GT Radial Sweeps Qualifying at Formula DRIFT Stafford
American-Made Competition Tire Sends Six Drivers to the Top 16, Shanahan Podiums
STAFFORD, CT (June 22, 2026) – GT Radial turned in one of its strongest weekends of the 2026 Formula DRIFT season June 18–20 at Stafford Motor Speedway, sweeping the top three qualifying positions and advancing six drivers to the Top 16 in PRO competition at Round 4.
The GT Radial Champiro SX2 RS competition tire, produced at the company’s plant in Richburg, SC, is the only Formula DRIFT competition tire made in America.
Stafford also hosted Round 2 of the Formula DRIFT PROSPEC Championship, where GT Radial serves as the series’ official Spec Tire. The event ran without a single tire-related issue across both championships, and demand from the trackside market stayed strong: roughly 750 GT Radial tires moved over the weekend. Longtime customer Allen Rubber joined GT Radial trackside to see the action in person.
Euro Drift Champion Conor Shanahan led the GT Radial effort on PRO race day, advancing through a field that saw several GT Radial-equipped teammates face off against one another as the competition tightened, and closing the weekend with a third-place finish.
“Sweeping qualifying and putting six drivers into the Top 16 at Stafford is exactly the kind of weekend we’re chasing as we defend the Tire Cup,” said GT Radial Motorsports Manager Mike Meeiem. “Conor’s podium keeps our momentum going, and running two championships on our tire with zero tire-related issues is a credit to the product our team in Richburg builds every day.”
Round 4 extends GT Radial’s lead atop the Formula DRIFT Tire Cup Championship standings:
| Brand | Points |
|---|---|
| GT Radial | 286 |
| Nitto | 243 |
| Kenda | 183 |
| Kumho | 130 |
The 2026 Formula DRIFT season now moves on to Round 5 of the PRO Championship and Round 3 of the Link ECU PROSPEC Championship, set for Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park in Indianapolis, IN, July 30 – August 1.
About GT Radial The GT Radial brand, manufactured and marketed by Giti Tire, has been sold in the US for more than 30 years. Comprehensive offerings of GT Radial passenger, light truck, and commercial truck tires are available across North America through retailers and independent tire dealers. Giti Tire (headquartered in Singapore), which has been in the tire business since 1951, operates five manufacturing plants and three technical centers globally, including the passenger/light truck tire plant and technical center in Richburg, SC. Giti Tire (USA) Ltd., based in Charlotte, NC, is the sales, marketing, and distribution company for GT Radial in North America. For more information on GT Radial, visit https://www.gtradial-us.com/
