A number of Acci staff were involved in various branches of motorsport, such as stock car racing, rallying and circuit racing. Some were acting in a professional capacity (usually doctors) and some were trackside marshals/ rescue unit crew.

In the early 80s it was suggested that we should offer a rescue unit plus doctor and at least one medical unit (in fact we managed 2) as part of the emergency cover for what was then the Lombard RAC Rally – part of the World Rally Championship. This offer was accepted by the organisers and interested Acci staff were recruited along with several friends who were either paramedics or licenced motorsport rescue crew.

A doctor was assigned to the rescue unit, which was equipped with tools to extract trapped competitors and also offer advanced first aid to competitors, spectators and officials if needed.

The medical units were kitted out by donations from several companies and for a number of years the local Mercedes dealership very generously loaned two ‘G Wagons’. Those were four-wheeled-drive vehicles, designed to cope with the rough terrain of rally stages. (In fact, following a collision with a stone bridge by one vehicle, the result of an unseen diesel spillage by another vehicle, the dealership sold several ‘G Wagons”, the minimal resulting damage providing the build strength!) Each unit was crewed by a doctor, nurse and driver/ paramedic.

At that time the rally ran for several days and competition lasted for the majority of the days and nights and covered a large area of Wales and the north of England, sometimes entering the borders of Scotland. Each unit was assigned several stages, which involved covering considerable distances between stages and could be at any time of the day or night. As the rally was held in November the weather and fragmented sleep patterns added interest – not to mention the need to find a private bush/ tree on occasion. Snowflakes could be a little off-putting when answering a call of nature!

Towards the end of the 80s the format of the competition changed and fewer emergency support vehicles were required so the official Acci involvement ended. However, those people who were interested in other areas of motorsport continued to participate on an individual basis.