Driving Like Stig: A Way of Life.
Ben Collins spent eight years under the guise of the white-suited Stig on Top Gear. It could be argued that his time on the program corresponds with its finest moments, credited to Clarkson, Hammond, and May’s illustrious contributions. During a contemporary Road To Success podcast video interview, Collins elucidated his experience at Top Gear and divulged all the measures he took to preserve the secrecy behind his identity as a tame racing driver.
Collins only began competing in motorsports when he was eighteen. He slowly advanced until he had a chance to run in the premier class at 24 Hours of Le Mans with Team Ascari. Eventually, he was offered the opportunity to work with Top Gear.
He wanted to do something with the franchise, whether it be the magazine or the TV show. Andy Wilman, the show’s producer, gave him a shot in a Ford Focus at the notorious Dunsfold Aerodrome circuit. Wilman didn’t appear too impressed with Collins’ driving, even asking “Is that as fast as you can go?”
Wilman evidently had quite the poker face, since Collins got a summons to come back to the aerodrome a month later. On his arrival he was met with a white suit hung up and ready for him.
Collins made a determination to preserve the Stig’s mysteriousness as his alternate self. He came to the set wearing a ski mask in order to conceal his countenance and never abolished the helmet whilst present. Whenever taken game shots far from the studio, akin to in London, he would alter attire inside the motor vehicle.
He conjured up a fictitious alias when booking rooms for the team. Taking bits and pieces from Richard Hammond, James May and Jeremy Clarkson, he named himself “Richard Jameson”.
Collins appears to be frustrated that the Top Gear segment involving the 24 Hours of Le Mans ultimately failed to come to fruition. He was positive it would be an ideal venture for “The Stig” to participate in, yet sadly, his dreams never materialized.
“The time I spent there was really special to me,” Collins stated in the interview. “I loved every day I did there. It was an amazing experience that I’ll never forget.”
Ultimately, the conclusion had to be made. BBC Radio Times disclosed his true individuality as The Stig and unstoppably, the circumstance started coming to pieces. Collins saw that the programme was little by little ousting him, and he intended to go at his own behest . His farewell broadcast was with Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz in the celebrity race sequence.
Upon departing Top Gear, Ben Collins found himself locked in a gruelling legal dispute with the BBC concerning the distribution of his book, The Man in the White Suit: The Stig, Le Mans, The Fast Lane and Me. This turbulent timeline is marked as the most exhausting time of his life.
He currently holds the reins of his own Ben Collins Drives YouTube channel where he thrills his viewers by taking them on an exhilarating ride in a range of behemoth-like vehicles, like the six-wheeled Tyrrell P34 Formula 1 car.
Source: Road To Success Official Podcast | Ben Fowler via YouTube
