Is Tom Chilton 'The Stig'?

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Here is my evidence.

*He speaks at the end of this video and it sounds just like him :eek:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VihIf1Fi-BM

*Alan Gow knows who it is
http://www.btcc.net/forum/showthread.php?p=42082#post42082

*On a VXR video they are filming at the Top GEar test track :?:


*He was 2seconds faster in the Reasonable priced car than the old black Stig and was faster than all the F1 guys, that makes sence as he will have more F/wd experience.

Any thoughts?

[Eki]

No. Hazell has said that Naburn is the Stig and I believe her.

[AndySpeed]

Probably not Damon Hill, but that voice in that clip isn't too dissimilar...

[Iain]

That's Ben Collins talking there. He does most of the driving, but they also use factory drivers and test drivers at times. From Pistonheads.com

Neil Cunningham did the thing on the Isle of Man, Darren Turner did the Aston Martin lap and Kovelwhathis face did the F1 lap in the regirenalt Ben is the "current" TV stig for most things he's not as happy as Neil very sideways so Neil does the slidey stuff....and stands in for some of the team when they feel they need a pro's hand at the wheel.

[LeonBrooke]

Hmm, I somehow didn't think that Aston Martin or Renault would trust their racecars to a second-rate touring car driver...

[BeansBeansBeans]

Is anyone else massively bored by this whole debate? I still hear people disputing the identity of the 'Black Stig', even though Perry McCarthy's auto-biography has 'Perry McCarthy - TV's The Stig' written on the cover, along with a photo of him dressed as the Stig.

[AndyRAC]

But there's only ONE Stig,.... Stig Blomqvist!!!

[Erki]

Hmm, I somehow didn't think that Aston Martin or Renault would trust their racecars to a second-rate touring car driver...
You mean Tom Chilton? I don't think he's that bad, he did pretty nicely with the Zytek LMP sportscar. :)

[LeonBrooke]

You mean Tom Chilton? I don't think he's that bad, he did pretty nicely with the Zytek LMP sportscar. :)

Possibly Aston Martin would let Tom drive a DBR9 GT, but I doubt Renault would let him drive their car, especially one as new as it was.

But it's doubtful that the Stig is Tom anyway - not even Aston Martin would give their car to any lesser driver.

[Hazell B]

No. Hazell has said that Naburn is the Stig and I believe her.

Naburn left in a huff some time ago when he found out a hamster was making more money than him :p :

In short, and it's been said many, many times before, Ben Collins is the main Stig. Other drivers appear sometimes when Ben isn't available, able or allowed.

It's clever marketing and gives the impression all laps are equal when they plainly are not. Some Stigs have totally different body shapes, yet still an average viewer wouldn't know ....

[CharlieJ]

General concensus now seems to be that it's Ben Collins.

Of course it could be a robot inside the suit, and it just uses Ben's voice.... :r2d2:

[viper_man]

Everyone knows its been Ben Collins most of the time

[CarlMetro]

Is anyone else massively bored by this whole debate?

Yep!

[LeonBrooke]

I'd never heard of this Ben Collins before reading this thread.

[Erki]

I'd never heard of this Ben Collins before reading this thread.

Ben Collins was the codriver to your countryman Neil Cunningham in British GT in 2005. They drove for Embassy Racing(Porsche).

[Hazell B]

I'd never heard of this Ben Collins before reading this thread.

He's the guy who parachuted into a speeding Merc on Top Gear. He also used to race car 42 in ASCAR, which is where I first followed him.

[Erki]

He also used to race car 42 in ASCAR, which is where I first followed him.

You followed ASCAR? :eek: And I thought I knew everything about you! :laugh:

Or did you follow Ben Collins, not ASCAR? :erm:

[Hazell B]

Ben Collins as my favourite number is 42 and he had a TA crew, Yorkshireman Mark Proctor and two other drivers. I'll let you into another snippet - I went to ASCAR with Fred Basset once or twice :)

[LeonBrooke]

Ben Collins was the codriver to your countryman Neil Cunningham in British GT in 2005. They drove for Embassy Racing(Porsche).

So he's got better credentials than I thought. But there's no way he could have been better than Neil Cunningham ;)


He's the guy who parachuted into a speeding Merc on Top Gear. He also used to race car 42 in ASCAR, which is where I first followed him.

I remember that stunt. So, if he's the Stig, why did he get to perform it out of costume?

[Hazell B]

Why did they let him be Ben and not Stig? Well, he is Ben. It's a chance for him to doing something on TV without the silly costume.

He's appeared as himself another time too I think, but can't remember when.

[LotusElise]

He was racing a kid on a mountain-board in a Bowler Wildcat.

[LeonBrooke]

He was racing a kid on a mountain-board in a Bowler Wildcat.

Ah, I remember that too... you have a good memory, Lotus :)

I suppose it's only fair that he gets to appear out of costume a couple of times at least.

[Hazell B]

That's the one! Thanks Lotus, it was bugging me.

Didn't he also race the skateboard kid in a rally car of some kind and got beaten then ended up in a hedge? The Bowler won, of course, but at fifty grand you'd hope it would thrash some snotty bum-fluffed chinless wonder :laugh:

[CarlMetro]

He was racing a kid on a mountain-board in a Bowler Wildcat.

Are you sure? I thought that was Johnny Milner :confused:

[Iain]

It was the same feature wasn't it? He didn't win in the Evo, so tried in the Bowler after that.

Wasn't there also something about a skydiver trying to land in the back of a Mercedes convertible and he was the driver?

[COD]

From what I have heard, the Stig has been number of people. From what I have heard, even Heikki Kovalainen has featured as The Stig at some episode

[Hazell B]

Wasn't there also something about a skydiver trying to land in the back of a Mercedes convertible and he was the driver?

Already been post Iain ;)
It was Ben Collins' Merc and his mate drove, he parachuted. Ruddy nutter :p :

I've often wondered just how many saturday night beers it takes to have somebody say "Wonder if I can land in my car's back seat at 50 miles an hour if I jump out of plane? I know, we'll try on tuesday!"

[Erki]

From what I have heard, even Heikki Kovalainen has featured as The Stig at some episode

OH. MY. GOD. :eek: But that's umpteenths rate single seater driver, even worse than Tom Chilton. I have no words. :eek:

;)

[lilmelvschilton]

i dout tom chilton is the stig because he looks a little bit small

[LotusElise]

The Stig varies in height and build occasionally, but he has never appeared particularly tall.
I did notice blond Tom-esque hair sticking out just above his collar once, although that could have been Heikki Kovalainen.