Top Gear - who is the stig?

W

Warbler

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I was talking to someone recently about how 'the Stig' could take 4 secs out of a touring car driver round Zolder despite having a brake lock. Now I don't know enough about the respective performance of the two vehicles being raced and assume they're evenly matched, but I'm struggling to believe that only a very top driver could do this against someone who must be a top drawer driver themselves. I did suggest that since Top Gear was so scripted, that two seperate finales would have been filmed that had Clarkson and Co winning for our consumption, and German team for theirs.

Although I can't categorically state who the Stig is (there's alot of contradictory information out there, and no small amount of smokescreen) I have dug out some interesting evidence that points to a name that frequently pops up, although not necessarily conclusive beyond doubt. I'm more persuaded by the theory that there's a few of them, but won't post the most likely name for fear of upsetting someone.

The identitiy of the first Stig is acknowledged and isn't the issue of dispute. His name was Perry McCarthy a test driver for Williams, Arrows, and McClaren
 
I doubt that it`s a more than one person. If it were I reckon some expert would have noticed a difference in driving styles from week to week.

I don`t think most people are bothered. Top Gear has been the BBC`s best show for a few years and I think the mystique surrounding the Stig isn`t far behind the chemistry between the main presenters as the best thing about it.
 
There's certainly no shortage of experts (armchair variety) out there in internet land who claim to have noticed differences between driving styles, and some of the lap times that would have been expected by respective cars are slightly incongruous (apparently) which they're using too, as evidence of more than one driver, as car X should never have been as close to car Y etc.

There are a host of theories and I've trawled through about half dozen message boards now where some of the postings look to be informed, some purely speculative, and others not far short of darn right bonkers. One post does appear after about a dozen contributions on all message boards though, and I'm secretly waiting to see who the TH contributor is, who decides to make it :D

I'm still struggling to believe however, that the Stig could have chased down that Porsche in an Aston Martin if it were driven by a German touring car driver in just 2 laps off a 4 second start.
 
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re: Zolder. I would read a lot into the fact that we didn't actually see the passing move. I think it is safe to say that he didn't make up 3 secs per lap and nail him down the inside on ability.

Re: the stig. If you are really interested, I suggest you read the HSE report into Hammond's crash.
 
I have, and I've copied it should I need to post it (it wasn't that easy to find as a few sites had taken it down). It's not conclusive though, but does point the finger at the person most commonly named. I'd say it satisfys 'balance of probability' but not 'beyond all reasonable doubt'
 
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Go on then.... I'll re-produce it verbatim with XXXXX's replacing the initials of the person named in the report;


37. The preliminary arrangements for the event had been made at arm’s length, with the result that, as the date of the Elvington shoot approached, no-one from Top Gear had actually met PTLE’s principals or seen their jet cars. The jet car feature was considered to be sufficiently unusual and hazardous for GW to ask XXXXX, who worked closely with Top Gear as a high performance driver and consultant, to go and see PTLE and Vampire, and to prepare a briefing for RH. It was felt that, with his extensive motor sport experience, he would be able to confirm PTLE’s competence and the quality of their equipment, and be able to see through them if they were not genuine. (This was a significant step because Top Gear had not used XXXXX in this way before.)

38. XXXXX visited PTLE’s premises near Northampton on Monday 18th June. He seems to have been convinced of their bona fides. He telephoned PD to confirm his conclusions and prepared a briefing paper that he e-mailed to GW. This described Vampire’s controls and tried to prepare RH for the experience of driving the jet car.​



PTLE = name of the company supplying the car
RH = Richard Hammond
GW = Grant Wardop (Assistant Producer)
PD = Pat Doyle (Series Producer)​


I'll leave it up to you to decide if XXXXX sounds like a plausible description?​
 
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I think they've got the right guy for the main Stig, but I'd bet there's more than one

There's a fun discussion board on Facebook "Who is the Stig" - most posters come to the conclusion above - and a nice clip on YouTube 'The Stig Talks'
 
I've always been under the impression that it is Jason Plato, although I have no idea how that idea was formed. Probably heard it somewhere and it stuck.
 
Some say he's a playboy with a multi million dollar property business in California.
Some say this would involve a 26 hour round trip, and not surrounding himself with beautiful women
All we know, is that Eddie Irvine is one of the least likely candidates

You might also remember Clarkson observing the Mansell lap and noting that all the formula 1 drivers take a different line through one of the corners? Mansell merely observes, "that's because the Stig doesn't drive formula 1".
 
Clarkson, Hammond and (to a lesser extent) May represent an un-Holy Trinity of toss-pottedness, and the sooner the three of them drive off into the sunset in a Hillman Traveller, the better it will be for all right-minded souls.
 
Grasshopper said:
Clarkson, Hammond and (to a lesser extent) May represent an un-Holy Trinity of toss-pottedness, and the sooner the three of them drive off into the sunset in a Hillman Traveller, the better it will be for all right-minded souls.
Click to expand...
We used to have a Hillman Avenger back in the day; not a well named car I must say.
 
Grasshopper said:
Clarkson, Hammond and (to a lesser extent) May represent an un-Holy Trinity of toss-pottedness, and the sooner the three of them drive off into the sunset in a Hillman Traveller, the better it will be for all right-minded souls.
Click to expand...


I suppose you`d rather the vapid no-marks that make up most of the rest of TV presenting. Unreal statement.
 
Euronymous said:
I suppose you`d rather the vapid no-marks that make up most of the rest of TV presenting. Unreal statement.
Click to expand...

No........it's simply a case of my finding the forced, in-joke, Hey-we-exploded-a-car-aren't-we-whacky, Wow-it's-the-Stig!!, chummy-matey-blokey presentation style that prevails, cretinous in the extreme.

If there has to be a Top Gear programme, I'd personally rather have Steve 'no nonsense' Berry back disecting how shit the latest Yamaha moped is, and Quentin Wilson telling me where I can pick-up a Roller Corniche for three shiny buttons, and a farthing - not these three undiluted wankers.
 
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Maybe so, simmo, but at least he told you something useful, once you got past the "I can score a better car deal than you" smarm.

As for a Top Gear Wanker heirarchy, I'd humbly suggest the following:

Clarkson: Utter Wanker
Hammond: Total Wanker
Needell: Wanker
Wilson: Wanker
May: Chugger
 
I'd go (in no particular order):

Clarkson: I Wanked So Much I Exploded
Hammond: Grinning Like A Wanking Jap
Needell: Ho Ho Ho, Look At The Mess I've Made On The Dash. I drove in Formula 1 you know. Ho ho ho
Wilson: Yeeerrrsssss. Looook at me waaaaaanking. Aren't I a Fucking Waaaanker.
May: Hmm, what's this for then. Should I be tugging it?
 
Ah now Tiff Needell - I wish they'd bring him back. Bit of a nutter behind the wheel so always good for a laugh!

Have to disagree with you Grassy - although I can see where you're coming from as the matey blokes act can where a little thin at times I do find the programme very funny.

As for the Stig - I've heard rumours that he's Eddie Irvine, that "he's" one of several people, and I've heard that "he" could be a woman even. That's about all I know though - so cough up Warbs, what does the XXXXX stand for?!
 
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