Peter Granberg: Not Your Average Car and Driver

In August of this year during the Grid Life Circuit Legends motorsports event, competitors came in from all parts of the country, from diverse backgrounds and all walks of life just to run their cars against their peers and clock the best times behind the wheel of the cherished investment that continually feeds the passions some have spent a lifetime to cultivate. We crossed paths with one of these individuals merely by chance while exploring the event, not knowing his passion, the back story behind his enthusiasm, his motorsports career, the foundation of his car, and how he would actually compete and perform during that weekend. Our meeting would spawn several conversations that would lead to a greater understanding of how an average enthusiast can grow past just wanting to build a dream car, experience its performance on a hobbyist level, and do their best to share it with the community and help to inspire others. From another angle, this new relationship helped us get a closer look into the life of someone within our own car obsessed community who focuses on the spirit of serious competition and the inspiration it provides.

Walking down the main roadway that led attendees to all parts of the GridLife events, all will notice the separated regions which almost appeared to be small villages within a larger city complex populated by specific tribes with individual missions. Not too far from being the truth, the expanse which exposed the camping area, the vendor section, the showcase corrals, and the two paddocks which were nestled closest to the racetrack, seemed, to the inexperienced eye, to exist independently without giving much attention to their neighbor. As we strolled into the dusty, lower paddock filled with cars, mechanics, and miscellaneous platforms that would appear in future competitions, we heard the roaring sound of an engine being pushed to its limits to measure its capabilities and performance. Scanning our focus towards the entrance pathway where an isolated tent, and mobile DYNO staffed with a supporting crew of technicians stood loud and proud, we see driver Peter Granberg sitting behind the wheel of his 2014 Subaru BRZ race car, fully exercising this machine's technology to size up the assumed muscle of his car. 

Everyone's story has a beginning. At the point we saw this driver and his car atop of this DYNO (as pictured above), there was not much we knew about this duo. When we saw the familiar lines and profile of a car we know so well on his BRZ, we quickly assumed he would soon be piloting this beast on the surrounding track. We know that most enthusiasts have no problems discussing their vehicle, their goals, or the details of the journey that brought them to this exact place and time. Granberg's immediate delivery of personality and openness was no exception, but due to all he had going at this event, we know this would require an extended conversation. Later, as we saw impressive results from his competitive attendance, we were thrilled to learn more about how his journey began and led him down that path to the DYNO on that day. Describing Peter outside the bubble of his motorsports persona paints him with a brush which has many parallels to many individuals professionally employed in our local communities. Many inventive and creative readers will immediately identify with this 31 year old Product Manager from Chicago, Illinois since he followed a familiar path as a young dreamer who loved to tinker. 

"I grew up playing with legos and building things, and as far as I can remember, surprisingly, I was not really into Hot Wheels." Granberg remembered. "The earliest thing I can remember being into racing or cars...was building a car for the Boy Scout's Pine Wood Derby. I remember not being very good at that since I didn't really have any fancy tools to make the car super smooth and aerodynamic." This early spark in Peter's young life would lead him toward more discovery. By his teenage years, Granberg would be fully engulfed in dreams and clearly primed for a more serious reality. "At age 16 I owned the mighty 1996 Toyota Corolla," Peter remembered. "At this point in time I started going to late night car meets with my cousin who had a 2007 Subaru WRX.", he said. "This was where I was introduced into the world of Subaru. I fell in love with the Subaru rumble, and I knew at that point I wanted to get a Subaru just because they sounded so cool." With his father's direction, Granberg learned how to work on his car. "I learned the basics quickly. Oil change, spark plugs, air filter, rotating wheels/tires, etc.", he reflected fondly. And so, his next, uneasy steps were taken.

Entering formal adulthood, college landed on Granberg along with the realities of becoming (and remaining) a dedicated DIY car enthusiast and modifier. As he would learn, the rollercoaster ride can be rough and costly forcing you to learn a lot along the way to victory. Once in college, Peter transitioned to a 2001 Toyota Celica, but after a few years of ownership, since these cars had a bad history of burning oil, he blew up the motor. Having hit a serious wall, he was then introduced to someone who helped replace the engine with a junkyard motor in his parent's garage. "This garage was probably the grittiest garage since the floor was almost dirt with cracking concrete everywhere." He said. "It wasn't heated, and if you were 6 feet or taller you'd hit your head, but we still pulled the motor." Granberg explained that Sam, the friend who helped him with this project, eventually obtained a dual degree in Motorsports Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. His determination and persistence, along with help from this very valuable friend, taught him a lesson early and framed a mindset that drives many of the most serious enthusiasts. "I figured well, I better learn how to do this otherwise I won't have a car.", he exclaimed.

Further down the road, after a lot of education, tearing down, and building back up, Granberg was finally melting into the life of a serious enthusiast, modifier, and DIY mechanic. With the return and influence of his helpful friend Sam, Peter was exposed to both competing in Autocross and eventually racing his car on the track, obsessions that influenced and paved the way for him in this bigger, faster world. "I took the Celica to an autocross event a few times and immediately got hooked." He remembered. After some mechanical disappointments and other obstacles that made it so frustrating to continue on that route, Granberg felt inspired to continue the pursuit of his dreams, but smartly change his course so he could be financially sound while keeping his finger on performance. "Halfway through college, I started to make more money," he said confidently. "So I said, what the hell, I'll convince my parents to co-sign for me a brand new car so I can reliably get to work and school." he added with a laugh." "I started out with a brand new BRZ that I left stock for a few months and eventually fell down the rabbit hole of modding it. Being a pretty nice sports car, there was a lot of aftermarket support for it." 

