We Speak Cars & Racing
South Carolina-Made GT Radial Tires Win Second Straight Formula DRIFT Tire Cup Championship
Tires made in Richburg, South Carolina, have powered GT Radial to its second consecutive Formula DRIFT Tire Cup Championship.
GT Radial clinched the 2026 title with a dominant performance in Las Vegas on September 26, where teammates Conor Shanahan and Matt Field finished first and second. The 1-2 result gave GT Radial an insurmountable 180-point lead with one event remaining in the season.
At the center of the championship is the GT Radial Champiro SX2 RS, the only Formula DRIFT competition tire manufactured in the United States, built at the company’s Richburg facility, which combines manufacturing with research, development and testing.
“What we learn in competition doesn’t stay at the racetrack,” said Mike Meeiem, GT Radial’s motorsports manager. “Formula DRIFT pushes tires to extremes that everyday drivers will never experience, and that gives our engineers valuable information about compounds, construction, grip, durability and heat management. Those lessons help us continue developing better-performing tires for consumers.”
The same Las Vegas weekend also crowned a champion in Formula DRIFT’s developmental PROSPEC series: Dmitriy Brutskiy became the first three-time PROSPEC champion in series history, while 16-year-old rookie Braden Lons won the final round and took third in the championship. The top three PROSPEC finishers earn a license to move up to the PRO championship next year.
We Speak Cars & Racing
The Offspring, Jimmy Eat World and 311 Headline SEMA Fest in Las Vegas on November 6
SEMA Week ends with a party the public can actually attend. SEMA Fest takes over the SEMA Show campus in Las Vegas on Friday, November 6, mixing live music with drifting demonstrations, exotic and hypercar displays and motorsports attractions.
The Offspring headline a four-band lineup, joined by Jimmy Eat World, 311 and The Alive. Between sets, OPTIMA brings drifting demonstrations — the precision, speed and car control that have made drifting a fan favorite — and the Globe of Death adds its own spectacle, with motorcycle riders circling inside a spherical steel cage.
Supercar Saturdays Florida returns after its debut last year, bringing a selection of rare hypercars and exotic vehicles, while attendees can also explore thousands of custom vehicles and exhibits from more than 2,000 automotive brands, plus the famous SEMA Cruise.
Tickets are available at semafest.com, including a SEMA Show Friday pass option.
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