There are certain moments in motorsport where you stop for a second and think, “This is pretty special.” For me, one of those moments came on the evening of 26 September 2026. 

I was standing on Post 2, at the top of Duffus Dip at Knockhill, watching cars race around the circuit in darkness. The rain that had come through earlier had passed, the sky had cleared and the moon was shining down over the track. Headlights were cutting through the darkness, brake discs were glowing as the cars hit the braking zones, and the sound of engines echoed around the circuit. 

It was pretty cool. Actually, it was pretty epic. And what made it even more special was knowing that four years earlier, I’d stood at this very circuit as a nervous first-time marshal, with absolutely no idea where this journey would eventually take me. 

Where It All Started 

I’ve always enjoyed motorsport, but I’d never really considered what happened behind the scenes. Eventually, I decided to give marshalling a go, not really knowing where it would lead. I was also looking for something that would help me rebuild my confidence and give me a fresh challenge after a difficult period in my life. 

So, on 10 April 2022, I turned up at Knockhill for an SMRC Championship meeting and my first ever day as a marshal. 

Post 3. McIntyre’s. 

I’ll be honest I was excited, but I was nervous too. I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I remember thinking something along the lines of, “Right… where am I actually supposed to stand?”  

Thankfully, I wasn’t left to figure it all out myself. Jamie Nicolson was there to help me through that first day, and what started with someone showing a nervous newcomer the ropes would eventually turn into a really good friendship. 

One of my first incidents was recovering a Formula Ford that had broken down. At the time, it was simply another job to do. Looking back, there’s something quite funny about the fact that it would also be the only time I’d ever get my hands on a Scottish Formula Ford, with that series eventually disappearing through lack of numbers.  

One of the people who was there at the very beginning was Lewis Innes, and it’s been brilliant to see that friendship continue over the years. We’ve marshalled together many times since that first day, including at the 2025 BTCC weekend at Knockhill. At the end of that first day Lewis, now Deputy Chief Marshal. told me: “You’ll make a good marshal.” I don’t think either of us knew at the time just how accurate that prediction might turn out to be. 

From “Where Am I Supposed to Stand?” to Running a Post 

Over the years, I’ve gradually progressed through the marshalling grades, and becoming Grade 2 has given me the opportunity to step up to acting roles such as Incident Officer (IO) and running the post as Post Chief. Taking on these roles has also given me a completely different perspective on a circuit I thought I knew, and a fresh insight into how a race meeting is run. 
 
These are roles I honestly never imagined myself doing when I first pulled on the orange overalls. Going from wondering “Where am I supposed to stand?” on my first day to being trusted to take on responsibility for a post, manage incidents and help coordinate other marshals has been a huge part of my journey. 
 
More importantly, taking on these roles has helped me build my confidence. Each time I’ve stepped up, there’s been that little voice wondering whether I’m ready. But each time I’ve learned something, gained experience and come away a little more confident than before.  

If you’d told me on that first day that I’d eventually be standing on a post managing incidents and other marshals, I probably wouldn’t have believed you. 

Croft, Friendships and the Famous RR 

One of the biggest parts of the last four years hasn’t actually been the cars. It’s the people. 

Croft has become a bit of a second home to me, and it’s where I’ve made some really good friendships. One of those is Glenn Slattery. We’ve shared plenty of marshalling weekends, plenty of laughs and more than a few adventures both on and off the banks. Through my time at Croft, I’ve had the opportunity to work with Glenn and chief marshal Bill Sudlow on marshal apps and other improvements with systems and processes designed to make things easier for the people volunteering at events. Certainly not something I thought I would be doing when I first started marshalling. 

And then there’s RR. The story behind RR isn’t actually that complicated. It’s simply because of how I spell Garry – with two Rs, rather than the single R that people sometimes use. Somewhere along the way, particularly through my time at Croft, RR stuck. And then, as tends to happen in motorsport, a simple nickname somehow evolved into “the famous RR.” I’m still not entirely sure where the famous part came from… but I’ll take it. 

From BTCC to British GT – and Some Pretty Special Memories 

One of the things I never expected when I first pulled on the orange overalls was just how many different types of motorsport I’d end up experiencing. 

Over the last four years I’ve gone from my first SMRC meeting at Knockhill to marshalling at everything from BTCC and British GT to historic racing, including events such as the Donington Historic Festival. I’ve been at Silverstone for four British Grands Prix, worked at Croft, Knockhill and other circuits, and experienced everything from modern touring cars and GT machinery to some pretty spectacular historic cars. 

In 2022, I was involved with the Sir Jackie Stewart Classic Hill Climb at Thirlestane Castle, where I had the opportunity to meet the legend himself, Sir Jackie Stewart.

Standing there in the orange overalls alongside someone who has played such a huge part in the history of Formula 1 was definitely one of those “How did I end up here?” moments. 

