WORLD renowned race car driver who featured in Top Gear and James Bond films has died, according to racing officials.
The professional racing driver, who doubled for James Bond in a car chase had been suffering with motor neurone disease for several years.
New Zealand born Neil was forced to discontinue his career in racing after being diagnosed with the disease.
The dad-of-two also performed stunts in the BBC show Top Gear, and was rumoured to be The Stig.
— British GT (@BritishGT) 25 May 2016
The news comes a week before Top Gear is due to make its big return with new host Chris Evans.
Neil Cunningham has always denied being The Stig despite rumours suggesting that he was the Top Gear character.
Tributes to the racing hero have flooded in on social media.
Ben Edwards, the Channel 4 F1 commentator wrote: "So sad to learn that former Formula Ford star Neil Cunningham has passed away. Terrific guy and brave both in and out of the car."
Woke up to the news that Neil Cunningham has passed away.. Him and @AussieGrit were from the same mould.#RIPMate pic.twitter.com/ka5mJ0S88x— Paul O'Neill (@PaulONeill29) 25 May 2016
Tremendously sad news that our pal Neil Cunningham has passed away after such a long fight with @mndassoc. Sleep well my friend.— Jason Plato (@jasonplato) 25 May 2016
Ryan Champion wrote on Twitter: "Very sorry to hear a special man Neil Cunningham has passed away. An amazing character who will never be forgotten."
Racing driver Jason Plato said: "Tremendously sad news that our pal Neil Cunningham has passed away after such a long fight with @mndassoc. Sleep well my friend" (sic).
Neil was once a keen surfer, but later in his life he struggled so much with pain that he found it hard to perform even basic tasks.
He sad: “Going from someone who was so active with a career like that to this was very difficult. It’s a completely different lifestyle.
“I’m always in pain but you start to get used to it. The easiest way to explain it is that it feels like I have run two or three marathons in one day.”
The star driver has raced motorcars in Le Mans, Silverstone and many British GT Championships.
He performed stunts in the opening scenes of the Quantum of Solace Bond film in a black Alfa Romeo.
Very sad to hear about Neil Cunningham passing away. Remember him driving for my dad's team in 1993 in India. Stayed brave & kept fighting— Karun Chandhok (@karunchandhok) 25 May 2016
Neil Cunningham had a passion for racing, and started go-karting when he was 10 years old.
He told Wales Online: “I was underage when I got into go-karting, so I was a lawbreaker, but not a bad lawbreaker.
"We moved to Australia when I was about twelve and I started driving mini motor cars and I did really well.
“I used to drive my mum’s car and get chased by the police – but it wasn’t like joyriding.
“I then got put in touch with a local racing driver and he told me that I should not be driving like that and calmed me down.”
During his time working on the Top Gear tour he started to experience the first symptoms of motor neurone disease, which manifested as a pain in his foot.
So sad to learn that former Formula Ford star Neil Cunningham has passed away. Terrific guy and brave both in and out of the car.— Ben Edwards (@benedwardstv) 25 May 2016
A couple of weeks later he was diagnosed.
He said: “I didn’t want to believe it. Everything just came falling down. For years people envied my lifestyle and they all wished they had my life. No one wishes for it now.”
After taking part in the Le Mans race in 2010 Neil gave up his love of racing and devoted his time to supporting the MND Association.
He raised thousands of pounds for the charity.
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