Aug 23, 2010, 12:17pm ET

Top Gear's "The Stig" finally revealed?

Top Gear's masked (or should we say white helmet wearing) driver - The Stig - has been a top secret mystery for years, but now it appears that the gig is up.

The United Kingdom's BBC has managed to keep the wraps on the star test driver for its world famous "Top Gear" show for years, but now it appears that some less-than-covert financial records from nearly a decade ago may have played a role in unveiling the secret driver.



Over the years the world has guessed and theorized as to who The Stig must be, with the makers of the show even supposedly revealing The Stig to be none other than Formula 1 champion Michael Shumacher. But despite claimed spy photos and theories over the years, no one has truly known who The Stig really was - until now?



According to The UK's The Telegraph, recently discovered financial reports place an almost undeniable amount of suspicion around Formula Three driver Ben Collins. The newspaper cites a report in 2002 - the same year the current Stig appeared on the show - that Collins' own company, Collins Autosport, listed a major source of income from providing "driving services provided for the BBC, mainly in the Top Gear programme."



As if that evidence was not enough, The Telegraph then called Collins on his mobile phone (Hey, he's in Europe, it's not a cell phone there) and when questioned the race car driver said he had to go as he was approaching a tunnel.



The Stig to be replaced?

Prior to the recent discovery of the financial records, it was public knowledge that The Stig was attempting to write an autobiography, and the media outlet was none too happy about it, even threatening legal action.



Now that the cat is all but out of the bag, and with an autobiography looming, there is a good chance that The Stig will be officially publicly ousted soon, meaning Top Gear will be in search of a new driver.



References

1.''Stig Mystery: financial documents...' view





