‘Stig’ Collins to Make BTCC Debut

Some say his work with the BBC has dried up of late, and that he’s no longer on Jeremy Clarkson’s Christmas card list – all we know, is that he’s called Ben Collins, and he’s about to make his BTCC debut. The man who gave substance to Top Gear’s tame racing driver The Stig prior to his recent ‘outing’ has decided to throw his helmet into the Dunlop British Touring Car Championship ring at Brands Hatch on October 10. This title-deciding final round of the 2010 BTCC season will see Collins driving for Kent-based Airwaves BMW.

Despite his past life as the mysterious white-clad racing entity on the popular BBC programme, Collins is confident he will not fall victim to ‘Stig envy’ at the hands of competing drivers. “To be honest they should be aiming to beat every other driver with the same hunger so I’d be surprised if I’m treated any differently,” he commented. “The nature of the BTCC means every position is fought for tooth and nail down the field and as this event is on the short Brands Hatch Indy track it makes the racing even closer for the fans. But I’ve raced in many professional race series down the years and can give as good as I get.”

And unlike in his Top Gear days, where the end result of a good track performance was a respectable ranking on the ‘power laps’ board, Collins has but one aim in his BTCC debut: “I’m racing to win and for me that’s the only way to enter any race. This is the top race series in the UK so I want to make as good an impression as possible for Airwaves and Addison Lee who are sponsoring me, as it’s something I’d dearly love to be part of next season.”

And while BTCC championship glories await other drivers in 2010 – four drivers, namely Jason Plato, Matt Neal, Gordon Shedden and Tom Onslow-Cole enter the round with a chance of taking home a new piece of silverware for the mantelpiece – Collins says he is looking forward to the weekend’s experience. “The BTCC fans, along with F1 fans, are the very best in motor sport, particularly in Britain. They are very passionate and it will be a privilege to race in front of them,” he reflected.