front of a crowd at the combined GRIDLIFE / Formula Drift event last May.
Ryan Leach leads Blair Hosie and the rest of the RUSH Series field into turn 2 at GRIDLIFE Midwest.
Later in the summer, the series will visit Watkins Glen International for the first time. The fast and flowing 3.4-mile circuit promises some of the highest average speeds of the season thanks to its sweeping corners and long straightaways.
Drivers expected to compete at Watkins Glen include returning competitors Jeremy Boysen (#22), Ryerson Whissell, Larry Brady, Mark Charnogorsky, and Ethan Hardesty.
A similar grid is expected when the championship moves to Lime Rock Park for GRIDLIFE Circuit Legends in August, where the short and fast 1.5-mile circuit produces intense sprint racing and frequent lead changes. The Uphill section creates dramatic photo and video opportunities as the lightweight cars jump over the crest of the hill and get slightly airborne, before landing and continuing to West Bend.
Bryce Mersberger gets air at the Uphill at Lime Rock Park last August.
West Coast Finale
The 2026 championship concludes once again at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, a dramatic venue that has already produced some of the most memorable moments in the young history of the RUSH Series.
Last season’s races included a remarkable performance from TJ Hunt, who charged through the field in a one-lap shootout to claim his first podium finish in the series.
The technical California circuit, highlighted by the legendary Corkscrew, provides a perfect stage for the lightweight RUSH SR. Returning competitors for the West Coast round include Benjamin Qian in the #24 entry, among others expected to make the cross-country trip for the season finale.
Michael Schneider leads Bryce Mersberger, TJ Hunt, and James French into turn 10 at Laguna Seca.
Nate Hamilton dives down the Corkscrew in his #144 Team Rapscallion entry.
Spec Racing, Live
All six rounds of the 2026 RUSH Series season will be featured on the GRIDLIFE Live broadcast. The multi-camera, television-style production includes live commentary, onboard cameras, and full-course coverage, bringing fans into the action as the tightly packed RUSH SR field battles inches apart. The coverage will be bolstered by the inclusion of live data from Fire Laps for any driver with an onboard Fire Link, expanding on the integration piloted in GRIDLIFE GT last year.
From the opening round in South Carolina to the championship finale at Laguna Seca, the GRIDLIFE RUSH Series continues to grow as one of the most exciting spec racing championships in grassroots motorsports.
For tickets, visit www.grid.life.
