GT Radial Wins Formula DRIFT Tire Cup Opening
GT Radial opened the 2026 Formula DRIFT Tire Cup with a win April 11 in Long Beach.
Conor Shanahan (Ireland) raced his Red Bull/GT Radial/JYR Toyota GT86 and gave the brand an early statement victory, which was his second win.
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.
"Conor’s win was more remarkable because it appeared he’d been knocked out of his Top 32 heat," according to GT Radial officials. "The competing driver was deemed at fault for the collision, but Shanahan’s team was unable to repair the car in time and would be eliminated. However, the judges decided to call One More Time, allowing the runs to be repeated. Shanahan then emerged the winner and proceeded to the final."
“After winning the Tire Cup in 2025 for the second time in three years and placing five drivers in the top 10, we were thrilled to open the 2026 Formula DRIFT season with Conor Shanahan and the Red Bull/GT Radial/JYR team atop the podium at Long Beach,” said Mike Meeiem, GT Radial's motorsports manager. “We congratulate Conor and his team on an outstanding weekend. Defending the Tire Cup against this level of Formula DRIFT competition will require a tremendous effort from every driver and team on our roster, and this was a terrific start.”
In addition to Conor, the 2026 driver lineup includes Hiroya Minowa, the 16-year-old standout from Japan who finished fourth in last season’s driver standings, along with four additional top-10 finishers from 2025: Matt Field (second), Adam LZ (fifth), Aurimas “Odi” Bakchis (eighth) and Dylan Hughes (ninth). Also competing on GT Radial tires this season are Amanda Sorensen, Dan Burkett, Branden Sorensen and Connor O’Sully.
The 2026 Formula DRIFT season now moves on to: Atlanta, GA; Orlando, FL; Stafford, CT; Indianapolis, IN; Monroe, WA; Las Vegas, NV; and the finale again in Long Beach.
“It is a real point of pride to be competing on American-made tires,” said Meeiem. “Our associates in South Carolina take pride in building the competition tire and every passenger and light truck tire that leaves the plant. What we prove in Formula DRIFT helps give everyday drivers added confidence in GT Radial tires.”
The GT Radial brand first won the Formula DRIFT Tire Cup in 2023. The Champiro SX2 RS name is recognized in both competition and enthusiast circles as part of the brand’s broader performance story.