Richard Hammond

For years now the mystery which is the Stig has been shrouded in the upmost of secrecy. But now it appears that the identity of this well kept secret has been reviled. We can now announce that the Stig “the tame racing driver” is in fact ex- LeMans, Nascar and Formula 3 racing driver Ben Collins.

Ben Collins - The Real Identity of The Stig

There has been much confusion to when and where the story broke. Some suggestions that Collins himself gave away the secret, other rumors suggest that his identity was given away by his see through visa and further rumors suggested that he was caught out whilst on route to the BBC. But whatever the speculation about the source of the story, one thing’s certain and that’s he is Ben Collins.

Having begun his career in 1994, Collins became TopGear’s masked racing driver in 2004. The role of the Stig is to test drive a whole host of new cars, used cars and super cars, putting them through its paces around the infamous TopGear test track. With its iconic circuit featuring Gambon’s Corner, Chicago and the Hammerhead, Ben “The Stig” Collins has put all variants of cars, all shapes and sizes through its paces.

Memorable moments of the Stig’s careers involve; Racing a modified Renault Avatime people carrier, Putting the the new Fiat 500 Abarth through its paces, Driving a Renault F1 Racing Car and Comparing the Bugatti Veyron against the Pagani Zonda F.

Now that the Stig’s identity has been revealed, who will replace him? Well new footage has surfaced sparking rumors that the original Black Stig is set to make a return after a 5 year absence. Having been killed of in 2003 when his identity was reveled as Perry McCarthy, Black Stig (because he always wore black overalls and crash helmet) was promptly killed off by driving a modified Jaguar XJS of the back of the HMS Invincible at109mph, paving way for the now familiar White Stig Ben Collins.

The Stig’s iconic status as part of the TopGear royalty means that a replacement with the same caliber and skill as the originals is more important than ever. Extended family members of the much loved and admired Stig can be found across the globe making their cameo appearances with:

The Stig's African Cousin

The Stig’s African Cousin: who has a helmet and gloves like the Stig’s, but wears only a pair of Pumas and loincloth. Raced used cars around a sandy rally track in TopGear’s Botswana Special. Series 10, Episode 4.

The Stig's American Cousin

The Stig’s American Cousin: nicknamed “Big Stig” by Clarkson and Co. due to his rather large and obese frame. Unlike the regular Stig, Big Stig opted for a preferred relaxed style of driving. Series 9, Episode 3.

It remains to be seen if the BBC will defiantly bring back Black Stig but whatever the outcome, be sure to watch this space for breaking news on the arrival of the New 3rd Generation Stig.

Source: Arnold Clark | The Sun | The Times