Ben Collins: The Stig’s Secrets and Celebrity Encounters on Top Gear

Ben Collins hid in a white helmet and overalls for a long time, but in recent years he often talks about his experiences from the filming of the popular Top Gear.

When you think of the Stig, most motoring fans probably think of the figure in the white racing suit and closed helmet who played an important role during the most popular years of the British TV show Top Gear. The well-known trio of presenters never officially revealed his identity, but today we know that several drivers took turns in the overalls.

Ben Collins: Racer and Controversial Book

Between 2003 and 2010, this role was taken on by Ben Collins, a former racing driver who also participated in the filming of a number of action films, including The Fast and the Furious, The Dark Knight and the Bond films. He also wrote a book about his career in the white overalls, which led to a lawsuit with the BBC, which owns the Top Gear show.

Recently, Collins has been making frequent appearances on YouTube, covering classic cars or recounting his experiences in the white jumpsuit era. In a new video on the VINwiki channel, he recalled the moments when he taught celebrities to drive around a well-known circuit in an affordable car.

At the same time, he sat in the cabin with British celebrities, but also with famous Hollywood stars, including Jay Leno, Will Smith and actor Tom Cruise. At the same time, an interesting story is connected to his ride.

Tom Cruise’s dangerous driving on the circuit

At the time when Tom Cruise visited Top Gear (along with Cameron Diaz, with whom they were then promoting a new film together), Collins received a special request from the BBC producers. They asked him not to teach Cruise to drive fast around the circuit very well, because they were afraid of his too much enthusiasm.

It is a well-known fact that Tom Cruise shoots most movie scenes without stuntmen and does everything to the fullest. There was therefore a fear that he might get too excited about driving the circuit, which could lead to an accident and injury to him, which the BBC insurance for such cases might not cover. The producers’ fears were partly confirmed.

The Hollywood actor was precise and attentive on the circuit, he followed the instructor’s advice and set great times. Collins, delighted with his progress, therefore advised him how to go through the last corner faster and thus save some time on the timed lap.

However, Tom Cruise may have cut the last corner too much, so when the car returned to the tarmac, it bounced and went only on the wheels on the right side. At that moment, Tom Cruise seemed set to become the first celebrity to fly through the finish line in a car spinning through the roof. Fortunately, the car landed again on all four wheels and the actor was unharmed.

Full throttle even after two laps

But what was interesting, according to Collins, was that even at the moment when the car was rushing on only two wheels, the sound of the engine at full rev could be heard. While most people would take their foot off the gas, try to stop the car and return it to all wheels, Cruise was still mashing the gas pedal, wanting to be as fast as possible. Although the brave lap did not bring him the fastest time, he repeated the ride and fought his way to the top of the famous board, where he held on for quite a long time.

In the video, Collins also mentions other interesting experiences with celebrities, including the revelation that the worst students were comedians. They didn’t take the ride very seriously and laughed at the trip off the track. So Stig always had to scare them a little during the first laps so that they would start trying. Towards the end of the video, he also recalled meeting Michael Schumacher, who appeared in one episode of Top Gear as Stig.