Living in the midwest puts a lot of great opportunities at my feet. Those opportunities range from track days, seemingly endless car shows, drift days and a plethora of other events that always seem to be happening. One of these events is Gridlife, a Music and Motorsports Festival that’s meant to create a stronger relationship between car shows and racing communities. I’ve been to every Gridlife event since the beginning, having attended with people I consider to be my close friends and family every year for the last three years. I can honestly say that our now-annual trip to Gridlife – held this year from June 10-12 at Gingerman Raceway in South Haven, Michigan – has always been a worthwhile trip.
That’s not to say that we haven’t encountered a few bumps in the road (both metaphorically and literally). I hit some unavoidable roadkill and blew a giant hole through my front bumper on the four hour drive to the track. Also, leaving on Thursday meant I’d have 10 hours of class time to make up for later, as that is a requirement of the aviation mechanics program I’m in. However, it’s best not to dwell on the negative, as these minuscule sacrifices in pale in comparison to just how great Gridlife is. Instead, I’ll start this article with a rolling shot of my brother’s VW on his new wheels.
We arrived on the Thursday afternoon, got settled into our hotel rooms and then got some food. On Thursday night, those who weren’t camping were allowed to pick up their tickets at the track and leave. In fear of facing long lines, we got our group together and left for the track. The line was longer than expected, but the staff did an excellent job of moving people along quickly.
On Friday morning, I arrived at the track around 10 a.m. CST to be at the media meeting by 10:30 a.m. The meeting was over quickly enough, so I made it out to the track to catch the first round of drifting for the weekend. Gridlife is run on a tight-knit schedule that is posted on their website; this gives the participants, both driving and spectating, something to stick to. If you prefer drifting to road racing (or vice versa), the schedule helps you plan your day accordingly.
The first vehicle I spotted from spectator hill was Everett Scott’s wide-body S2000. I literally cannot get enough of this car, so I rushed over to grab another picture.
As the last of the time attack cars were coming off, I caught a picture of this awesome FD Rx-7.
Cory Misko’s e46 BMW sedan was one of the more unique cars out drifting and it most definitely looked awesome while doing it.
The first drift session was mostly the drivers trying to get a feel for the track and inevitably that meant finding your way into the grass every now and then.
Even Ryan Tuerck found his way there.
Now, we all have our own definition of perfect, but in my book, this Evolution is nearly as perfect as it gets in terms of a car built to look good while they’re on the track and the street. What do you think?
This year, there were some familiar faces that could be seen while you were walking through the paddock. Chris and his helpers did a great job getting some big names out to Gingerman once again.
From Chicago’s ever-popular Risky Devil, as seen in Need for Speed…
To professional drivers like Ryan Tuerck…
And Geoff Stoneback, who arrived mid-Saturday; he was out driving Chris Forsberg’s Infiniti.
Geoff Stoneback also brought along his S15 and it looked absolutely amazing.
The dynamic duo of Rob (Chairslayer) Parsons and Hert of Hoonigan made an appearance as well…
Most of team Proceed had brought their cars out as well.
The entire setting of Gridlife is meant to be friendly to those of all ages. As you can see, this young’n was enjoying the music being played Friday night after the track events had ended for the day!
On Saturday morning, I woke up and checked the weather forecast. It appeared that the weather was going to be absolutely perfect. We ate breakfast and hurried our way to the track for the car show roll-in. We were all given spots, designated by the make/model and modification of the vehicles, so the spectators of the event could enjoy the diversity when they walked through the showcase. The track events were underway and the crowds began to pour in!
Josh and Simba were throwing down for everyone watching on spectator hill! I even went out for a few laps with Josh; here’s a video of a lap in the Revgasm 180sx: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWAOc0xvl7w
Amongst the few unusual cars drifting was this Corvette…
And the Smoke Signals wide-body Mustang!
Ryan Tuerck’s triple digit entries were insane to watch at the rail!
The car show showcase brought many unique and quality builds. This Zenki S14 with an SR20 was very well done and the owner paid very close attention to detail.
I’m not typically a fan of subtle wheels, but this car pulled off this set of Cosmis’ well.
I’d seen this Kouki S14 for sale at a local dealer a couple years back. It’s had a couple minor changes and is just stunning! It made for a great addition to the showcase, even though I’d rather see it out on the track.
Nick Wochok’s notorious static Honda Fit made an appearance. The freshly re-done interior in this car is fantastic!
Secretly, I’m a sucker for VIP-style cars as I am for a well-done drift car, so this Lexus tickled me in just the right spot, along with…
Morris Jamlang’s Toyota Estima.
Kyle Roberts, a close friend of mine, and I rushed to finish his Subaru Forester in order to make it on time. We finished with a day to spare and I was ecstatic at that fact alone. The attention to detail with this build is second to none. From the modified Karlton flares to the gold-plated brake hardware, the car is flawless. I was happy to see all the appreciation for the hard work that went into this season’s renovations. But maybe I’ve got a biased perspective. What do you think?
Mico Cruz’s Kanjozoku-themed Honda Civic looks excellent both in the paddock…
And on the track!
On Saturday, the events on the track raged throughout the day. As the sun started to go down, again the speakers from the stage began to bump.
The musical portion of Saturday truly shined light on the fact that Gridlife is an event for everyone. (No, that was not a pun!)
All of the artists put on a good set for the crowd, especially Herobust!
This was a great way for all the spectators and drivers alike to unwind and let loose after a long day. No matter what your interest is, there is constantly something going on at Gridlife! People travel far and wide to experience Gridlife for one reason and one reason alone: it’s easily THE greatest motorsport event in North America. And as each year passes, the event only continues to get better! I will continue to sacrifice whatever it takes to attend this event for years to come, just as many others who have experienced it will. So, I invite you, your friends and your family to join in on this amazing legacy!
Photo Drop:
