MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT
September 22nd 2010 05:23
:
the Stig
For days we sat in anticipation as the rumour mill kicked into overdrive and headlines shouted out from media the globe over: Will he or won't he reveal who he is?
THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT
The Stig, Le Mans, the Fast Lane and Me
BEN COLLINS
Here, the Stig gets his kit off and reveals how he came to be
Top Gear's iconic racing driver
Ever since the Black Stig disappeared off the front end of HMS Invincible in 2003, one question has captivated the 350 million viewers of Top Gear around the world: who is the man in the white suit?
Well, here's a sneak peek at the man we're all talking about, the man behind the helmet:
He's shared a cabin for seven years with Jeremy Clarkson's underwear, James May's PhD thesis and Richard Hammond's hairspray. His picture is splashed across millions of items of cutting-edge merchandise, and some rather strange-looking Easter eggs. He's lapped Dunsfold faster than Nigel Mansell, Lewis Hamilton and Jenson Button. He's guided hundreds of celebrities such as Tom Cruise, Sienna Miller and a blind ex-Artillery soldier around the now legendary Top Gear track. He's raced wheel to wheel with the best of the best at Daytona, Sebring, Le Mans and Bathurst
He's pitted a drug dealer's Mitsubishi Evo against a Trojan tank and a Jackal High Mobility Weapons Platform, and a Vauxhall Monara against Chloe the dancing Ninja. He's hurtled an Aston Martin DBS around the hairpin bends at the edge of Lake Garda. And that's just for starters!
Now, for the first time, The Man in the White Suit gets his kit off. His name is Ben Collins, and this is his breathtakingly audacious story.
Ben Collins was born in Bristol before moving to California, where he competed as a junior Olympic standard swimmer. When a career as a fighter pilot was cut short by a visit to the optician, Ben switched to cars. He won races in every category from Formula Three to Le Mans Sportscars and GT, and captured the European NASCAR title. When a lack of funding curtailed his racing career, Ben joined the Army Reserves and passed selection. He also worked as a Hollywood stuntman. In 2003 he became the anonymous fourth presenter, known as The Stig, of Top Gear, coaching celebrities, organising car chases and testing hundreds of priceless cars. Eight years and thirteen series on, his alter ego is recognised by millions around the world.
THE MAN IN THE WHITE SUIT
The Stig, Le Mans, the Fast Lane and Me
BEN COLLINS
Here, the Stig gets his kit off and reveals how he came to be
Top Gear's iconic racing driver
Ever since the Black Stig disappeared off the front end of HMS Invincible in 2003, one question has captivated the 350 million viewers of Top Gear around the world: who is the man in the white suit?
Well, here's a sneak peek at the man we're all talking about, the man behind the helmet:
He's pitted a drug dealer's Mitsubishi Evo against a Trojan tank and a Jackal High Mobility Weapons Platform, and a Vauxhall Monara against Chloe the dancing Ninja. He's hurtled an Aston Martin DBS around the hairpin bends at the edge of Lake Garda. And that's just for starters!
Now, for the first time, The Man in the White Suit gets his kit off. His name is Ben Collins, and this is his breathtakingly audacious story.
Ben Collins was born in Bristol before moving to California, where he competed as a junior Olympic standard swimmer. When a career as a fighter pilot was cut short by a visit to the optician, Ben switched to cars. He won races in every category from Formula Three to Le Mans Sportscars and GT, and captured the European NASCAR title. When a lack of funding curtailed his racing career, Ben joined the Army Reserves and passed selection. He also worked as a Hollywood stuntman. In 2003 he became the anonymous fourth presenter, known as The Stig, of Top Gear, coaching celebrities, organising car chases and testing hundreds of priceless cars. Eight years and thirteen series on, his alter ego is recognised by millions around the world.
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