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A review by tasmanian_bibliophile
The Man in the White Suit: The Stig, Le Mans, the Fast Lane and Me by Ben Collins
3.0
‘The difference between the exceptionally brave and the plain stupid is a fine line.’
Ben Collins, born in 1975, has competed in motorsport since 1994. He worked with Top Gear (both as the anonymous ‘tame racing driver’ -The Stig - and also as himself since December 2003.
This is his story.
Ben Collins was born in Bristol, has competed as a junior Olympic standard swimmer while living in California and wanted to be a fighter pilot. When this career was ruled out because of his eyesight, he switched to cars. Ben won races in nearly every category he competed in: from Formula Three to LeMans Sportscars, and GT. In 2003 he won the European ASCAR title while racing for RML Motorsport. When his racing career was temporarily curtailed by a lack of funding, Ben joined the Army reserves. He also began a new venture working as a Hollywood stuntman.
In 2003, Ben became the fourth presenter on BBC TV’s ‘Top Gear.’ As ‘The Stig’, he test drove exotic cars, coached celebrities how to get the best out of the ‘reasonably priced car’ around the now legendary Top Gear test track. As ‘the man in the white suit’, he was recognised by millions of Top Gear fans around the world.
This book makes for interesting reading both for Top Gear fans curious about the identity of The Stig, but also for those interested in Ben Collins as an accomplished racing driver.
I found this an easy and interesting read, especially the descriptions of his driving experiences. As an Australian, I enjoyed his reference to the yellow flags (specifically in relation to kangaroos) at Bathurst.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith
Ben Collins, born in 1975, has competed in motorsport since 1994. He worked with Top Gear (both as the anonymous ‘tame racing driver’ -The Stig - and also as himself since December 2003.
This is his story.
Ben Collins was born in Bristol, has competed as a junior Olympic standard swimmer while living in California and wanted to be a fighter pilot. When this career was ruled out because of his eyesight, he switched to cars. Ben won races in nearly every category he competed in: from Formula Three to LeMans Sportscars, and GT. In 2003 he won the European ASCAR title while racing for RML Motorsport. When his racing career was temporarily curtailed by a lack of funding, Ben joined the Army reserves. He also began a new venture working as a Hollywood stuntman.
In 2003, Ben became the fourth presenter on BBC TV’s ‘Top Gear.’ As ‘The Stig’, he test drove exotic cars, coached celebrities how to get the best out of the ‘reasonably priced car’ around the now legendary Top Gear test track. As ‘the man in the white suit’, he was recognised by millions of Top Gear fans around the world.
This book makes for interesting reading both for Top Gear fans curious about the identity of The Stig, but also for those interested in Ben Collins as an accomplished racing driver.
I found this an easy and interesting read, especially the descriptions of his driving experiences. As an Australian, I enjoyed his reference to the yellow flags (specifically in relation to kangaroos) at Bathurst.
Jennifer Cameron-Smith