The air is filled with the piercing scent of exhaust and the blaring roar of engines, but there’s one more thing buzzing through the air: excitement. This is the scene at Gridlife, a nation-wide racing program where participants can express their love for speed and motorsports.

Gridlife races are held at many different tracks all across the country and include different skill levels for all car racing enthusiasts, from novices with minimal racing experience all the way to advanced members, who are highly skilled on the racetrack, Gridlife’s website said.

There are four main events that Gridlife competitors can participate in, and each of the events have their own unique challenges and objectives, Gridilife’s website said. In the Time Attack event, a racer competes against other participants with similar cars, with the objective of winning the fastest lap time. In the Touring Cup, participants build their own cars and race for the personal thrill, not for the objective of bringing home a prize. Most beginners compete in the High Performance event, where they are able to build up their skills before moving to compete on higher levels. The most advanced event is Drift, where pro-drivers compete using highly advanced techniques, showing off their skills, Gridlife’s website said.   

This summer was senior Aldin Habibovic’s first year racing, who participates in the Time Attack event. He explained that racing with Gridlife is a unique and exciting hobby.

“It’s for fun but it’s definitely something I can keep doing as a hobby, as I get older and as I start getting more money,” Habibovic said. “It’s something I can take over from my dad and make the car just mine.”

South 2024 alumni Benjamin Ciric finds that participating in the program is not without its challenges. Racing is an expensive sport and it can be hard to keep up, Ciric explained. Despite this, he finds the unique and exciting environment Gridlife provides is worth the money.

“I don’t like the environment, I love the environment,” Ciric said. “Gridlife is my way [of focusing] on racing and my love of cars. I love learning how I can drive better and what I can do to make my car faster.”

People without a driver’s license can enjoy Gridlife too, said freshman Riyad Habibovic, who spectates the live action and occasionally joins his brother in the passenger seat. Gridlife isn’t just a hobby or fun thing to do, it’s a lifestyle, a culture, and an amazing community, Riyad said.

“The only thing is, it’s not for everyone,” Riyad said. “When I first started out I felt sick everytime I got out on the track. But now that I am more into it, I like that feeling of adrenaline.”

Gridlife is a special experience that adapts both a family experience and training for young drivers, Benjamin’s father, Mehmed Ciric, said. He and Benjamin raced together for a year and a half before his son began to develop his own skills,  Mehmed said.

“I would recommend [Gridlife to] everybody: young adults, families and friends,” Mehmed said.