Gridlife returned to Road Atlanta for the first time since an infamous 2019 festival that apparently got really out of control. I wasn't there, but you can find stories online and on YouTube.

Adding this event to our schedule was a no-brainer for us southerners. Road Atlanta is a legendary track I've driven many times, but this was my first time racing on it! Let's get into the details.

Formula Drift Support Series

Gridlife replaced Global Time Attack as the support series for this event, so it wasn't strictly a Gridlife event. Due to the Formula Drift schedule, Gridlife was done by 2 PM each day, so the schedule was very condensed. In fact, GLTC racing took place between 8:15 AM and 12 noon each day, so there was about an hour between each session.

The schedule didn't leave time to do much outside of basic checklist items on the car. I didn't have time to think about setup changes, which was okay since the car felt good.

The Actions Was Fast-Paced

The relentless pace of the schedule was good because I always felt focused and on my game when I got into the car. No late-afternoon session malaise ever set in. Being done at noon meant we got to take our time in the afternoon, bench-racing with other competitors, talking to spectators, and prepping our cars for the next day of racing.

Reliability Returned

I was delighted that no new issues cropped up with my race car. After a frenetic CMP weekend, I was glad to put all of my mechanical problems, including my braking judder, behind me. Carlos had a few minor issues, like a weeping crack in his oil pan and using the forbidden 10mm spacers, but nothing that the team couldn't overcome.

The Weather Was Crazy

The forecast didn't look great leading up to the event—essentially, it was supposed to be 100% rain for the full three days we'd be at the track. Thankfully, the rain held off for Thursday and Friday. We got to practice, qualify, and do Race 1 in the dry.

The Saturday forecast still looked like a toss-up. The rain could hold off until the afternoon, but it didn't pan out. We woke up to steady, cold rain that lasted all day. To top it off, it was about 30°F colder on Saturday than on Friday.

The rainy conditions proved treacherous: several cars found the concrete barriers that Road Atlanta is known for, and many competitors skipped races entirely. Some did a sight lap, then came in due to the track conditions, lack of rain tires, or fogged windows.

The Rain Turned Into a Blessing

In a field of 55 entries, Carlos and I qualified 20th and 21st, respectively. He moved up to P16 in Race 1, but I finished where I started, after losing some spots and battling back. Coming off our CMP efforts, this wasn't a great result for us.

On Saturday, we put on the rain tires and made a few setup changes for very wet Races 2, 3, and 4. And boy, we moved up quite a bit in the wet.

The cars felt dialed on the rain tires. My car's setup was slightly too pushy for the dry conditions, but it proved easy to drive in the rain. Carlos and I moved up significantly, with Carlos's top results in the top 10, and my best results just outside.

Weekend Results

Thomas

Qualified: P21 (1:39.55)
Race 1: P21 (started P21)
Race 2: P13 (started P21, wet)
Race 3: P11 (started P11, wet)
Race 4: P14 (started P11, wet)
Overall: P15

Carlos

Qualified: P20 (1:38.97)
Race 1: P16 (started P20)
Race 2: P7 (started P16, wet)
Race 3: P12 (started P7, wet)
Race 4: P8 (started P12, wet)
Overall: P10

Special Thanks

Thank you to my sponsors, Condor Speed Shop, HRE Wheels, ROWE USA, and Motorsport Hardware, to my wonderful and supportive family, and everyone involved with the Condor Racing Team: Carlos, Christina, Curtis, Nick, Matt, and Drew. Thanks to Panzer Performance (Tom, Josh, Pete) for the hangs and letting us eat delicious leftovers.