Hard to think, but Scotland's race track in the clouds enters its
45th season this year when the Scottish motor racing season opens for business
on Sunday 7th April at Knockhill.
To mark the occasion, the Commentary Tower will be re-named, the Garry Stagg Tower. For over 30 years Garry
was the voice of Knockhill, commentating on car, bike and rally events as well
as the various exhibitions, shows and gatherings which the circuit hosted.
Sadly, he and his wife were involved in a life changing motorcycle road
accident in the summer of 2017 which forced his retirement from Knockhill. To
this day, they are both still receiving specialist medical care.
To honour his commitment and services to Knockhill and in particular
commentary, the iconic Commentary Tower is being named in his honour.
Stuart Gray, Knockhill Director of Events said: “We are pleased to be
renaming one of the most iconic and familiar buildings at Knockhill in honour
of Garry. He has been a stalwart of commentary over several decades and
delighted that his legacy will continue. He has interviewed F1 world champions,
Indy car, Superbike and BTCC champions in the Tower, all adding to the unique
position he still holds at Knockhill. We hope that he will make it to Knockhill
sometime in the summer to officially open the Tower, but in the meantime, it
will be named and known as the Garry Stagg Commentary Tower from April 7th
onwards.”
Garry wasn't just a commentator. He was DJ and audio technician, an electrician
and even a plumber on occasion. He would turn his hand to anything, and often was
the last man out of Knockhill in the evening.
It was Garry who installed the original PA system at the circuit in the
days when a certain young Motoring News race reporter was asked to provide
commentary at some of the race meetings, and latterly some of the rallies there
as well when he was switched to rally reporting. Murray Walker and James Hunt they
weren't!
In those days, the commentary tower resembled a Glasgow pigeon loft on
peelly waally legs. It actually swayed in the wind. There was no heating or
air-con, instead a sliced potato was used to wipe down the inside of the
windows to reduce the condensation - and it worked, mostly! Aye, them were't
days.
The new Commentary Tower is a much more substantial building these days
with all the best of technology, but I'll miss the drafts and the frostbite,
the inside ladder before stairs were built, and of course, the spiders.
So think of Garry this coming weekend and I'm sure we all wish him and
his wife well through their ongoing trials. Here's hoping we see him back in
the Summer.
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