Racer Sekhon masters drift in tough terrain

new delhi: Guys at the wheels of race cars, rally vehicles, and those who perform stunts are daring. Sanam Sekhon is no different, named ‘master of the drift.’ So, what is this ‘drift’ which makes him a treat to watch. The way he slides, almost teasing the car and burning rubber (tyre) provides thrill to those who watch it. From a distance, it may look easy, but zoom in and see, it calls for guts and skill.

Having been the master of ‘drift’ at the wheels in the national circuit at home, the young man who is associated with JK Tyre decided to do something different. In the end, Sanam Singh, at the wheels of a Lexus GS 300, on Levitas XTREME tyres, did crazy stuff at an altitude of 5,798 metres in Umling La Pass, in Ladakh, on July 31, this year. Most importantly, his feat has been now accepted as a Guinness world record as the ‘highest altitude drift’ by a car. Howling winds and cold temperatures, with a low oxygen level were challenging but Sanam Sekhon took on the challenge.

He has done these feats in Indian motorsports over the years. This was different terrain and a different challenge. He had brought his specialist engineer/tuner from Thailand, who owns the customised Lexus GS 300. “We decided to do a few changes, keep the suspension soft and work on the engine power as well, and it worked,” Sanam told Millenium Post on Thursday.

The space available for the drift, where the car slides dangerously, was tight. For the drift to be recognised was over a stretch of 50 metres. “I’m absolutely thrilled to hold this record, but honestly, I couldn’t have done it without my fantastic team. We knew what we were getting into and were both mentally and physically prepared, but the oxygen levels and altitude really

tested us,” said Sanam. “In drifting, tyres are everything. You can have the best power and setup in the car, but it’s the tyres that meet the road”.