In his book "The man in the White suit" former Stig Ben Collins explained all the logistics that went into the preparation of this. Collins had to teach Clarkson and May how to get the endurance going needed for a race like this. Seeing as how neither of them is exactly in peak physical condition. He also mentioned how of the three, Hammond was the most capable racing driver. When it was brought to Collins that they were going to do this, he made good use of his Endorsements with Alpinestars and Sparco racing gear, to fully kit the presenters out. Clarkson Hammond and May wore the brands' latest suits which were identical to the Stig suit save for the color. He said that it was by far the most glorious of all the shoots he did for Top Gear, the team was like a well oiled machine and everybody had the camaraderie going. But he also mentioned how this race basically was the end for The Stig because he had to register for the race in his own name and was on the list of drivers for everybody to see. So when people went "Collins, who's that, I only know of Clarkson, Hammond and May..." and then to see the Stig taking the wheel it was very easy to put two and two together.

"James it's Jeremy" *drives into the gravel*

Hamond: Jeremy had to preserve his tires. Unfortunately this was Jeremy Jeremy: yeaaaasss

One of the best challenges ever. No cocking about (decals aside of course), just pure dramatic racing. Just like the Rallycross episode!

I love this race, but whoever edited this missed two great moments at the end: 1) Jeremy madly going on and shedding tears ("YOU BRILLIANT LITTLE CAR!") 2) A brief shot of Hammond smiling the widest, best, happiest smile ever To me, those two things show us the real people we're looking at and maybe when all is said and done, why it is we all love Top Gear so much.

Endurance racing is so stupid yet so good. Put a bunch of sleep deprived drivers on a track trying to go as fast as they can. Amazing

This was such a big deal for them, and when you see them truly working together, these blokes can accomplish anything.

Stig the absolute Madman racing at night with a tinted/mirrored visor..

James eating a banana

24 hour race...done in 8:14! That must be a new world record :D

5:44 Hammond: Worried about the tires and the race May: *MUNCH*

Shame they cut Clarkson calling the BMW “you brilliant little car” before shedding a few tears. It’s a real testament to the team that they took a car with little to no soul and gave it all the soul in the world.

I think this is honestly one of their best episodes. It has all the heart of one of their cheap car specials, but the lack of an exotic location and the sheer brutality on the presenters makes this quite a special part of top gear to me.

0:01 so we’re just not gonna talk about this

I've watched Top gear since I was about 6, on a thursday night at 8.30 on bbc2, I was allowed to stay up until 9 so I could watch. I'm now 28, so for the last 22 years I have grown up with it. These days the program gets a lot of stick some of it rightly for being just the presenters fecking about trying to be funny. I think they should show how good they can be sometimes, not just pretending to be "ambitious but rubbish". This episode and Rallycross on a budget are my two favourite episodes. The Chaps actually like cars and motorsport, the whole trio of bumbling old men stuff is just an act, when its time to get serious they very much do, look at them. I'd love to see more of this type of episode, real racing, real enthusiasm and no bullshit.

To finish 3rd in Class with no prior endurance racing experience, in a second-hand ex-road car...is just amazing.

"James it's Jeremy" Sounds familiar...

why did you cut off crying jeremy?

This is by far my favorite top gear moment. I would absolutely love if the show did this again. (but i understand the reasons why it can't)

Oh, man... you shouldn't have cut the last seconds when Jeremy burst into tears... that was by far the best Top Gear moment ever...

When Jeremy shed tears at the end of this race, it showed the sheer amount of mental endurance and strength it takes to win this race.

0:41 lolol, Jeremy was just hilarious!!

Stupid editing they cutout the best bits specially hammond and mays reactions

Jeremy when told to preserve the tires: “Just leave me alone I know what I’m doing”

"James? It's Jeremy. Bwahahah"

LOL I was just looking on youtube for this clip. I wanted to re watch it. Thanks Top Gear

did anyone else feel like this was the most intense challenge? especially the part at night.

3:29 "where are bollocks?"

IMO, this is by far the best episode ever by a mile!

DO A MEXICAN WAVE!!!!

I love how you can see the Stig has his visor up so he can see.

5:44 look in the background.

I've seen every episode and special, and this episode is one of my faves. It doesn't show it here, but seeing Jeremy cry when he finishes is really something. It shows just how far you have to push yourself for a 24h race.

James yelling 'I'VE OVERTAKEN SOMEONE', will never not warm my heart

Those guys have the best job in the world.. Seriously, even if you don't like cars, you have to admit that very few people enjoy their passion as much as they do. That's why I love Top Gear, because they love what their doing and that makes the show incredible.

Actually cried when i watched this episode especially when that guy rams the back end of the car while hammond was driving the night shift. Then i heard him say " its game over guys" i started crying the whole time

This is just the most satisfaction i have ever had watching a top gear video. This challenge is one of the only ones where they worked as a team and accomplished their goals. This one will forever be a classic.

This was one of the best episodes ever, they got an old second hand car, turned her into a racer and even though she was bruised, broken and falling apart she still made it to the end. That car had a soul.

Just watched the whole episode (S10 E09) for the first time and came here to comment: that might be one of if not the best episodes in TG history (for me). It was just perfect. I didn't cry at the end like Clarkson, but i was tremendously engaged during the whole thing. Loved it. May i just say what a brilliant job the editors of TG do, especially on this one. The moment when Richard crashed was done so well, not much was said, but we understood everything. Brilliant episode.

Aw you guys didn't show Hammond and May's reaction, those were awesome!

Really exciting episode. Thanks guys.

Did anybody else see that team saxondale drove over the splitter of top gear?

