LAKEVILLE, CONN. (18 August 2023)- The exhilarating roar of engines and the scent of burning rubber filled the air as the much-anticipated GRIDLIFE Circuit Legends Festival kicked off its first day at Lime Rock Park on Friday.

The day started with bouts of rain but the clouds parted and the entire first day ran under sunshine and clear blue skies. Lime Rock Park provided the perfect backdrop for a high-octane day that combined GRIDLIFE Time Attack, Trackbattle, the Model 3 Challenge which features EVs like Teslas and full-course Drifting.

Renowned Grammy-winning artist T-Pain made his drifting debut in his Pink R2R Spec2 C137 Nappy Boy Drifting car. After leaving a trail of tire smoke and excitement in his wake,  T-Pain emerged from the car smiling after his first exhilarating run.

“I love Lime Rock, it’s a legendary track and everyone wants to be here” said T-Pain. “I know tons of people in Atlanta right now who are super jelly. This is really great, I am actually speechless to be here.

“I’ve been trying to practice for like two days now, and it didn’t help at all,” laughed T-Pain. “It’s not like Assetto Corsa, I got too much confidence in VR and now there’s actual walls out there. It’s good though. Lime Rock is a fast track. I just need a bit of speed and confidence under my belt.”

Even though T-Pain made his Lime Rock Park drifting debut today, he’s not new to car culture.

“I’ve been driving for a long time, I started working on cars when I was 15 after my Ford Taurus caught on fire,” T-Pain continued. “From there it was just a journey.”

T-Pain will take part in three drifting demonstrations on Saturday as 40 cars are expected to rip around the 1.5-mile circuit.

Just because the checkered flag dropped on track activity, didn’t mean the day was over for fans. Widely acclaimed drift driver Adam LZ hosted a pizza party for VIP ticket holders. The evening was capped off with the Corsa Classic esports competition held in the free GRIDLIFE Arcade.

Nearly 300 cars are slated to participate in Saturday’s events, more than doubling the entries from the Festival’s 2022 inaugural event. The 2023 edition marks only the second time drift cars have taken to the historic circuit (the first time was last year during the same event). Saturday will also include the Prime Legends Concours. While the track showcases these celebrated cars at speed, the Prime Legends Concours will display iconic and historically significant vehicles for the next generation of automotive enthusiasts. The Prime Legends Concours promises to be a unique curation of the finest examples of tuning-era cars of the 80s, 90s and 00s.

To close out the final day of the festival (Aug. 20), FCP Euro will host its popular Sunday Motoring Meet with a GRIDLIFE flare. The car show and gathering is free on Sunday for fans and entrants.

Gates open at 8:00am on Saturday. Tickets start at $65 at the gate. Active military, veterans and children 12 and under are free.

For more information about GRIDLIFE Circuit Legends, visit www.limerock.com