A stunt driver from Darlington broke four world records over four days at the British Motor Show this month.
Amidst supercars, classic sportscars and models displaying the latest avant-garde tech in motors, Paul Swift pushed the boundaries of stunt racing and mesmerized the spectators.
Under the watchful eye of Guinness World Records adjudicator Pravin Patel, Swift broke four Guinness World Records during the event which ran from August 18-22.
On the very first day, Swift attempted to set a new record for the tightest parallel park in an electric car.
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This record measures the smallest space into which an electric car can be parked in line with other vehicles, requiring masterful skill and strong nerves.
Swift only had three seconds to park in the space which was created by two Mini Coopers, parked parallel to the curb.
The Motorsport champion squeezed his white Mini-e into the tight parking spot with a perfect technique, setting a new world record of only 30 centimetres.
“That was quite stressful to be honest. I just had to really focus and try not to get distracted at all.
“That was the most intimidating one because there was a lot emotionally attached to that. My father invested the parallel parking stunt back in the 80s and he was in a commercial.”
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The gap is measured by subtracting the length of the car being parked from the size of the parking space.
This wasn't the first time Paul Swift had broken this record, however.
The seven-time British Motorsport champion broke the record on the very first day of the Motor Show, successfully parking his Mini-e with 35 cm to spare.
He didn’t rest on his laurels, however, and was set on improving his result.
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He attempted the record once more on the fourth and last day of the British Motor Show, outshining his previous performance.
“I’ve just got to have tunnel vision in those moments because you can’t afford to lose focus for a second. Afterwards I was knackered, physically and emotionally!”
Achieving one record wasn't enough for the ambitious racer, however.
During the weekend, the professional stunt driver teamed up with stunt driver JD Stunts and also broke the record for the most donuts (spins) around a motorcycle performing a wheelie in one minute.
On the second day, Swift managed to spin a yellow Ford Mustang around the moving motorbike 8 times.
Once again, though, he didn't settle for the first success.
The day after, Paul attempted the record again and bettered his result with 10 spins around a motorcycle.
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