Bartosz Ostałowski – the world's only professional sports driver who drives with his foot – has already proved on more than one occasion that he is not afraid of any challenges. It is thanks to him that 30 September 2022 will go down in the history of world motorsport in gold letters. On that day, at Piła Airport, Bartosz Ostałowski set a Guinness World Record for the fastest drift in a foot-driven car with an incredible speed of 231.66 km/h!
For many people, Bartosz Ostałowski is a living legend of motorsport. With his attitude, he proves that the impossible does not exist and that limits are only in our heads. He successfully competes on equal terms with able-bodied drivers in the Polish Drifting Championship and European leagues. In 2019, he was 3rd in the general rank of DMP in the PRO2 class and thus won the title of Drifting Vice-Champion of Poland. However, he does not stop there and keeps setting the bar higher and higher for himself. This year, he has set himself another challenge: to set a Guinness World Record for the fastest drift in a foot-driven car.
- The search for the next challenge is a tremendous driver for me. I try to overcome various barriers in my life. This time I decided to break the barrier of speed. Setting a Guinness World Record seemed to me something completely exceptional and I am glad that brands such as Inter Cars, Sachs, Hella, Castrol and Ecumaster decided to support my idea and get involved in this unique project - explained Bartosz Ostałowski.
The attempt to set the record took place on 30 September 2022 at the airport in Piła, as there is an over 2-kilometre-long, 60-metre-wide runway that allows the appropriate speed and provides safe conditions for such an undertaking. The route was marked out by a qualified land surveyor. Speed measurement was carried out over a distance of 50 metres using timing gates operating to an accuracy of 0.001 sec. Even police speed cameras are not that precise. In turn, the required angle of the car during the skid (30 degrees) was measured by a special device called a driftbox.
The car in which Bartosz undertook this extreme attempt was his drifting BMW E92 a.k.a. Fury, with the heart in the form of a powerful 7-litre LS3 V8 twin-turbocharged engine with 1,000 HP and 1,280 Nm of maximum torque. For the transmission, in turn, a ZF 8HP90 automatic transmission with individual control is used.
The record setting attempt took place in the presence of licensed judges, as well as invited guests. When Bartosz and his car lined up at the start, all eyes were on him. The view of the BMW sports car approaching at tremendous speed was extremely impressive. On the almost one-kilometre-long stretch of road, Bartosz accelerated to a speed of 277 km/h, only to apply the handbrake a moment later and initiate the skid. Through the 50-metre measuring zone, Bartosz passed with an average speed of 231.66 km/h and a maximum lean angle of 60 degrees. This result was verified by a commission and entered into the Guinness Book of Records.
- I am incredibly happy to have reached the goal I set for myself! At this speed you feel every bump, your field of vision narrows down, everything happens incredibly fast. It's an experience that is hard to compare to anything else. I am bursting with pride because, once again, I have proven that we all have the potential to reach great things! – said Bartosz Ostałowski.
Until now, the Polish record for the fastest drift belonged to Jakub Przygoński. During an attempt to set the record in 2013, he reached 217.97 km/h. With his result, Bartosz Ostałowski beat Przygoński by 13.96 km/h and thus won the title of Polish Record Holder.
The official announcement of the result of Bartosz Ostalowski's Guinness World Record attempt took place during a press conference on 9 November 2022 in Warsaw. Partners of this unique project were Inter Cars, Sachs, Hella, Castrol and Ecumaster brands, which have been supporting Bartosz's starts in drifting competitions in Poland and internationally for years.
- Passion, commitment and determination are qualities that distinguish Bartosz and at the same time are part of Inter Cars' DNA. It is a great pleasure and honour for us to support such a talented personality, who inspires us and shows us that every day you can reach for more. We have been supporting Bartosz for 10 years and will proudly continue to do so for years to come - explains Joanna Król - Deputy Director of PR and International Communications at Inter Cars.
- We are happy that as Castrol we could be a part of such an event. We have been cooperating with Bartosz for years, supporting him on his way to further sporting achievements and we already have many interesting projects behind us. Setting a Guinness record for the fastest drift in a foot-driven car is one of the next, but what a spectacular one and one that will go down in history - emphasised Leszek Radzikowski, Sales Director for Central and Eastern Europe at Castrol.
- Watching the record attempt live was incredibly impressive, as I did not expect that we would witness such speeds. It is pure madness! This is where Bartosz convinces us that 'normality' is overrated and it is worth going against the tide - says Marcin Rozner, Marketing and Product Management Director at Hella Polska.
- Bartosz continues to amaze us with his determination, passion and courage to act. It is an honour and distinction for us that once again we could be Bartosz's partner and proudly watch his sporting struggles, while our products have been helping him to achieve further successes for years - says Monika Chomicka - Head of Marketing ZF Aftermarket.
