A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF RACING We already know a lot about racehorses and their competition during races. Bartosz Ostałowski - a professional racing driver and drifter, who is the only one in the world to drive a car with his foot - makes use of slightly different horses, namely those mechanical ones. Among his greatest successes are: vice-championship of Poland in 2019, 1st place in the first round of the Polish Championship 2020 and a victory during a major international event at the Lausitzring circuit in Germany. Nothing can stop his passion for racing. His persistence, tenacity, and drive for his goals are a perfect description of his personality. The story of this amazing man will surely inspire many readers. AUTHOR: PAULINA MAZUREK PHOTO: RAFAŁ KUREK, SŁAWOMIR FARBANIEC
Where does your passion for racing come from? Bartosz Ostałowski: I always knew I wanted to race and that I wanted to become a professional sports driver. My love for racing has been around for as long as I can remember. It is something that moved me even when I was a kid. I remember when a cool car or motorcycle drove by and I would always look at it. It was fun for me to sit on my dad’s lap and hold the steering wheel while driving literally a few yards home. Later, when I was choosing a high school or college, I tried to choose subjects that would educate me about cars. With time, this passion became strictly racingoriented. Racing just like my idols became my main dream. As your career progressed, you suffered a motorcycle accident. What motivated you to return to your beloved sport? B.O.: My passion, above all. After the accident I felt uncomfortable at home. It was difficult at first. When I went back to my garage, where everything was as it had been before the accident, I felt sad that I would never do anything with my car or get on a motorcycle again. It was overwhelming, but I soon realized that I did not want to remain passive. I decided I would go back to college so I could become an engineer on a race team, design suspensions, and work in graphics programs. Above all, I wanted to stay in the motorsport environment. That’s what gave me purpose, the motivation to move forward. My passion inspired me not to let go and I was constantly looking for information on how people in a similar situation were coping. Eventually I saw
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