Ben Collins (driver)
Encyclopedia
Ben Collins is a racing
car driver from Bristol
, England. He has competed in motor racing since 1994 in many categories, from Formula Three
and Indy Lights to sportscars, GT racing and stock cars.
Collins was placed second in the Marlboro Masters Formula 3 championship event in 2000. He set the pace at the 2001 Le Mans 24 hours race
in his first season for approximately four hours during the rain at night. After winning the European Stock Car Championship in 2003 ASCAR stock car racing
he was signed by PDM Racing
to do selected rounds of the 2004 Indy Racing League, but the car never appeared. In 2005, he competed in the British GT Championship in a Porsche 996 GT3
, winning races on the way before moving up to the FIA GT Series with Ascari where he led races and scored several pole positions.
In addition to racing, Collins' company Collins Autosport provides precision and stunt driving services, particularly for BBC Television
, including Top Gear and Top Gear Live, as well as for the film industry, such as driving James Bond's car in Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale
.
In August 2010, several British national newspapers reported on an allegation made by The Sunday Times
that Collins may be one of the identities of The Stig
—an otherwise unidentified character on the Top Gear show—on the basis of financial filing made by the Collins Autosport company. On 1 September 2010 the BBC was refused a court injunction preventing the revealing of The Stig's identity in Collins' autobiography, published by HarperCollins
. On 1 October 2010, it was announced that Collins would join Fifth Gear
as a presenter.
and after studying law at the University of Exeter
, he spent around four years serving in the British Army
. Serving some of his time as a Special Forces
driving instructor, His racing career started in 1994. He worked for Hornby as brand manager of the Scalextric
model slot car
division. Collins continues to live in Bristol with his wife and 3 children.
Collins has competed in motorsport since 1994. In 1995 he competed in Formula Vauxhall Junior, finishing third overall with two wins and eight podiums. He also competed in the Formula Opel Winter Series, placing second overall driving for Sir Jackie Stewart who commented in Autosport Magazine, "When you see the likes of Ben Collins in Formula One, remember you saw them here first".
Collins moved onto the British Formula Three Championship
in 1996
. In 1997
, he finished eighth in the standings driving for Fortec Motorsport
, and also finished eighth in the Macau Grand Prix
. After another year in Formula Three in 1998
, Collins raced in the American Indy Lights series in 1999, finishing thirteen in the standings. For 2000, he returned to British F3 to drive for Carlin Motorsport
, once again finishing eighth in the standings. He also finished second in the 2000 Masters of Formula 3
race at Zandvoort
.
Collins has been a test driver
for racing manufacturer Ascari
during Ascari A10
development, and undertaken testing of Formula One
cars.
In 2001, Collins raced in the FIA Sportscar Championship
for Team Ascari, with Werner Lupberger
, the pair winning at Donington Park
and finishing joint sixth in the standings. The team also raced at the 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans
. Collins also finished sixth at the 2002 12 Hours of Sebring
for Ascari.
In 2003, Collins raced in the ASCAR
European Oval racing series with RML, winning six races on his way to being crowned champion. He continued racing in the series in 2004.
Collins returned to sportscars in 2005 to race in the British GT Championship
and FIA GT Championship
with Embassy Racing
. In 2006 he rejoined Ascari, racing in the FIA GT3 European Championship
.
In 2007 Collins tested a NASCAR Nextel Cup car at Lakeland Speedway
with the Red Bull Racing Team.
In 2009 Collins was named as an endurance driver for Australian V8 Supercars team, Kelly Racing/Jack Daniel's Racing
, partnering with Nathan Pretty.
In the 2010 Le Mans Series season
, he was racing for RML AD Group. His first race for the team was the 2010 1000 km of Algarve
, finishing fourth overall and winning the LMP2 class. He remained with the team for the next round, the 2010 1000 km of Hungaroring
, where they finished fourth in both class and overall.
Collins competed in the final meeting of the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship
, driving a BMW for the Motorbase Performance
team.
, fronted Sky Sports'
televised NASCAR coverage, along with appearances on the British car-focused television programmes Top Gear
(BBC Two
), Pulling Power
(ITV1
) and driven (Channel 4
).
He worked as a precision-driver in the film National Treasure: Book of Secrets where he doubled for the actor Nicolas Cage
and drove in some of the high-speed sequences in London. As a precision-driver in the 2008-film Quantum of Solace, Collins drove James Bond's Aston Martin DBS
as a stunt double
for Daniel Craig
in the lead role. He also holds a World Record for the maximum distance of driving a car on two wheels (a manoeuvre called "skiing
").
Collins presented television programme Xtreme Teen Drivers, shown on BBC Three
on 15 December 2007; as an advanced driving instructor within the programme, he was trying to teach a young boy racer to drive more safely.
