PARALLEL PARK

The first discipline I got to grips with was the parallel park. This is one of the stunts Paul’s famous for – usually squeezing the car into an ever-decreasing gap until there’s just a few mm to spare! Thankfully for us, the team had thoughtfully replicated the two parked cars with a series of cones marking out the ‘space’ we needed to aim for.

The car we used was Mk3 Focus RS, but this one had recently been fitted with Ford Performance’s ‘Drift Stick’ – an electronically controlled hand brake that locks the rear wheels, so- called as it helps to initiate drifts.

As a Ford Performance product, the Drift Stick is currently only available for LHD cars, but Paul is testing a RHD version for Ford. I have to admit, it’s pretty addictive too. And very effective – you no longer need to be violent with the handbrake; a gentle pull on the Drift Stick and the rear wheels lock with ease. The difficult part is getting the car to pirouette neatly into the parking area without sending the cones flying everywhere!