GRIDLIFE: Track Battle Round 1 2019

GRIDLIFE: Track Battle Round 1

April 6-7th, 2019

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course

Lexington, OH

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Time Attack Classes:

POWERSTOP STREET 74 | Chris Neuman | STREET  | 1:36.049 | M3 | 870 34 | Austin Hertel | STREET   | 1:36.401 | 370z | 840 777 | Joshua Halka | STREET  | 1:37.473 | WRX | 800

STREET GT 0 | Leazenby/Spear | STREET GT | 1:35.811 | Mustang | 890 123 | Chris Bickford | STREET GT | 1:36.951 | Corvette | 820 2 | Derek Roberts | STREET GT | 1:41.717 | M3 | 650

FCP EURO STREET MODIFIED 69 | James Forbis | STREET MODIFIED |  1:31.433 | Corvette Z06 | 990 21 | Matt DeReus | STREET MODIFIED | 1:34.069 | M3 | 940 77 | Alex Artayet | STREET MODIFIED | 1:34.141 | WRX STI | 930

TRACK MODIFIED 5 | Luke McGrew | TRACK MODIFIED | 1:28.953 | Viper ACR | 1000 45 | Paul Curley | TRACK MODIFIED | 1:32.775 | Corvette | 960 314 | Michael Puglisi | TRACK MODIFIED | 1:33.537 | Evolution | 950

UNLIMITED 41 | James Houghton | UNLIMITED | 1:23.412 | Integra | 1120 8 | Tony Calabrese | UNLIMITED | 1:28.821 | STI | 990 460 | Grant Walker | UNLIMITED | 1:36.917 | Miata | 830

CLUB CLASSES ROADSTER MODIFIED 20 | Erik Meadows | ROADSTER MODIFIED | 1:45.860 | Miata

SUNDAE CUP/SPEC FIT 129 | Matt Williams | SUNDAE CUP / SPECFIT | 1:52.201 | Fit | 410 413 | Sally McNulty | SUNDAE CUP / SPECFIT | 1:53.660 | Fit | 380 15 | Mark Bucheit | SUNDAE CUP / SPECFIT 1:57.580 | Fit  | 340

Gridlife is a series of annual Music and Motorsports festivals held at Gingerman Raceway (since 2014) and Road Atlanta (since 2016). GRIDLIFE events feature daytime events such as road racing, time attack, drifting, car shows and concerts with contemporary EDM, Hip Hop and Alternative music in the evenings.

The festival began with more of a focus on HPDE, but has in recent years featured more Time Attack and Drifting as a part of it's on track activities. GRIDLIFE regularly features pro Formula Drift drivers.

Gridlife was founded in 2013 with it's first event taking place in May 2014 at Gingerman Raceway. The 2014 edition saw an attendance of over 1500 spectators with 220 drivers in HPDE and Time Attack and a field of 30 drift drivers throughout the weekend. Music lineup for 2014 featured headliners WillyJoy, The Hood Internet and surprise set from Autobot of Flosstradamus.

Gridlife saw significant growth in 2015 with nearly 4000 attendees and over 300 Drivers on Track for HPDE. The time attack portion of GRIDLIFE was renamed to TrackBattle and featured a large entry field of over 80 cars. Music lineup featured an increased production and headliners RJD2, Keys N Krates, Party Favor, and Pretty Lights Music artist Paul Basic.

Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course is a road course auto racing facility located in Troy Township, Morrow County, Ohio, United States, just outside the village of Lexington. (Mid-Ohio has also colloquially become a term for the entire north-central region of the state, from south of Sandusky to north of Columbus.)

The track opened as a 15-turn, 2.4 mile (3.86 km) road circuit run clockwise. The back portion of the track allows speeds approaching 180 mph (290 km/h). A separate starting line is located on the backstretch to allow for safer rolling starts. The regular start/finish line is located on the pit straight. In 1990, the track underwent a refurbishment. A new retaining wall was built, the entire track was resurfaced, widened, and concrete was paved in the apexes of the turns to prevent asphalt deterioration. In addition, a straightaway was paved through the chicane, allowing for two different track layouts, the original 2.4-mile (3.9 km) circuit, and a new 13-turn, 2.258 mile (3.634 km) circuit. In 1990, the CART series began utilizing the 2.258-mile (3.634 km) layout. In 2006, a second major refurbishment saw several improvements. The entire circuit was repaved, and the concrete patches in the turn apexes were removed. A new motorcycle "short course" was created by connecting turn one with the backstretch, and another motorcycle oval was created by connecting the chicane straight with the backstretch. The additional layouts allow simultaneous use of the multiple course, for instructional and competitive uses. The improvements also included a motocross facility, that has since been closed. There is grandstand seating for 10,000 spectators, and three observation mounds alongside the track raise the capacity to over 75,000.

The track was opened in 1962 by Les Griebling and several Mansfield-area businessmen as a location for weekend sports car racing. In 1982, Mid-Ohio was purchased by Jim Trueman, a renowned road racer and the founder of Red Roof Inns. Trueman added permanent grandstands, amphitheater-style seating, garages with spectator balconies, a five-story media and hospitality center, underground tunnels and an updated paddock area. In addition, a tall, three-sided scoreboard tower was constructed in the infield; strategically placed such that it was visible from nearly all spectator area around the track. In 1990, the track underwent a refurbishment. A new retaining wall was built, the entire track was resurfaced, widened, and concrete was paved in the apexes of the turns to prevent asphalt deterioration. In addition, a straightaway was paved through the chicane, allowing for two different track layouts, the original 2.4-mile (3.9 km) circuit, and a new 13-turn, 2.258 mile (3.634 km) circuit. In 2006, the track again underwent extensive renovation. The track and pit lane were completely resurfaced and connectors were added to the track's famed Keyhole section to allow for three separate road course configurations. Also completed was the removal of concrete patches from the track, the relocation of the wall and guardrail at Turn 1, the expansion of gravel traps at the exits of Turn 1 and the keyhole, the replacement of all remaining old-style catch fencing, and the standardization of curbing throughout the circuit. These changes have resulted in a faster, safer, more competitive and attractive facility for drivers, riders and race fans.

The sports car course operates from April through November each year. During this time, the facility is host for a number of nationally sanctioned race weekends, all of which are open to the public. Mid-Ohio has hosted "closed course" events for kart racing events since the late 1960s sanctioned by I.K.F. & W.K.A. and run by the Dart kart Club with up to 400 entries attending. Karts use the full track with the chicane. Additionally, on-site motor home and tent camping spaces are available. The 2011 season marks the 50th in the track's storied history of racing. On March 2, 2011, it was announced that the track had been purchased from Truesports by Green Savoree Racing Promotions, which also promotes other IndyCar races, ending Truesports' 29 years of ownership. On November 13, 2012, NASCAR announced that the track would hold the Mid-Ohio Challenge in the 2013 season.

Founded in 1993, The Mid-Ohio School offers licensed drives and motorcycle riders programs in defensive driving, high performance driving and performance track riding programs. Students in each course partake in classroom and private instruction and group drills. Participants test their newly refined skills in the controlled environment of the facility's Vehicle Dynamics Center and, on the track.

The Mid-Ohio School is AAA Approved and recognized as a recent recipient of the Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Partners for Safety award. 18 programs are available to drivers and riders of all ages and ability levels from defensive driving programs for teens and adults, on-track high performance courses for the automotive enthusiasts to current and aspiring racers.