Collins' company Ben Collins Auto-sport has provided its logistics and third-party liability insurance
for prize-winner track day
events promoted by Top Gear magazine
.
as himself, with his company providing drivers and driving services since December 2003. In Series 2 Episode 10, In 2003 Collins appeared as one member of BBC Top Gear-team in the 24-hour Citroën 2CV
racing event; orginally he was entered as the The Stig but this was changed to retain the mystique. The team finished thirteenth, out of thirty four cars, 24 laps behind the leaders, with Collins setting fastest lap.
In 2004, Collins made an appearance during the fourth season of Top Gear, alongside parachutist Tim Carter. The stunt involved Carter and an aerial cameraman
jumping out of a Cessna
light aircraft then landing in the open-topped
Mercedes
car being driven at a speed by Collins. The open-top car was introduced as belonging to Collins and had earlier been used—driven by The Stig
—during a wig test in Series 3 Episode 5.
In 2005, the driver featured during series five, driving a Lancer Evo VII and then a Bowler Wildcat
vehicle in a rally race against mountain boarding world champion Tom Kirkman.
At the start of series six, Collins appeared with other British Touring Car Championship
racing and stunt drivers for a Five-a-side football
game using a fleet of Toyota Aygo
cars. Collins played in a team
captained by Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond
. The other drivers were Paul Swift
, Tim Harvey
and Tom Chilton
(blue team); playing against James May
, Russ Swift
, Matt Neal
, Dan Eaves
and Rob Huff
(red team).
Collins could be seen driving the Honda Civic Type-R against Jeremy Clarkson
in Episode 6 of Season 10.
The sixth episode of series seventeen of Top Gear featured a team of amputee soldiers training driving a Bowler Wildcat
and being trained by Collins to take part in the Dakar Rally
.
On a separate occasion, following an accident involving Richard Hammond
in September 2006, the Health & Safety Executive report into the event recorded that Collins had "worked closely with Top Gear as a high performance driver and consultant" and had prepared a briefing for Richard Hammond preceding the event.
On 19 January 2009, British newspaper The Daily Telegraph
ran a story claiming that they had "outed" Collins as being one of the people behind the white-suited incarnation of The Stig
, at the same time noting that "Collins, from Bristol, has always denied being the Stig".
The Times
, in a follow-up article, stated that the "identity of the white-suited Stig ... has been an open secret
within the motoring world for some years, with newspapers refraining from publishing his name, to uphold the spirit of the programme" which concluded that "a newspaper broke with the convention to out Mr Collins, 33, after following up a story in a Bristol newspaper".
Similar allegations were repeated by The Sunday Times
during August 2010.
Two Bristol-based local newspapers had published articles a week before The Times in January 2009, on the basis of information leaked from a local art gallery. Collins had previously commissioned a Clifton-based
father and son business in September 2008, to produce a limited-edition run of 450 poster prints to be sold on at a price of £318 each. Collins had initially portrayed himself as a BBC marketing executive and only confirmed a more detailed connection to the Top Gear show after the signing of confidentiality agreements by the business owners.
The signed poster image showed a salt flat scene, with The Stig positioned standing on it.
However, at the time Top Gear presenter James May
claimed that the Stig's identity had not been outed and there has been speculation that there may be more than one person who plays the Stig.
injunction
to prevent the publishing of a book entitled The Man in The White Suit, apparently authored by Collins. The injunction was quashed by the High Court, allowing the possibility of the book being published on its intended release date of 16 September 2010 in the United Kingdom and 1 October 2010 in Australia.
In an exclusive interview with WitneyTV recorded on 3 September 2010 and broadcast on 7 September 2010, Top Gear-presenter Jeremy Clarkson confirmed that Collins had worked as The Stig, and that Collins was "history as far as we're concerned, he's sacked". On 7/8 September 2010, The Guardian, The Sun and other papers re-reported Clarkson's assertions in the interview that Collins had been fired from his role on the television show.
Collins stated that he had started writing an autobiography during Christmas 2009 as he feared that he might lose his contract on the show. Collins stated that he had gone to great lengths in order to conceal his work on the television show, including parking in separate locations and wearing a balaclava while travelling to the filming sites.
In the fifteenth series Christmas special, Top Gear presenters referred to the Stig as "The Splitter" and publicly ridiculed the Stig, using the picture of the Stig for drive-by shooting targets.
During Collins' appearance with the military amputees broadcast in July 2011, Collins was introduced and acknowledged by Top Gear-presenter Richard Hammond as "ex-Stig … Ben Collins".
Racing
A sport race is a competition of speed, against an objective criterion, usually a clock or to a specific point. The competitors in a race try to complete a given task in the shortest amount of time...
car driver from Bristol
Bristol
Bristol is a city, unitary authority area and ceremonial county in South West England, with an estimated population of 433,100 for the unitary authority in 2009, and a surrounding Larger Urban Zone with an estimated 1,070,000 residents in 2007...
, England. He has competed in motor racing since 1994 in many categories, from Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
and Indy Lights to sportscars, GT racing and stock cars.
Collins was placed second in the Marlboro Masters Formula 3 championship event in 2000. He set the pace at the 2001 Le Mans 24 hours race
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
in his first season for approximately four hours during the rain at night. After winning the European Stock Car Championship in 2003 ASCAR stock car racing
Stock car racing
Stock car racing is a form of automobile racing found mainly in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Great Britain, Brazil and Argentina. Traditionally, races are run on oval tracks measuring approximately in length...
he was signed by PDM Racing
PDM Racing
PDM Racing is a racing team in the Indy Racing League and USAC Silver Crown series owned by Paul Diatlovich. Almost always a low budget team and affectionately dubbed "Poor Dumb Mechanics" by one of its former owners, it is known to make the most out of mediocre equipment...
to do selected rounds of the 2004 Indy Racing League, but the car never appeared. In 2005, he competed in the British GT Championship in a Porsche 996 GT3
Porsche 911
The Porsche 911 is a luxury 2-door sports coupe made by Porsche AG of Stuttgart, Germany. It has a distinctive design, rear-engined and with independent rear suspension, an evolution of the swing axle on the Porsche 356. The engine was also air-cooled until the introduction of the Type 996 in 1998...
, winning races on the way before moving up to the FIA GT Series with Ascari where he led races and scored several pole positions.
In addition to racing, Collins' company Collins Autosport provides precision and stunt driving services, particularly for BBC Television
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the British Broadcasting Corporation. The corporation, which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a Royal Charter since 1927, has produced television programmes from its own studios since 1932, although the start of its regular service of television...
, including Top Gear and Top Gear Live, as well as for the film industry, such as driving James Bond's car in Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale
Casino Royale (2006 film)
Casino Royale is the twenty-first film in the James Bond film series and the first to star Daniel Craig as fictional MI6 agent James Bond...
.
In August 2010, several British national newspapers reported on an allegation made by The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
that Collins may be one of the identities of The Stig
The Stig
The Stig is a character in the British motoring television show Top Gear. The character plays on the anonymity of racing drivers' full-face helmets, with the running joke that nobody knows who, or indeed what, is inside the character's racing suit. The character was the creation of presenter Jeremy...
—an otherwise unidentified character on the Top Gear show—on the basis of financial filing made by the Collins Autosport company. On 1 September 2010 the BBC was refused a court injunction preventing the revealing of The Stig's identity in Collins' autobiography, published by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
. On 1 October 2010, it was announced that Collins would join Fifth Gear
Fifth Gear
Fifth Gear is a motoring television magazine show from the United Kingdom. Originally shown on Channel 5, the show is currently presented by Tiff Needell, Vicki Butler-Henderson, Jason Plato, Jonny Smith and Ben Collins...
as a presenter.
Personal life
Collins was born in Bristol, but spent the first ten years of his life in California where his father worked for a distribution company. Collins was educated at Blundell's SchoolBlundell's School
Blundell's School is a co-educational day and boarding independent school located in the town of Tiverton in the county of Devon, England. The school was founded in 1604 by the will of Peter Blundell, one of the richest men in England at the time, and relocated to its present location on the...
and after studying law at the University of Exeter
University of Exeter
The University of Exeter is a public university in South West England. It belongs to the 1994 Group, an association of 19 of the United Kingdom's smaller research-intensive universities....
, he spent around four years serving in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
. Serving some of his time as a Special Forces
Special forces
Special forces, or special operations forces are terms used to describe elite military tactical teams trained to perform high-risk dangerous missions that conventional units cannot perform...
driving instructor, His racing career started in 1994. He worked for Hornby as brand manager of the Scalextric
Scalextric
Scalextric is a toy brand for a range of slot car racing sets which first appeared in the late 1950s, as a creation of British firm Minimodels. The brand is currently owned and distributed by Hornby.-History:...
model slot car
Slot car
A slot car is a powered miniature auto or other vehicle that is guided by a groove or slot in the track on which it runs. A pin or blade extends from the bottom of the car into the slot...
division. Collins continues to live in Bristol with his wife and 3 children.
Racing
Collins moved onto the British Formula Three Championship
British Formula Three Championship
The British Formula Three Championship is an international motor racing series that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Europe. It is a junior-level feeder formula that uses small single seater Formula Three chassis. Its current official title is...
in 1996
1996 British Formula Three season
The 1996 British Formula Three season was the 46th British Formula Three Championship, won by Ralph Firman. The season started on March 31 at Silverstone and ended there on October 13 following sixteen races...
. In 1997
1997 British Formula Three season
The 1997 British Formula Three season was the 47th British Formula Three Championship, won by Jonny Kane. The season started on March 23 at Donington Park and ended at Thruxton on October 12 following sixteen races. Kane built on a strong finish to his 1996 campaign by scoring podium finishes at...
, he finished eighth in the standings driving for Fortec Motorsport
Fortec Motorsport
Fortec Motorsport Ltd. is a motor-racing team that races in the Formula Renault 3.5 Series, the British Formula Three Championship, and several junior formulae categories at a British and pan-European level...
, and also finished eighth in the Macau Grand Prix
Macau Grand Prix
The Macau Grand Prix is a motor-racing event held annually in Macau, one of China's Special Administrative Regions. It is known for being the only street circuit racing event in which both car and motorcycle races are held...
. After another year in Formula Three in 1998
1998 British Formula Three season
The 1998 British Formula Three season was the 48th British Formula Three Championship season. It commenced on March 22, and ended on October 4 after sixteen races. Mario Haberfeld was the champion, while Phillip Scifleet won the Class B championship...
, Collins raced in the American Indy Lights series in 1999, finishing thirteen in the standings. For 2000, he returned to British F3 to drive for Carlin Motorsport
Carlin Motorsport
Carlin, formerly Carlin Motorsport, is a motor racing team based in the United Kingdom. It competes in four championships — British Formula Three Championship, GP3 Series, World Series by Renault and GP2 Series.-History:...
, once again finishing eighth in the standings. He also finished second in the 2000 Masters of Formula 3
2000 Masters of Formula 3
The 2000 Marlboro Masters of Formula 3 was the tenth Masters of Formula 3 race held at Circuit Park Zandvoort on August 6, 2000. It was won by Jonathan Cochet, for Signature.-Drivers and teams:-Group A:-Group B:-Race:...
race at Zandvoort
Circuit Park Zandvoort
Circuit Park Zandvoort is a motorsport race track located in Burgemeester van Alphenstraat 108, 2041 KP in the dunes north of the town of Zandvoort, in the Netherlands, near the North Sea coast line.- History :...
.
Collins has been a test driver
Test driver
In motor sports it is common to have one or more test drivers that work with the mechanics to help develop the vehicle by testing new systems on the track.-NASCAR:...
for racing manufacturer Ascari
Ascari
Ascari Cars Ltd. is a British automobile manufacturer that was based in Banbury, United Kingdom founded by Dutch millionaire Klaas Zwart. The company was named after Alberto Ascari who was the first double world Formula One champion. Besides manufacturing cars, Ascari also manages a racetrack,...
during Ascari A10
Ascari A10
The Ascari A10 is an automobile produced by the British company Ascari Cars that was conceived by Dutch millionaire Klaas Zwart. It is a road-going evolution of the KZ1-R GT race car currently contesting the Spanish GT Championship, with both cars penned by ex-Formula One designer Paul Brown...
development, and undertaken testing of Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
cars.
In 2001, Collins raced in the FIA Sportscar Championship
FIA Sportscar Championship
The FIA Sportscar Championship was a sports car racing series created by John Mangoletsi and was eventually taken control of by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . It was a series similar to the FIA GT Championship, concentrating on two classes of open-cockpit sports prototypes in...
for Team Ascari, with Werner Lupberger
Werner Lupberger
Werner Lupberger is a South African racing driver. He has competed in such series as the British Formula Three Championship, Italian Formula 3000 and International Formula 3000.-External links:*...
, the pair winning at Donington Park
Donington Park
Donington Park is a motorsport circuit near Castle Donington in Leicestershire, England.Originally part of the Donington Hall estate, it was created as a racing circuit during the pre-war period when the German Silver Arrows were battling for the European Championship...
and finishing joint sixth in the standings. The team also raced at the 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans
2001 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 69th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 16 and 17 2001.On recommendation of the FIA following the incidents involving the Mercedes-Benz CLRs in 1999, the large hill on the third section of the Mulsanne straight was lowered in order to decrease the...
. Collins also finished sixth at the 2002 12 Hours of Sebring
2002 12 Hours of Sebring
The 2002 Mobil 1 12 Hours of Sebring was the 50th running of this event, and the opening round of the 2002 American Le Mans Series season. It took place at Sebring International Raceway, Florida, on March 16, 2002.-Official results:...
for Ascari.
In 2003, Collins raced in the ASCAR
VSR V8 Trophy
VSR V8 Trophy was a stock car racing series that raced at circuits around the UK, with a date in northern France at Croix en Ternois. The series has now become part of the European Late Model Series, racing in Belgium and the UK.-History:...
European Oval racing series with RML, winning six races on his way to being crowned champion. He continued racing in the series in 2004.
Collins returned to sportscars in 2005 to race in the British GT Championship
British GT Championship
The Avon Tyres British GT Championship is a sports car racing series currently based in the United Kingdom, although they have had select races outside of Britain in the past few years. The series was created by the British Racing Drivers' Club in 1993 and for its first two seasons was called the...
and FIA GT Championship
FIA GT Championship
The FIA GT Championship was a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation at the behest of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The championship was mostly concentrated in Europe, but throughout the years has visited other continents including Asia and South...
with Embassy Racing
Embassy Racing
Embassy Racing was a British auto racing team founded by Jonathan France in 2003. Initially created as a conjunction with Xero Competition in the British GT Championship, the team expanded to become an independent team and began to win races in British GT before the team took a sabbatical year in...
. In 2006 he rejoined Ascari, racing in the FIA GT3 European Championship
FIA GT3 European Championship
The FIA GT3 European Championship is a sports car racing series organized by the Stéphane Ratel Organisation and regulated by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . It is a championship derived from the international FIA GT1 World Championship, but meant to provide competition for more...
.
In 2007 Collins tested a NASCAR Nextel Cup car at Lakeland Speedway
USA International Speedway
The USA International Speedway was an oval located near Lakeland, Florida, United States, that opened in 1995. The track was a .75-mile-long concrete paved oval with 14° banked turns. The USAR Pro Cup Series had a race at the speedway in early March, and the final championship race in mid to late...
with the Red Bull Racing Team.
In 2009 Collins was named as an endurance driver for Australian V8 Supercars team, Kelly Racing/Jack Daniel's Racing
Kelly Racing
Kelly Racing is a team competing in the Australian V8 Supercar series. It is owned by John and Margaret Kelly, and made its debut in 2009. The team's current four drivers are 2006 V8 Supercar series champion Rick Kelly and 2005 Bathurst 1000 winner Todd Kelly , four time Bathurst 1000 winner Greg...
, partnering with Nathan Pretty.
In the 2010 Le Mans Series season
2010 Le Mans Series season
The 2010 Le Mans Series season was the seventh season of Automobile Club de l'Ouest's Le Mans Series. It featured five events between 11 April and 12 September 2010. For the first time in 2010, Formula Le Mans cars were run in a fifth class in the series, running alongside Le Mans Prototype cars...
, he was racing for RML AD Group. His first race for the team was the 2010 1000 km of Algarve
2010 1000 km of Algarve
The 2010 1000 km of Algarve was the thirs round of the 2010 Le Mans Series season. It took place at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve on 17 July 2010.-Qualifying:...
, finishing fourth overall and winning the LMP2 class. He remained with the team for the next round, the 2010 1000 km of Hungaroring
2010 1000 km of Hungaroring
The 2010 1000 km of Hungaroring was the fourth round of the 2010 Le Mans Series season. It took place at the Hungaroring, Hungary on 22 August 2010. It was the first time a Le Mans Series event will take place at the Hungarian track....
, where they finished fourth in both class and overall.
Collins competed in the final meeting of the 2010 Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
, driving a BMW for the Motorbase Performance
Motorbase Performance
Motorbase Performance is an English motor racing team, founded in 2004 by former Production Saloon racer Dave Bartrum. They are best known for their British Touring Car Championship campaigns, which produced a first overall podium at the Snetterton meeting in 2008.-Porsche Carrera Cup Great...
team.
Collins Autosport
Collins is a regular writer for Autosport Magazine testing the latest racing cars, has written for The Sunday TimesThe Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
, fronted Sky Sports'
Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the brand name for a group of sports-oriented television channels operated by the UK and Ireland's main satellite pay-TV company, British Sky Broadcasting. Sky Sports is the dominant subscription television sports brand in the United Kingdom and Ireland...
televised NASCAR coverage, along with appearances on the British car-focused television programmes Top Gear
Top Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
(BBC Two
BBC Two
BBC Two is the second television channel operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more 'highbrow' programmes than the more mainstream and popular BBC One. Like the BBC's other domestic TV and radio...
), Pulling Power
Pulling Power
Pulling Power was a regional motoring programme shown only in the Central Television region on ITV in 1996. However, it returned in 2005 and was shown on the ITV1 on a series trial basis until 2008, and it was also as a filler programme at times. It has also been shown on ITV4. Presenters included...
(ITV1
ITV1
ITV1 is a generic brand that is used by twelve franchises of the British ITV Network in the English regions, Wales, southern Scotland , the Isle of Man and the Bailiwicks of Jersey and Guernsey. The ITV1 brand was introduced by Carlton and Granada in 2001, alongside the regional identities of their...
) and driven (Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
).
He worked as a precision-driver in the film National Treasure: Book of Secrets where he doubled for the actor Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage
Nicolas Cage is an American actor, producer and director, having appeared in over 60 films including Raising Arizona , The Rock , Face/Off , Gone in 60 Seconds , Adaptation , National Treasure , Ghost Rider , Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans , and...
and drove in some of the high-speed sequences in London. As a precision-driver in the 2008-film Quantum of Solace, Collins drove James Bond's Aston Martin DBS
Aston Martin DBS
The Aston Martin DBS is a GT car produced by the British manufacturer Aston Martin Lagonda Limited. Originally produced from 1967–72, it featured in the 1969 James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service...
as a stunt double
Stunt double
A stunt double is a type of body double, specifically a skilled replacement used for dangerous film or video sequences, in movies and television , and for other sophisticated stunts...
for Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig
Daniel Wroughton Craig is an English actor. His early film roles include Elizabeth, The Power of One, A Kid in King Arthur's Court and the television episodes Sharpe's Eagle, Zorro and The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles: Daredevils of the Desert...
in the lead role. He also holds a World Record for the maximum distance of driving a car on two wheels (a manoeuvre called "skiing
Ski (driving stunt)
Skiing is an automotive driving stunt where the car is driven while balanced only on two wheels, either the pair on the driver side or on the passenger side....
").
Collins presented television programme Xtreme Teen Drivers, shown on BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
on 15 December 2007; as an advanced driving instructor within the programme, he was trying to teach a young boy racer to drive more safely.
Collins' company Ben Collins Auto-sport has provided its logistics and third-party liability insurance
Liability insurance
Liability insurance is a part of the general insurance system of risk financing to protect the purchaser from the risks of liabilities imposed by lawsuits and similar claims. It protects the insured in the event he or she is sued for claims that come within the coverage of the insurance policy...
for prize-winner track day
Track day
A track day is an organised event in which members of the public are allowed to drive or ride around established motor racing circuits, or alternatively on closed or disused airfields...
events promoted by Top Gear magazine
Top Gear (magazine)
Top Gear is an automobile magazine published by BBC Worldwide, and named after the BBC's Top Gear television show. It was first published in October 1993 and is published monthly at a price of £3.95. The major presenters of the television series—Richard Hammond, James May and Jeremy Clarkson—are...
.
Top Gear
Collins has appeared on the popular BBC television programme Top GearTop Gear (current format)
Top Gear is a British television series about motor vehicles, primarily cars. It began in 1977 as a conventional motoring magazine show. Over time, and especially since a relaunch in 2002, it has developed a quirky, humorous style...
as himself, with his company providing drivers and driving services since December 2003. In Series 2 Episode 10, In 2003 Collins appeared as one member of BBC Top Gear-team in the 24-hour Citroën 2CV
Citroën 2CV
The Citroën 2CV |tax horsepower]]”) was an economy car produced by the French automaker Citroën between 1948 and 1990. It was technologically advanced and innovative, but with uncompromisingly utilitarian unconventional looks, and deceptively simple Bauhaus inspired bodywork, that belied the sheer...
racing event; orginally he was entered as the The Stig but this was changed to retain the mystique. The team finished thirteenth, out of thirty four cars, 24 laps behind the leaders, with Collins setting fastest lap.
In 2004, Collins made an appearance during the fourth season of Top Gear, alongside parachutist Tim Carter. The stunt involved Carter and an aerial cameraman
Camera operator
A camera operator or cameraman is a professional operator of a film or video camera. In filmmaking, the leading cameraman is usually called a cinematographer, while a cameraman in a video production may be known as a television camera operator, video camera operator, or videographer, depending on...
jumping out of a Cessna
Cessna
The Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
light aircraft then landing in the open-topped
Convertible
A convertible is a type of automobile in which the roof can retract and fold away having windows which wind-down inside the doors, converting it from an enclosed to an open-air vehicle...
Mercedes
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
car being driven at a speed by Collins. The open-top car was introduced as belonging to Collins and had earlier been used—driven by The Stig
The Stig
The Stig is a character in the British motoring television show Top Gear. The character plays on the anonymity of racing drivers' full-face helmets, with the running joke that nobody knows who, or indeed what, is inside the character's racing suit. The character was the creation of presenter Jeremy...
—during a wig test in Series 3 Episode 5.
In 2005, the driver featured during series five, driving a Lancer Evo VII and then a Bowler Wildcat
Bowler Wildcat
The Bowler Wildcat is an off-road vehicle originally made by Bowler Offroad, it is an evolution of the Bowler Tomcat which is not based on the Land Rover Defender against common belief...
vehicle in a rally race against mountain boarding world champion Tom Kirkman.
At the start of series six, Collins appeared with other British Touring Car Championship
British Touring Car Championship
The British Touring Car Championship is a touring car racing series held each year in the United Kingdom. The Championship was established in 1958 as the British Saloon Car Championship and has run to various rules over the years – "production cars", then FIA Group 1 or 2 in the late 1960s...
racing and stunt drivers for a Five-a-side football
Five-a-side football
thumb|240px|alt=Men playing football on artificial grass pitch.|Five-a-side game on astroturf pitch.Five-a-side football is a variation of association football in which each team fields five players , rather than the usual eleven on each team. Other differences from football include a smaller...
game using a fleet of Toyota Aygo
Toyota Aygo
The Toyota Aygo is a city car sold by Toyota in Europe since 2005. All Aygos are built at the new factory of the Toyota Peugeot Citroën Automobile Czech joint venture in Kolin, Czech Republic. The Aygo was first displayed at the 2005 Salon de l'Automobile de Genève...
cars. Collins played in a team
Team
A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...
captained by Top Gear presenter Richard Hammond
Richard Hammond
Richard Mark Hammond is an English broadcaster, writer, and journalist most noted for co-hosting car programme Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, as well as presenting Brainiac: Science Abuse on Sky 1.-Early life:...
. The other drivers were Paul Swift
Paul Swift (Driver)
Paul Swift is a British driver who is best known for Autotesting, precision driving and his involvement in live action arenas at motor shows including the UK Motorshow and Top Gear Live.-Career:...
, Tim Harvey
Tim Harvey
Tim Harvey is a racing driver from England. He was the 2008 and 2010 Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain Champion. A household name in the 1990s, Harvey won the prestigious BTCC title in 1992, and was a frontrunner for most of the late 80s and early 90s...
and Tom Chilton
Tom Chilton
Thomas James Chilton is a British auto racing driver. He has spent most of his career competing in the BTCC; he is a former factory Vauxhall and Honda driver. For 2011 he is driving an NGTC-spec Ford Focus for Team Aon...
(blue team); playing against James May
James May
James Daniel May is an English television presenter, journalist and writer. He is best known for his role as co-presenter of the award-winning motoring programme Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond....
, Russ Swift
Russ Swift
Paul Russell "Russ" Swift is a British driver who is known for performing stunts and for precision driving.-Career:Starting out as a rally co-driver, and later moving into the sport of Autotesting, Russ Swift has built his career on a sturdy motorsport foundation...
, Matt Neal
Matt Neal
Matthew Neal is a British motor racing driver. He won the British Touring Car Championship in 2005, 2006 and 2011. He has also won a European Touring Car Championship race. He is 6' 6" tall, making him almost entirely unable to race single-seaters...
, Dan Eaves
Dan Eaves
Dan Eaves is a British auto racing driver.- Career :He started racing karts in 1990 before switching to cars in 1994. He raced in the National Saloon Cup in 1999 and 2000, finishing 4th in the series both times with a Bowman Motorsport Peugeot 306...
and Rob Huff
Rob Huff
Robert "Rob" Peter Huff is a British racing driver. He currently competes in the World Touring Car Championship for the Chevrolet team, driving the Chevrolet Cruze.-Early years:...
(red team).
Collins could be seen driving the Honda Civic Type-R against Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Clarkson
Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson is an English broadcaster, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring. He is best known for his role on the BBC TV show Top Gear along with co-presenters Richard Hammond and James May...
in Episode 6 of Season 10.
The sixth episode of series seventeen of Top Gear featured a team of amputee soldiers training driving a Bowler Wildcat
Bowler Wildcat
The Bowler Wildcat is an off-road vehicle originally made by Bowler Offroad, it is an evolution of the Bowler Tomcat which is not based on the Land Rover Defender against common belief...
and being trained by Collins to take part in the Dakar Rally
Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally is an annual rally raid type of off-road automobile race, organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation...
.
On a separate occasion, following an accident involving Richard Hammond
Richard Hammond
Richard Mark Hammond is an English broadcaster, writer, and journalist most noted for co-hosting car programme Top Gear with Jeremy Clarkson and James May, as well as presenting Brainiac: Science Abuse on Sky 1.-Early life:...
in September 2006, the Health & Safety Executive report into the event recorded that Collins had "worked closely with Top Gear as a high performance driver and consultant" and had prepared a briefing for Richard Hammond preceding the event.
The Stig
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
ran a story claiming that they had "outed" Collins as being one of the people behind the white-suited incarnation of The Stig
The Stig
The Stig is a character in the British motoring television show Top Gear. The character plays on the anonymity of racing drivers' full-face helmets, with the running joke that nobody knows who, or indeed what, is inside the character's racing suit. The character was the creation of presenter Jeremy...
, at the same time noting that "Collins, from Bristol, has always denied being the Stig".
The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
, in a follow-up article, stated that the "identity of the white-suited Stig ... has been an open secret
Open secret
An open secret is a concept or idea that is "officially" secret or restricted in knowledge, but is actually widely known; or refers to something which is widely known to be true, but which none of the people most intimately concerned are willing to categorically acknowledge in public.Examples of...
within the motoring world for some years, with newspapers refraining from publishing his name, to uphold the spirit of the programme" which concluded that "a newspaper broke with the convention to out Mr Collins, 33, after following up a story in a Bristol newspaper".
Similar allegations were repeated by The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
during August 2010.
Two Bristol-based local newspapers had published articles a week before The Times in January 2009, on the basis of information leaked from a local art gallery. Collins had previously commissioned a Clifton-based
Clifton, Bristol
Clifton is a suburb of the City of Bristol in England, and the name of both one of the city's thirty-five council wards. The Clifton ward also includes the areas of Cliftonwood and Hotwells...
father and son business in September 2008, to produce a limited-edition run of 450 poster prints to be sold on at a price of £318 each. Collins had initially portrayed himself as a BBC marketing executive and only confirmed a more detailed connection to the Top Gear show after the signing of confidentiality agreements by the business owners.
