World Drifting Record Holder Johan Schwartz Ready to Race

PPIHC
April 30, 2021

World Drifting Record Holder Johan Schwartz Ready to Race

Crosskarts Bring Action and Excitement to Pikes Peak

Colorado Springs, CO – International race driver, Johan Schwartz, will join a host of elite competitors for the 99^th running of the Broadmoor Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, brought to you by Gran Turismo.

Schwartz is one of 17 rookies set to challenge the 12.42 mile course on Sunday, June 27, and is a seasoned pro behind the wheel. Most notably, he also offers private coaching, provides guidance on race car set up and presents webinars to virtually introduce drivers to some of the most popular tracks across America.

No stranger to motorsports, Schwartz is taking his drifting skills to new heights as he prepares for the Race to the Clouds. While he is accustomed to racing BMW’s, he has entered his 2021 American X Kart CrossKart in the Exhibition division. Originally from Denmark, his initial love for going fast began at age six on his family’s Christmas tree farm in fields and on frozen ponds.

Schwartz traveled to America to complete his master’s degree, but after few years in corporate America, he decided to dedicate his time and energy to racing. Schwartz started Endurance Karting, an arrive-and-drive karting program for individuals and corporate events. His passion for pushing the envelope led him to sell his karting company and join BMW as a factory driving instructor. He is known for being a BMW fanatic in the drifting world, and his skill has landed him multiple Guinness World Records, including:

longest continuous drift – 51.278 miles
longest distance drifted over an eight-hour time period – a staggering 232.5 miles
longest twin vehicle drift – 49.25 miles

The twin vehicle drifting accolades were achieved with Matt Mullins piloting the second vehicle, at the BMW test track in South Carolina on a water soaked track. Amazingly, Mullins’ drifting skills allowed him to stay close enough to Schwartz that a crew member could actually refuel the car in mid-drift several times during the course of eight-hours.

Since 2018 crosskarts have been part of the field on Pikes Peak. Cole Powelson captured the best crosskart finish to date in 2020 behind the wheel of his Sierra Alpha. Powelson took third place in the Open Wheel division in a remarkable sub-10-minute clocking of 9:37.449. Powelson’s teammate, John McInnes, will return to Pikes Peak following his 2020 debut behind the wheel of his 2020 Sierra RX3.

Crosskarts, basically simplified versions of a sprint car, midget or mini sprint are equally impressive on a dirt track, ice, or the asphalt surface at Pikes Peak with highly responsive throttle and steering. Erland Andersson of Sweden is said to have invented the crosskart in the early 1980s. The idea was to create something that is safe, cheap, and easy to maintain but still fun to ride. Crosskarting is probably most popular in the Nordic countries, although in southern Europe a similar motorsport with more powerful engines, kartcross, exists.

ABOUT THE PIKES PEAK INTERNATIONAL HILL CLIMB

First staged in 1916, the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb is the second oldest race in America. The invitation-only event, often referred to as The Race to the Clouds is held annually on the last Sunday of June on Pikes Peak – America’s Mountain, near Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA. The famous 12.42-mile course consists of 156 turns, boasts an elevation gain of 4,725 feet, and reaches a finish line at 14,115 feet above sea level. The PPIHC’s automobile categories feature a wide variety of vehicles representing multiple forms of motorsport; everything from production-based Time Attack challengers to purpose-built Open Wheel racers and state-of-the-art Unlimited vehicles take on America’s Mountain pursuing victory. The 100^th Running of this iconic motorsports event will take place in 2022.

Contact:
Lisa Haight
Event Coordinator / Media / Historian
lisa@ppihc.org
(719) 685-4400