Then there have been the four British Grands Prix. My first year at Silverstone was a pretty surreal experience in itself. I found myself on Woodcote National Pit Straight, experiencing the British Grand Prix from the other side of the fence. At one point I even met Juan Pablo Montoya while supporting his son Sebastian racing in F3.  

These are the sort of memories that stay with you. Not because they were something I’d planned to achieve, but because they happened simply by saying yes to marshalling. 

Then Knockhill Went Dark 

Which brings me back to September 2026. The Classic Sports Car Club’s Knockhill Day & Night meeting was something a little different. The event was billed as the first-ever night race in Scotland, with racing continuing as daylight disappeared and the circuit transformed into something completely different. 

The meeting brought together a brilliant mix of machinery, from Jaguars, Morgans and classic sports and saloon cars through to modern classics, tin tops and other specialist championships. I was on Post 2 at the top of Duffus Dip. During the day, I’d spent quite a bit of time getting familiar with the cars and trying to recognise who was who. That turned out to be surprisingly useful later. 

Before the first night race, the cars were sent out of assembly to the sound of bagpipes. Because, obviously, if you’re going to hold Scotland’s first night race, you might as well do it properly. 

There was something brilliantly Scottish about standing at Knockhill, surrounded by racing cars, marshals and the noise of engines, while a piper sent the field on its way. 

The night started with rain, but eventually the clouds cleared, the moon came out and Knockhill took on a completely different appearance. During the daytime, you can see the layout of the track, the cars approaching and the areas around your post. Once darkness falls, it becomes a very different environment. The same piece of track can suddenly look completely different and headlights become the main way of identifying the cars, along with subtle differences such as lighting, silhouettes, glowing brake discs, and sounds. The whole circuit seemed to take on a different atmosphere. 

And that’s probably what I found most interesting about night racing. You look at motorsport differently when you’re standing at the side of the circuit in darkness as it brought home just how different the job can feel after dark and how much you rely on your experience, your fellow marshals and your awareness of what is happening around you. 

Several cars went off during the night races and, when one appeared in the distance, I found myself saying, “Aw, that’s car 183, the VW Golf!” Everyone else looked at me as if I’d completely lost the plot. “How the hell did you see that?”  Apparently, spending the day learning the cars had actually paid off. 

The Finish Line 

As the final cars crossed the finish line, Knockhill put on its own little finale with a spectacular pyrotechnic display lighting up the darkness. It was quite a way to finish the first night race. And standing there watching it, I couldn’t help thinking about where this had all started. 

Fancy a Trip to Knockhill? 

Knockhill has a brilliant community of marshals, and you don’t need years of experience to get started. Everyone has to start somewhere. I certainly did. 

With the KMSC/SMRC finale coming up on 10/11 October, there’s another opportunity to experience two days of non-stop car racing. Knockhill is unique in that it is the only FIA Grade 3-licensed circuit in the world able to run in both clockwise and anti-clockwise directions, effectively giving you two different circuits in one venue. The finale will feature both days running clockwise, with a great mix of championships including Mod-Sports, Scottish Legends, Scottish Mini Coopers, Scottish Fiesta ST and Scottish C1. 

And yes… there are Knockhill pies. That’s reason enough, surely. (Editor’s note, the pies are fantastic!) 

If you’re interested in finding out more about marshalling at Knockhill, get in touch with Alan Barron, Chief Marshal, at chiefmarshal@smrc.co.uk. 

Four Years in Orange 

I started at Knockhill in April 2022 as a nervous newcomer on Post 3, with absolutely no idea where this was going to take me. 

Four years later, I’m standing at the same circuit, surrounded by good friends and fellow marshals, watching racing under the moonlight at Scotland’s first night race. 

In between, I’ve marshalled everything from BTCC and British GT to historic racing and Formula 1. I’ve been to four British Grands Prix. I’ve met Sir Jackie Stewart. I’ve made some brilliant friends. I’m now Grade 2, and my progression towards taking on IO and Post Chief roles is well underway. And, somehow, I’ve become known as “the famous RR.” 

Marshalling isn’t always glamorous. There are early starts. Long days. Rain. Cold. Sun. Standing around waiting for something to happen. And then, when something does happen, suddenly everyone has a job to do. But that’s also what makes it so rewarding. You’re part of a team. You trust the people around you and they trust you. 

Whether you’re a new marshal trying to work out what the flags mean, an experienced marshal dealing with an incident, an IO coordinating things or a Post Chief managing a whole post, everyone has a part to play. 

And somewhere in between all of that, there are the laughs, the friendships and the stories. 

But perhaps the biggest thing is that I can now look back at that first day and realise just how far things have come. The person who turned up at Knockhill on 10 April 2022 wondering where he was supposed to stand could never have predicted all of this. 

And somewhere along the way, those words Lewis said at the end of that first day came back to me: 

“You’ll make a good marshal.” 

I suppose he was right after all. 

(Although I definitely won’t be telling him that)  

Because that’s the funny thing about marshalling. You never really know where a pair of orange overalls might take you next. 

Four years in orange. 

And who knows where the next four will lead?