A former race-car driver has refused comment on media reports that he is the masked motorist The Stig on the BBC's popular television show "Top Gear."

ADVERTISEMENT

The Sunday Telegraph said Ben Collins refused repeated requests for confirmation of a report that his company saw its revenues surge after signing a deal for "driving services" for the network.

A report in the The Sunday Times said the fortunes of Collins Autosport turned at about the same time The Stig made his debut on "Top Gear" in 2003. The Stig, who wears a white racing suit and helmet with a full face mask, does the driving in the program's test runs of high-performance vehicles.

Collins is identified as a 35-year-old ex-Formula Three driver who lives in Bristol and, The Times said, owns a white jumpsuit.

The Stig's true identity has become an issue in the legal arena, The Telegraph reported. The BBC has formally warned him to shelve his plans to write an autobiography because it might violate a confidentiality agreement.