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By Root 874 0

erupting with ideas and the hangar filled by a cheering audience. Good old John Prescott’s cut-out still guards the door, sun-bleached by years of service. I’m leaving Dunsfold with as many questions as I had when I first arrived, but with the answers to a whole lot more. And speed. God I love it. Wang the music up and drop the hammer. And I know that my favourite road leads home, to those I care about most: my family, my future.

I still love watching Top Gear, although I tell Jezza I never bother because it infuriates him. I saw him rolling a Robin Reliant onto its roof the other night; Georgie and I cried with laughter.

Acknowledgements

Georgie, my soul-mate, thank you for all your support during the highs and lows over the years. Your indomitable zest for life always reminds me what life’s all about. The little ones too; more beach, less laptop, I promise.

Jonathan Taylor, Peter Sherrott and the ‘A’ team at HarperCollins had their work cut out keeping this project under wraps, whilst navigating some large icebergs along the way. Thank you for this opportunity to tell my story.

Mark Lucas, your verbal skewer cut me to the bone; thank you so much for all your hard work, Obi Wan!

Russ Lindsay and James Grant Media, your clarity of vision has been invaluable.

Heartfelt thanks to the Ministry of Defence for their co-operation with this project.

Special thanks to a few very good men who built and supported my racing career over the years: Klaas Zwart and the mighty ‘Ascari boys’; Ray Mallock, Phil Barker and the stellar crew at RML; Graeme May, Texaco and Stuart Bassett; Jonathan France and Embassy Racing; Bill Jarnagin; Rick and Todd Kelly, Joe Bremner and the Aussie boys at Kelly Racing; Simon McNamara, Jamie McCallum and Hamish Charles at Transfrontier; Jim Wiseman; Adam Shore and JimEarl; Nigel Hassler and Donnie Graves; the members of the British Racing Drivers Club.

Every company that has ever sponsored me and notably: Hays Plc, WRM Logitics, Lynx express delivery, QR-4U, The Ministry of Defence, EFS, Elite Mobile, Jack Daniel’s, Holden, Castrol, AD Group, Ridgeway Group, Alpinestars.

The Top Gear Team, thank you for the good times, I wish you all the best for the future.

Index

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accidents/crashes 11–12, 26–7, 30, 33–5, 134, 135, 208–10, 212–13, 247–50, 253

Alfa Romeo 75 226, 227

Alonso, Fernando 254

Aria GP5 helmet 234

Arkle, Lieutenant Nick 103, 104

Arrows 42

Ascar Series 60–3, 81–5, 99–101

Ascari:

12 Hours of Sebring 57–9

FIA GT Championship 243–50

FIA World Sportscar Championship 44–6

KZ1 supercar 59, 244

Le Mans 48–53, 55, 59–60

Resort, Malaga, Spain 188–94

Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona 55–7

Aston Martin 8, 244

8 Vantage 173–5

DB9 173, 231, 279

DBS 187, 279–80

Audi 47, 52, 53, 59, 196

R8 316, 317

RS4 188, 189, 190–1

RS6 201

Austin Healey 179

Automobile Club de l’Ouest 43

Autosport 273–4

Avon & Somerset Constabulary 293

Barker, Phil 82, 83

Barlow, Jason 310

Basingstoke indoor Mall car chase 281–6

Baxter, Billy 164–9

BBC 307

bendy bus 287–91

Bentley coupé 52

Berger, Gerhard 154

Billière, General Peter de la 63

Black Mountains, Wales 116

Black Stig:

anonymity blown 66

competition between White Stig and 69, 110

demise of 67

lap record, Top Gear 110, 153

reasonably priced car lap record and 161

Blackpool, economy race from Basel to 301–6

blind drivers of reasonably priced car 163–9

Blundell, Mark 51, 52

BMW 183, 184

3 Series 268, 269, 270, 271, 272, 273

635 171, 172–3

GPS satellite-controlled automatic 330i 219–20

M3 188, 189–90, 191, 281–6

M5 229

M6 173–4, 175

Bolt, Usain 160, 161

Bovington Camp 293–9

Bradley, Charles 26

Brands Hatch 23–7, 29

Clearways 25, 26

Druids 25

Hawthorn 26

Paddock Hill 25

Surtees Esses 25, 30

Brecon Beacons 73–5, 118

Bridgestone 213

Britcar race, 24-hour 265–73

British Aerospace 293

British Army:

Ben Collins career in 63–4, 73–5,