GT Radial wins second straight Formula DRIFT Tire Cup Championship

GT Radial’s South Carolina-made competition tires powered the company to its second consecutive Formula DRIFT Tire Cup Championship after a 1-2 finish in Las Vegas on Sept. 26. The win underscores how racing data from Richburg feeds tire development for everyday drivers.

Why it matters: - GT Radial’s back-to-back Formula DRIFT Tire Cup titles give the company a high-profile proof point for its “Made in USA” manufacturing message. - The program also serves as a test bed for tire performance under extreme conditions, with lessons that can carry into products for everyday drivers. - The championship adds visibility to GT Radial’s Richburg, South Carolina, operation, where the company combines manufacturing, research, development and testing.

What happened: - GT Radial clinched the 2026 Formula DRIFT Tire Cup Championship after the Las Vegas event on Sept. 26. - Teammates Conor Shanahan and Matt Field finished first and second in Las Vegas. - The result gave GT Radial an insurmountable 180-point lead with one event left in the season. - The GT Radial Champiro SX2 RS competition tire, made in Richburg, powered the championship run. - The Champiro SX2 RS is the only Formula DRIFT competition tire manufactured in the United States.

The details: - Formula DRIFT exposes tires to heavy demands on traction, handling, durability, heat management and consistency. - Mike Meeiem, GT Radial Motorsports Manager, said competition data helps engineers learn about compounds, construction, grip, durability and heat management. - Richburg is the center of GT Radial’s competition-tire work and its broader product development efforts. - Knowledge from motorsports can be shared with engineers and manufacturing teams that build tires for American roads. - GT Radial’s 2026 title is the company’s second straight Formula DRIFT Tire Cup championship and third in four years. - The company could add another championship at the season finale on Oct. 23-24 in Long Beach, California. - Shanahan’s Las Vegas win moved him into the lead in the Formula DRIFT Driver Championship as he seeks GT Radial’s first driver title.

Between the lines: - GT Radial is using racing as a real-world engineering loop, where competition results inform consumer tire development. - The Richburg facility gives GT Radial a manufacturing and testing story that supports both performance credibility and domestic-production marketing. - Back-to-back team titles suggest the company’s racing program is not a one-off marketing win but a sustained competitive platform.

What's next: - GT Radial enters the Long Beach season finale on Oct. 23-24 with another team title still possible. - Shanahan will chase the company’s first Formula DRIFT Driver Championship. - GT Radial is likely to keep using motorsports results to support product development for consumer tires.

The bottom line: - GT Radial’s South Carolina tire plant is winning on the track and feeding lessons back into tires for everyday driving.