The signed poster image showed a salt flat scene, with The Stig positioned standing on it.
However, at the time Top Gear presenter James May
James May
James Daniel May is an English television presenter, journalist and writer. He is best known for his role as co-presenter of the award-winning motoring programme Top Gear alongside Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond....
claimed that the Stig's identity had not been outed and there has been speculation that there may be more than one person who plays the Stig.
Autobiography publication
During August to September 2010 the BBC and HarperCollins started legal proceedings against each other, with the BBC attempting to obtain a High CourtHigh Court of Justice
The High Court of Justice is, together with the Court of Appeal and the Crown Court, one of the Senior Courts of England and Wales...
injunction
Injunction
An injunction is an equitable remedy in the form of a court order that requires a party to do or refrain from doing certain acts. A party that fails to comply with an injunction faces criminal or civil penalties and may have to pay damages or accept sanctions...
to prevent the publishing of a book entitled The Man in The White Suit, apparently authored by Collins. The injunction was quashed by the High Court, allowing the possibility of the book being published on its intended release date of 16 September 2010 in the United Kingdom and 1 October 2010 in Australia.
In an exclusive interview with WitneyTV recorded on 3 September 2010 and broadcast on 7 September 2010, Top Gear-presenter Jeremy Clarkson confirmed that Collins had worked as The Stig, and that Collins was "history as far as we're concerned, he's sacked". On 7/8 September 2010, The Guardian, The Sun and other papers re-reported Clarkson's assertions in the interview that Collins had been fired from his role on the television show.
Collins stated that he had started writing an autobiography during Christmas 2009 as he feared that he might lose his contract on the show. Collins stated that he had gone to great lengths in order to conceal his work on the television show, including parking in separate locations and wearing a balaclava while travelling to the filming sites.
In the fifteenth series Christmas special, Top Gear presenters referred to the Stig as "The Splitter" and publicly ridiculed the Stig, using the picture of the Stig for drive-by shooting targets.
During Collins' appearance with the military amputees broadcast in July 2011, Collins was introduced and acknowledged by Top Gear-presenter Richard Hammond as "ex-Stig … Ben Collins".
24 Hours of Le Mans results
| Year | Class | No | Tyres | Car | Team | Co-Drivers | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2001 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 69th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 16 and 17 2001.On recommendation of the FIA following the incidents involving the Mercedes-Benz CLRs in 1999, the large hill on the third section of the Mulsanne straight was lowered in order to decrease the... |
LMP900 | 20 | Ascari A410 Judd Judd (engine) Judd is a name brand of engines produced by Engine Developments Ltd., a company founded in 1971 by John Judd and Jack Brabham in Rugby, Warwickshire, England... GV4 4.0L V10 |
 Team Ascari |
 Werner LupbergerWerner Lupberger Werner Lupberger is a South African racing driver. He has competed in such series as the British Formula Three Championship, Italian Formula 3000 and International Formula 3000.-External links:*...  Harri ToivonenHarri Toivonen Harri Toivonen is a former Finnish rally and race car driver. He is the younger brother of Henri Toivonen and son of Pauli Toivonen.... |
134 | DNF | DNF | |
| 2002 2002 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2002 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 70th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 15 and 16 2002.-Pre-race:Following a reconstruction of the Bugatti Circuit, the Le Mans circuit was changed between the Dunlop Bridge and Esses, with the straight now becoming a set of fast sweeping turns... |
LMP1 | 21 | Ascari KZR-1 Judd Judd (engine) Judd is a name brand of engines produced by Engine Developments Ltd., a company founded in 1971 by John Judd and Jack Brabham in Rugby, Warwickshire, England... GV4 4.0L V10 |
Team Ascari |
Werner Lupberger Werner Lupberger Werner Lupberger is a South African racing driver. He has competed in such series as the British Formula Three Championship, Italian Formula 3000 and International Formula 3000.-External links:*...  Timothy J. Bell |
17 | DNF | DNF | |
| 2011 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans The 2011 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 79th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on 11–12 June 2011 at the Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France, and organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest... |
LMP2 | 36 | HPD ARX-01d HPD Honda Performance Development Honda Performance Development, Inc. is a subsidiary of American Honda Motor Co. which was establish in 1993 and is based in Santa Clarita, California... HR28TT 2.8 L Turbo V6 |
RML | Mike Newton Mike Newton Mike Newton is a British businessman and racing driver. He is the founder and CEO of the AD Group of companies. He races in the Le Mans Series and 24 Hours of Le Mans in cars prepared by the RML Group. Newton was named Britain's Top Entrepreneur by Management Today magazine in 2005.-Racing...  Thomas ErdosThomas Erdos Thomas "Tommy" Erdos is a Brazilian auto racing driver. He has raced for most of his career in Great Britain and Europe, where he currently resides in Buckinghamshire England with his wife and two children.-Early career:... |
314 | 12th | 4th | |
External links
- Ben Collins official website.