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Drifting At Heaven's Door: India's Drift King Pulls Off World's Highest Altitude Drift At Uming La Pass
Sanam Sekhon has secured a place in the Guinness World Records by setting the Highest Altitude Drift by a Car at Umling La Pass in Ladakh. Behind the wheel of his custom-built Lexus GS300, Sekhon took the drift record at an altitude of 5,798 metres (19,023 ft).
The record was set on July 31 this year at one of the harshest motorable locations in the world. Thin oxygen levels, icy winds, freezing temperatures, and unpredictable surfaces combined to create an environment few vehicles and drivers have ever attempted.
Sanam Sekhon, widely regarded as India's Drift King, has risen through the ranks of national motorsport by consistently pushing boundaries. Winner of the inaugural JK Tyre Drift Challenge in 2023, he has become one of the leading figures in competitive drifting.
Speaking on the achievement, Sanam said, "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.
Just running around and managing things up there was tough and we even had ambulances on standby. Getting everything in place a 20-21 member crew, our tuner flying in from Thailand, and ensuring a steady fuel supply was a challenge in itself. The tyres played a huge role too. The tyres gripped really well on that rough surface, which made all the difference. 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, and that's what really counts."
Sekhon's Lexus GS300 has been modified extensively. Its stock twin-turbo setup was replaced with a single turbo system tuned to deliver up to 600hp. Other changes have been made to the cooling setup of the Lexus to help it put out its best whenever Sekhon drifts it competitively and it rides on JK Tyre Levitas Xtreme tyres.
The record was achieved when Umling La Pass stood as the highest motorable road in the world at 19,024 feet. On October 4, 2025, the Border Roads Organisation opened the Mig La Pass road which sits around 400 feet higher than Uming La Pass.
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