Guy Martin crashes at the Isle of Man TT in 2010
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Guy Martin lives his life in the fast lane. The former British motorcycle racer and heavy vehicle mechanic became a television presenter, covering various engineering topics and setting speed records in both human and engine powered vehicles. His most recent record saw him drive a tractor at a staggering 135.191 mph (217.568 km/h) two years ago. In his latest series, ‘Guy’s Garage’, he transforms classic vehicles into raceworthy machines.
In the fourth episode, which airs on Monday night on Channel 4, Guy attempts to turn an ancient East German Trabant into a race car ahead of a showdown at the Brands Hatch circuit.
Guy has broken his back twice in racing accidents, first in the 2010 Senior TT on the Isle of Man, and later in the Ulster GP.
He discharged himself from hospital just four days after the second crash, having had steel rods inserted into his back and a pin in his hand.
Coming to terms with the fame that has come with his media work was something Guy had found difficult.
He had begun to be recognised by non-racing fans, and told The Mirror in 2015 that he would much rather “we did all these programmes and not one person watched them”, as he could walk down the street freely.
When he first struggled with fame, doctors diagnosed Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism that can make social interaction and non-verbal communication difficult.
Speaking to The Sunday Times in 2018, Guy opened up on the diagnosis.
He told the newspaper: “It’s true I’ve been diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, but I would say: ‘What a load of tripe’.
“They try to put names to it — ‘Oh, he’s like that because of this.’
“Everyone’s different. We’re all different.
“My girlfriend at the time persuaded me to see someone.
“I was turning her crackers, so she forced me — well, not forced me, but she said: ‘Will we go and see this psychologist?’
“Anyway, I sat there for a day, and it turned out it was a form of autism: Asperger’s.”
Asperger’s is an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but it differs from other ASDs because language and intelligence is relatively unimpaired.
Analysis from the Global Burden of Disease in 2015 estimated that approximately 0.5 percent of the world’s population are affected by Asperger’s.
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People diagnosed with Asperger’s can be particularly good at recognising patterns, and may display exceptional attention to detail in certain tasks.
Guy said of living with Asperger’s: “The way I look at it is that maybe having that is why I am the way I am.
“Maybe that is all down to the autistic side. I don’t know.
“If there are any benefits to having it, it’s that you just get your head down and get on with things.
“I apply that to the way I work. If you’ve got an awkward job at work, you just get your head down until it’s sorted.”
This focus, he said, might explain why he thrives in endurance racing situations. In 2016, he completed the Tour de Divide mountain bike race.
It runs from Banff, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mexico, negotiating the Rocky Mountains along the way.
Averaging an astonishing 150 miles a day, Guy completed the course in 18 days, six hours and 23 minutes.
Guy admitted in an interview with the Sunday Times’ Driving supplement in 2015 that he was not sure whether the Asperger’s diagnosis was helpful or not, but he now manages the fame better.
He said at the time: “I try to stay away from crowds.”
He doesn’t own a television, nor a smartphone, and often snubs the offer of a hotel to sleep in his van with his dog while out on location.
Guy doesn’t want to be a celebrity, adding “nothing gives me more satisfaction than fixing lorries and the tractor”.
It’s this eccentricity and humility that has endeared him to viewers along the years.
Guy’s Garage airs on Monday nights at 9pm on Channel 4. It is also available on All4.
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