TOCA Safety Team

11/06/2026

Safe motorsport is built on preparation, teamwork and continuous learning. We were delighted to facilitate this training session with BARC NW Rescue and share knowledge with such a dedicated group of marshals. Thank you to all who gave up their time to attend.

Ahead of the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC) round at Oulto...

08/06/2026

Before the first session got underway, at Oulton Park yesterday, the TOCA Safety Team conducted an emergency exercise. The scenario tested casualty extrication, trackside medical intervention, incident management and helicopter evacuation procedures, ensuring that the team can work seamlessly together under pressure.

While fans and competitors rarely see this side of motorsport, it is this type of training that helps us to ensure that, should the worst happen, the response is immediate, coordinated and effective. While everyone hopes these skills are never required in a real-world situation, regular practice is essential in maintaining the high standards of safety expected throughout the British Touring Car Championship and the wider TOCA package.

A huge thank you to everyone involved for their professionalism, commitment and attention to detail. We train for the worst, so we can deliver the best possible response when it matters most.

ps. Don’t worry, the “casualty” was our own Research Engineer, he didn’t have real injuries!!

BTCC Motorsport UK Sloane Helicopters

06/06/2026

🎉 Happy 70th Birthday, Dr Paul Trafford!

This evening, we had an early celebration of a true stalwart of British motorsport safety. Seven decades young - and still as committed as ever to keeping our sport safe (his actual birthday falls between the Oulton Park and Thruxton Race Circuit Rounds)

As Medical Director for TOCA/BTCC, Paul leads the TOCA Safety Team at every round of the British Touring Car Championship and its support series. His expertise reaches the very top of the sport: he also chairs Motorsport UK’s Medical Committee and represents the UK on the FIA Medical Commission .

Today was simply about saying thank you to the man who’s had our backs, and our drivers’ backs, for more years than we’ll admit to counting. Countless drivers, support team members and marshals have been in safer hands because of Paul’s dedication over the years - many without ever knowing it.

So from all of us on the TOCA Safety Team, thank you! Thank you for the trust, the leadership, and the friendship. You’ve taught us, challenged us, calmed us on the bad days and celebrated with us on the good ones. You’ve set the standard for what motorsport safety should look like, and you’ve done it with the kind of steady hand and dry humour that makes the long weekends at the circuit feel a little less long.

Happy birthday boss, and here’s to many more. 🏁🥂

11/05/2026

This week, there’s a whole run of birthdays across the TOCA Safety Team 🎉

Race meetings *always* mean Colin the Caterpillar cakes for the celebrations, but yesterday we also had a Connie the Caterpillar… so naturally we started wondering whether the two of them might get together and somehow produce even more cake 😆🐛😆

Maybe by Snetterton we’ll come back to butterfly cakes 🤔🦋

Celebrating this week are:
🎂 Doctor Richard Gale and Paramedic Dave Stubbs today
🎂 Paramedic Nigel Wells on Wednesday
🎂 Doctor Kevin Zammit on Thursday
🎂 Paramedic Gerry Davis on Friday

BUT we were surprised to read that in a recent Which? contest against eight supermarket rivals, Colin came bottom with a score of 64%. In the spirit of equity and inclusion, we'd be happy to do a taste test of all brands throughout the 2026 season - over to you Marks and Spencer Waitrose & Partners Co-op Sainsbury's Aldi UK Morrisons Asda Tesco 😁

BTCC

20/04/2026

BTCC Donington Park - TOCA Safety Team Medical Car following the pack on the opening lap of Round 1.
Frontline Fleet

20/04/2026

19/04/2026

Out of sight and tucked up behind the Medical Centre at Donington Park, on a quiet section of the GP circuit not in use today, sits the TOCA Safety Team medical helicopter, a vital part of the safety net that keeps everyone protected during a race weekend.

Part of our emergency response setup, the helicopter is on standby at every BTCC meeting, ready to respond immediately to serious incidents.

This incredible aircraft is operated by a highly skilled pilot, working closely with TOCA’s expert doctors and paramedics, many of whom also serve with air ambulance services. Together, they deliver an advanced level of medical care, providing critical, life-saving treatment trackside and, if needed, evacuating drivers to specialist hospitals within minutes.

The helicopter itself is an AugustaWestland AW109, operated by Sloane Helicopters. A twin engine aircraft capable of speeds over 190 mph, it combines performance with the precision and reliability required for advanced medical missions.

🚁 We're always ready, even when you don't see it!

BTCC

19/04/2026

We’re all synced up and ready for action!

When all of our vehicles are parked at an incident, the system synchronises their lighting flash patterns to create a calm, unified, and consistent pattern. This reduces the distracting, chaotic lighting of 3-4 vehicles all flashing differently. It’s designed to improve visibility to competitors and increase safety for the responders.

BTCC

18/04/2026

Today we had a visit from someone we helped last year.

It was genuinely lovely to see them returning to motorsport after everything they went through. Moments like this really bring home why we do what we do.

A bit of an emotional one for the team, but in the best possible way.