How far do you think you could drive a small sedan backward? A few blocks? A quarter-mile? How about a tractor and a trailer? Irish farmer Patrick Shalvey went 13 miles. And because there’s a record for everything, this is now a Thing. If it’s confirmed, Shalvey will hold the Guinness World Record for driving a tractor and trailer backward.
His neck would hold the record for hurting really goddamn bad after driving 13 miles backward.
The BBC says the famous drive tractor and trailer backward world record is “dominated” by the Irish, presumably because they have nothing better to do:
Eamonn Hickson reversed a tractor and trailer 10.79 miles in County Kerry in 2014.
The endurance record attempt was filmed as part of Big Week on the Farm, a week of programmes to be shown on RTÉ in early April.
As part of his attempt, the BBC says Shalvey couldn’t drive forward at “any point” or allow the trailer to “veer so far off course that he had to correct it.”
“I am in my 50s now and I am expecting to have an awful crick in my neck by the time this tractor drive is over,” Shalvey told the Irish Independent before starting the challenge. But this is a world record, not a stroll in the park, so sacrifices must be made. No GLORY BOYS here.
The BBC says his record attempt took about two-and-a-half hours, and he finished around 12:30 local time.
Shalvey’s attempt is being filmed for the program Big Week on the Farm, which is coincidentally the only television show in the entirety of Ireland, and it’ll be confirmed by April 4 if he broke the record.
Even if it’s not confirmed, and you veered too much, Patrick, congrats for making it.
(h/t Ryan!)