2026 GRIDLIFE Season Looms for TrackBattle Competitors
The 2026 GRIDLIFE TrackBattle season is shaping up to be one of the most competitive in series history, visiting six premier venues across the United States - including a highly anticipated return to Watkins Glen International.
After a record-setting 2025 campaign, drivers and teams are preparing for a season that blends redemption builds, pushing the limits, and some of the fastest road courses in North America.
A Stacked Season Opener in South Carolina
The championship kicks off April 17-19 at Carolina Motorsports Park during GRIDLIFE South Carolina. Following significant growth last season, the season opener is already loaded with returning class champions and heavy hitters.
Among those expected on the entry list are Jimmy Rauck, Allen Patten, Dewey DeWitt, Luke McGrew, and Mike Janssen - all drivers who have stood atop the podium in recent seasons.
Last year, dozens of class records were rewritten across seven TrackBattle categories. Veterans such as Rauck and DeWitt continued refining proven platforms, but the biggest storyline came from Allen Patten’s Louis Gigliotti-built C7 Corvette. The Track Mod machine stormed through four consecutive victories, clinching the championship before midsummer and resetting expectations for the class.
Dewey DeWitt returns for another full season, chasing his third Street Mod Championship.
Street Class Champion Joshua Halka sets up for turn 2 in front of a crowd at GingerMan Raceway during GRIDLIFE Midwest.
Brad Perkins is slated to return to Track Mod competition at South Carolina after a runner-up season in 2024; he’ll be joined by class regulars Justin Peachey and Chris Boersma. With established builds, evolving cars, and off-season development across the paddock, Track Mod could quickly become one of the fiercest battlegrounds of the year.
Road Atlanta Returns with Formula Drift
Round two brings TrackBattle back to Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta in collaboration with Formula Drift. The high-speed Georgia circuit has become a favorite for competitors looking to push grip and driver commitment to the limit.
Blind crests, flowing esses, and one of the most iconic downhill braking zones in American motorsport make Road Atlanta a proving ground for both power and precision, especially with thousands of spectators on the hillside in the shared weekend between GRIDLIFE and Formula Drift.
Midseason Momentum: Midwest & Summer Apex
GRIDLIFE’s flagship festival returns to South Haven, Michigan, June 12-14, continuing the blend of motorsports competition and festival culture that has defined the organization since its inception.
But perhaps the most anticipated stop of 2026 comes July 24-26 with the series’ return to Watkins Glen International. The last visit in April 2023 was plagued by poor weather and cold temperatures. This year’s midsummer date is expected to provide faster, drier conditions on the historic 3.4-mile road course.
More than 90 drivers in TrackBattle are already entered, including 20 competitors in the highly competitive Falken Club TR class.
Falken Club TR’s grid is already exceeding 20 cars for Summer Apex at Watkins Glen - and is just one of seven classes in GRIDLIFE TrackBattle.
Watkins Glen’s reputation for high-speed corners and long straightaways has attracted some of TrackBattle’s most powerful Unlimited entries. Mike Dusold’s Chevrolet Camaro - which reportedly exceeded 200 mph at Road America in 2024 - is registered to compete. He’ll be joined by Steven Luca in a 2020 Ford Shelby GT500 Mustang and Jeremy Lowder in another Chevrolet Camaro, forming an Unlimited field built for maximum velocity.
GRIDLIFE joins an illustrious list of sanctioning bodies that have raced at The Glen, spanning top-tier open-wheel, stock car, and sports car competition, placing TrackBattle on one of North America’s most revered stages. The weekend will also feature a full GRIDLIFE Festival atmosphere, with vendors, an arcade, and the NOS Energy main stage - a first for GRIDLIFE at The Glen.
Expanding Partnerships and Live Data Integration
The 2026 season also marks a significant technical evolution for GRIDLIFE TrackBattle.
FireLaps, whose AI coaching platform debuted in the GRIDLIFE Grand Touring (GLGT) championship last year, expands its integration across all GRIDLIFE series in 2026. With a FireLink and active Fire Laps account, competitors can stream real-time speed, G-force, and performance data directly to the GRIDLIFE Live broadcast, bringing fans closer to the on-track action than ever before.
Meanwhile, Falken Tires increases its commitment through expanded Fast on Falken contingency prizing. Season podium awards now extend to Street, Street GT, Street Mod, and Eibach GLTC competitors. Season podium prizing exceeds $11,000, contributing to more than $40,000 in total awards across the 2026 championship.
Falken Club SC is one of two classes with higher season prizing from Falken in 2026.
Peter Granberg is one of many TrackBattle drivers already running a FireLink device, which will allow fans to see several live datapoints on the GRIDLIFE broadcast if the driver is so equipped.
Coast-to-Coast Celebration and a Wild West Finale
The penultimate stop at Lime Rock Park for GRIDLIFE Circuit Legends has become far more than just another championship round - it’s a full-scale celebration of automotive tuning culture. The Connecticut paddock transforms into a showcase of builds ranging from period-correct icons to cutting-edge aero monsters, blending grassroots creativity with top-tier performance. On track, the 1.5-mile circuit consistently produces some of the tightest margins of the year, with TrackBattle competitors routinely scraping into the 54 second lap time range. It’s one of the most intense sprints in the series, and a true fan favorite. Even racing legend Skip Barber joined the fun last season, taking a ride on course in a drift car in a moment that perfectly captured the spirit of Circuit Legends.
The championship then heads west for its crescendo at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, a finale that has rapidly gained momentum and national attention. Last year, a wave of competitors fresh from the slopes of Pikes Peak International Hill Climb descended on Monterey, bringing their purpose-built mountain weapons into the Super Unlimited class. Drivers including Robin Shute, Codie Vahsholtz, Cole Powelson, Scott Birdsall, and Danny Aitken arrived in their full-fledged hillclimb machines to take on the famous Laguna Seca Corkscrew.
Scott Birdsall brought out his modified Legends car to GRIDLIFE Laguna in 2025.
California Based KDM Tuners is prepped for another full season in their Hyundai Elantra N.
Super Unlimited, which effectively serves as the catch-all for vehicles that don’t fit within TrackBattle’s seven other classes, has evolved into a showcase of the wildest, most innovative cars in the country. At Laguna Seca, that freedom meets one of the most technical and iconic road courses in North America, delivering a season finale defined by raw speed, creative engineering, and no-holds-barred competition.
The entire season will be captured live on the GRIDLIFE Live broadcast. Featuring a multi-camera, television-style production with live announcing, real-time data integration, and full-course coverage, GRIDLIFE Live brings a level of storytelling and accessibility rarely seen in grassroots time attack. For fans trackside and at home, the 2026 season is approaching quickly. For tickets, visit www.grid.life.
