If you have any interest in cars, motorsport, or simply having an adrenaline-fueled good time, Gridlife at Laguna Seca is an event you can’t miss. This high-octane festival combines the thrill of on-track action with the energy of a music festival, creating an unforgettable weekend experience. I had the chance to attend this year’s event and let me tell you, it exceeded all expectations. Like a real life Forza Horizon, Gridlife is a beautifully chaotic celebration of all things automotive, and Laguna Seca provided the perfect backdrop. The event layout was masterfully designed to give attendees access to a range of motorsport activities happening all in one place. From intense drifting to time attacks and wheel-to-wheel racing, to hanging out with YouTube personalities in the open paddock and ending each night with a concert, Gridlife offers something for everyone.

The weekend was full of mostly racing events from Friday to Sunday. Friday and Saturday were the main days with various practice, qualifying, and racing events across wheel-to-wheel class racing, time attack, and full course drifting. Sunday was reserved for mostly HPDE-type sessions which laid out a pretty solid weekend. Basically, you party and watch motorsports Friday and Saturday with concerts concluding both evenings, then take your own car out Sunday and head home Monday. Pretty sweet itinerary for any vacation if you ask me. Not every Gridlife event is identical, but for the most part, they are similar in layout and definitely in vibe.

I arrived on Thursday night for the event with a few friends and planned to camp the entire weekend (more on this later). It was exceptionally quiet the first night which was expected as most attendees and participants were arriving Friday. However, waking up to engines revving out the next morning wasn’t. It was a welcome alarm, probably not to most, but what can I say, I’m a psychopath when it comes to cars. Our camp site was on top of the hill next to Turn 5, an epic spot. We grabbed some breakfast burritos and coffee then headed towards the fence line about 150 feet away from our site to watch the early morning sessions. With the heavy fog you’d come to expect in that area, we didn’t see much, but was fun to get a few quick glimspes . We headed back to trailer and got ready then made our way towards the paddock to get our bearings on the event.

One of the most unique aspects of Gridlife is the open paddock, where fans can walk right up to the cars, drivers, and even some of their favorite YouTube personalities. The paddock was buzzing with activity throughout the weekend, offering a closer look at the cars and the teams preparing for each session. It felt like a mini car show, with everything from heavily modified street cars to dedicated race machines on display.

What made the paddock so special for me was the accessibility and interaction. Content creators and motorsport personalities were hanging out, wrenching on their cars, and chatting with fans. Whether you follow them on YouTube, Instagram, or any other platform, Gridlife provided an opportunity to meet some of the biggest names in the automotive world in a relaxed, friendly setting. My personal favorites were Mike from Stanceworks and James Kirkham from Race Service. Both we some of the nicest and most down to earth people I’ve ever met. Both gave me time to chat during their busy days and helped reaffirm that celebrity status doesn’t really mean anything if you are a man of the people. Having heavily invested time into their youtube channels, it was cool to see them in front of you. Even though those relationships are exceptionally one way, it’s always a great feeling to meet your heroes, especially when they aren’t terrible people.

After spending a couple hours pursuing the paddock, we found some spots near the track fencing and hung out for a while watching the various sessions go by. Due to Laguna’s open policy, we were able to walk around with a full cooler and some chairs. Anywhere you can find is open for you to hang so that’s exactly what we did. Without a timeline or the pressures of only being there one day, we took it easy and went with the flow of the event. Hanging around turn 4 before eventually making it up to The Corkscrew and just in time for the drifting action to start. Tandem drifting is already awesome, but getting to see it at The Corkscrew was unreal. So much smoke and bumpers ripping off, all just for an epic photo shot. Drifters are insane and the world needs them to be. The drifting session felt like a party in itself, drawing massive crowds and providing non-stop action whenever they were out of circuit. FCPEuro was the star of the drift show for me with their two project drift cars, one a LS-swapped Porsche Cayenne and the other a RWD converted VR6-swapped Audi RS5. Both cars were absolutely insane in quality and performance, I had missed them in the paddock earlier so had to make a mental note to go back and see them. After a full day in the sun, we headed back to the trailer for some beers and burgers before calling it a night, but not before doing some laps in Gran Turismo 7 as we may or may not have brought a PS5. Definitely not real camping, but it was a freaking blast.

The next day was more of the same. Pretty much identical plan but we capitalized on the fact that we were there yesterday and skipped any previous “bad spots” to hang. One of my favorite sessions was the wheel to wheel racing in the SR Rush series. This was a new series to me and unexpected race event within Gridlife. The cars are tiny under $40K single seat race cars with tons of downforce and a focus of cheap on track thrills. The grid had around 30 or so cars and was great racing every time. I am a HUGE proponent of single car make racing, as detail in my article here on the M2 Cup. There were a few Youtubers that participated as well making it a bit more fun knowing some of the drivers. It was so engaged my buddies and I ending up discussing how we could acquire some and get them out on track. Maybe one day we’ll have a Team Late Brake!

We eventually made out way back to the paddock as that was were the final concert would be held. We stayed for a bit and it was enjoyable, but we were distracted by some movement in the paddock. Mike from Stanceworks’ Ferrari had been moved onto the lift of the Falken Tire Truck and was doing a photoshoot. While most of the fans were losing there minds at the San Holo show, we headed over to get some cool evening fog shots of the car and chat with some of his crew. It felt like a behind the scenes event that no one else knew about. While not major, it was a cool experience to see the car in that setting. After some more evening paddock exploring we heading back to the camp site for some undisclosed drinking activities while watching the latest Grand Tour episode curtsey of Starlink.

The next morning was pretty cut and dry, we packed up and headed out. Since we were camping in the trailer, all we had was a Ram 3500, not ideal for a Sunday track day. Although, if I get the opportunity to go again, I will certainly bring a car and get myself out on track. It felt weird having left and not gone on track all weekend. Driving on Laguna Seca is on my bucket list and I do have plans in the future to get out there. One day, I will… in the meantime, check out this reel I made giving a bit more insights into the event.

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Gridlife Laguna was easily one of the most exciting and immersive automotive events I’ve ever attended. Whether you’re into drifting, time attacks, wheel-to-wheel racing, or just hanging out with like-minded car enthusiasts, this event has something for you. The mix of on-track action, open paddock access, and evening concerts makes it a well-rounded festival that offers a little bit of everything for everyone. Camping added an extra layer of fun and affordability to the weekend, making any Gridlife event not only a must-see but also an accessible one for anyone on a budget. If you have even the slightest interest in car culture, attending a Gridlife event should be at the top of your list. It’s more than just a car event—it’s an experience that truly celebrates cars and motorsport, but above all else, the community of car lovers.