Strangely and ironically, the purchase of that BRZ and several more steps down the modification rabbit hole, served as just another spoke on the wheel of Granberg's destiny and as that very car he currently uses as the profile for his competitive Time Attack vehicle. Peter started out with a stock BRZ, but after a few months, he eventually felt the itch caused by the life-lasting bite and began to modify the vehicle regularly. "Being a pretty nice sports car, there was a lot of aftermarket support for it," Granberg confirmed. "I ended up slamming it and putting on BC coilovers and XXR wheels for a while." Once he began seriously cruising down this road and was introduced to Track racing, his life took another inspirational turn. "I had no idea what this was about, but I needed to try this out.", he exclaimed with excitement. "That's when I went to my first Gridlife event back in 2015 or 2016, did an HPDE, and wow, did that experience humble me." he admitted, "I thought I was a good driver, but in reality I had no idea what the hell I was doing." A great example for anyone who wishes to dive into the sport without fear, Granberg was persistent and determined following his passions.

The investment in time, money, and pure grit brought Granberg to another level in his life as both an enthusiast, inspirational educator, and overall deliverer of encouragement for those who are in line to follow in his footsteps. "Over the course of the next few years, I spent my extra money going to Gridlife HPDEs and tinkering with my car," he clarified. "I went from supercharging it, blowing it up at the track, putting in a junkyard engine (sounds familiar?) and then turbo charging that junkyard motor. At the Gridlife events, I slowly just worked my way up getting into the advanced run group where I noticed I was basically one of the quickest.", he said confidently. "I figured I could take up instruction to level up, yet again. I instructed for a year and then decided that I should compete just to see how far this could get me." By 2019, Granberg was experiencing his first full year of competition which exposed him to another range of influence, friendship, and inspiration. "I met Eric "Dewey" DeWitt during that year,” Granberg fondly remembers. "He took me under his wing, showed me what to do, and what not to do. From that point, I was off! I then competed in Gridlife Street Mod until 2021."

Following his final outing within the Street Mod grouping, Granberg decided to seek another route away from the Subaru powerplant to further explore within his performance life and move forward into other solutions to help him personally compete more effectively. "KPower released their KSwap kit (JDM Honda K24a Engine and Drivetrain) for the BRZ chassis." Granberg explained. "At the same point in this timeline, Gridlife had also announced the ClubTR class where I could compete.", he added with additional excitement. "I spent the offseason building and KSwapping the BRZ. I then competed in ClubTR the second year that class existed and had a pretty good showing. I had 3 podium finishes, never thinking I'd even win anything." As he reflected on his very quick evolution from a young kid trying to make his simple downhill racer faster and more streamlined, to an experienced driver, competitor, influencer, and educator who sees performance rewards overflowing, Peter can't help sharing how surreal his life appears to his mind. "As a kid I just wanted to be the best at everything.", Peter remembered. "My parents told me that I always said I just wanted to be number one. It's kinda crazy to see the trophies and records stack up and I find myself scratching my head, I can't believe this sometimes." Granberg always has a way to pay it forward and try to open a few doors for others who may struggle to take that first step just to get started.

"Things do not happen overnight." Granberg counsels. "All of this takes time, money, blood, sweat, and tears. You have to remember, if YOU want it, someone else will want it even more. You have to be your own driving force to keep going.", he said confidently. "Never give up, be focused, be efficient as possible, and be disciplined in your actions. Also, don't be afraid to seek help when you need it." When it comes to boiling down the difference between driving and genuine performance driving, Peter also has a broad perspective for the beginner that is golden. "When it comes to driving, there's not just the physical aspect to it, but the mental side of things.", Peter explained. "Being able to breathe, to think clearly and ahead, and being purposeful. There's a lot of finesse to it and sometimes you need an outside party to help you hone in on those skills." When it comes to building cars, Granberg also has some keen advice, "Don't cheap out on parts. It will come to haunt you. Even when you're not competing at a high level and you're just wrenching on a show car or your nice daily driver, don't cheap out on parts. Your car will leave you stranded, something will break, or just something when you least expect it to happen, will happen, and it will seriously inconvenience you." For those who desire the rewards of the motorsports life, Granberg says, "Pursuing a life in motorsports is hard, but life itself is hard. Be intentional with what you want to do and just go out there and do it."

Finally, it is important to note what passion, persistence and determination can deliver. Granberg’s words of encouragement should land in the ears of any enthusiast who may think that this type of reward is far outside their scope of grasp. One recent example should be enough to inspire and push any desire forward. At the 2025 GridLife Circuit Legends TrackBattle Time Attack at Lime Rock, CT in August, over 70 drivers competed to exceed lap records across a field of seven individual classes and assorted drivetrain divisions on a 1.5-mile circuit. Granberg topped the GridLife Falken ClubTR Class in his Subaru BRZ with a 56.855-second time. The first ClubTR car to dip into the 56 second mark making GridLife history. Along with many other impressive accomplishments during his journey from young dreamer to victorious competitor, his story proves to be another pool of inspiration for the determined enthusiast to pull forth nourishment for success. The proof is in his history.

Support Peter by following him at his Instagram page:  https://www.instagram.com/pete.lete/

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