Absolutely loved this episode, and still do to this day. What an epic battle it was and watching how all of the guys became so serious after they’d invested so much of themselves into it.

One of the greatest Top Gear episode ever. And it's quite amazing to see how so many automotive youtubers now replicate TG challenges, whether it's buying cheap cars and doing certain challenges with it, filling up a car and hypermiling them or buying crappy cars, upgrade them on a budget and go racing with them. Top Gear truly paved the way for so many people and so much content for us to enjoy. And that's why, Clarkson, Hammond and May would always, always be the "Holy Trinity" of the automotive world.

0:38 the precursor to Valtteri it's James

Gosh I miss this show with these 3... best show I’ll ever watch in my life. Grand tour is okay, but this was truly special.

this was the best challenge they ever did, in my opinion

A foggy 24 hour race is so cinematic and cool it's ridiculous. This show was just absolute perfection.

my favorite episode on Top Gear, EVER !

0:01 LMAO! XD

That WAS a beautiful moment for them. I enjoyed that episode immensely.😃

If this was shown on Norwegian TV it would actually be shown 24 hours long

Ben Collins is one hell of a driver.

I can't believe that no one, not the scriptwriters nor the editors picked up on the fact they told Jeremy to say "This speeded the Stig up even more." (2:27)

"That's a feature" - _Richard Hammond_ 2:02

Race decals on side are fab. Well done JC. We love you so much.

1:22 when you realise that the Saxondale team break the splitter by running it over

This is perhaps my favorite episode.

I love these types of series. Seems very similar to AER (American Endurance Racing) here in the states. Broken up into a class system based primarily on Power to Weight ratio and no I don’t understand why they did that either. It’s fun because of the duality of it. You have all the way from former dirt track racers with a crappy little Dodge Neon with the doors welded shut, which completely pisses off everyone because they’re always the fastest in their class for no adequate reason. All the way up to professional M4 GT4 cars, Wide body LS swapped E46 BMWs and everything in between. Basically if you have a car, you know how to build race cars and drive them, have a racing license and a few hundred dollars, you can enter.

The Stig in this race is like that one high ELO friend smurfing with a bunch of low ELO homies.

Why would someone dislike this? :/

This is my favorite TG episode of all time!

I loved this episode! Great episode in my opinion

I wish they would do another episode like this!! BRING BACK ANOTHER 24 HOUR SILVERSTONE

Disappointed to see how this compressed edit doesn't do this episode justice; quite possibly one of my favorite episodes!

2:43 Me after a well done job 😎😂😂👌

I remember watching this the first time taking a piece of trash car and making the podium and the raw emotion that came out at the end was just awesome probably my favorite series out of all of Top gear ⚙️

Easily my favorite episode of Top Gear!

Ben Collins really kept the team in the race what a legend in disguise

What was the intense music in the episode they also used it in the cheap coupes that arnt porsches challenge at the start of the 4 hour race aswell on grass

Thank you for upload this episode.

This gotta be one the most legendary episodes ever made.

0:01 I see what you were doing there, camera guy. Very clever

one of the best top gear episodes.. if richard hammond didn't crash; they would place 10th..

This is my favorite episode!

This was one of the best episodes of top gear

This was such a good God damn episode. I really like watching them do some serious racing. Since you already have a feeling of companionship from all the years of watching them supporting them just feels so wholesome. And it doesn't even matter when they finish, as long as they finish there's a feeling of pride for the team. I'll miss them dearly whenever they feel it's right to retire. Or whenever they pass, whichever comes first. I've more respect for these 3 middle aged idiots than I do my own politicians.

Started: 59th (last, because although they qualified 42nd James managed to damage the clutch, inlet manifold, turbo, and the flywheel, which resulted starting in the pit lane due to the repairs on the car) Finished: 39th and 3rd in class

That's what I always wanted to see from Top Gear: adventures, passion and the glorification of cars, not controversies or thrashing rare cars like in Argentina for no reason.

1:20: silver 330d rolls over part of the front splitter. 1:43 Front splitter comes off..... COINCIDENCE? I THINK NOT! Edit: In fact the shot of it on the track at 1:43 shows the splitter coming off on that side where it was run over.

0:01 nice one !

One of Top Gears coolest episodes in my opinion, and it only happens because James bought the wrong type of seed

24h racing. love it

This must've been one of toughest thing the trio had ever went through. 24 hour of anything isn't easy, nevermind a full race.

This bmw was a beautiful car. Even the decals as a joke make it look amazing

This was a really great moment.

This is one episode that made me tear up a bit. That lil' BM'er really wanted to cross the checkered flag regardless of what shape or form it is in. Gotta respect that car.

0:07 you can almost see the stig.

6:11, wild Mosler OMG.

This is my favorite top gear episode

I remember this episode coming put, I was 9 years old and started jumping about the living room when I saw the stig walk into the pit to take part.

This is my favourite top gear challenge of all time! But also I don't recognise a couple parts of silverstone?

Are we ever going to get the full version? The short version annoys me

Old top gear just amazing 👌, I don't think we will ever see something quite like it

The music used in this is so good.

2:21 I love how they put in this line about “computers tell us the Stig is having a wee” which is clearly bollocks because there’s no such thing as piss sensors in a racing car, and even if there was they definitely wouldn’t be installed in a budget-made diesel racer

5:43 banana time

One of the best episodes. Shame it doesn't show Jeremy crying after they finish, that was one of the best moments in Top Gear ever. Epic trio and I really look forward to the specials of the Grand Tour they are going to do.

Top Gear is one of the greatest television programmes ever made.

0:02 that went quick