RaceTrack Design and Operations Expert Witnesses

• Tire and Brake Separations and Failures
• Theft and Forced Entry Issues
• Fire Cause and origin
• Transmissions
• SDM Interrogation with CDR Tool
• Steering and Suspension Systems
• Seat Belt and Airbag Issues
• Mechanical Defects
• Throttle / Unwanted Acceleration Issues
• Wiring and Electrical Issues
• Racetrack / Racecar Incidents

Martyn C. Thake is an expert specializing in Motorsports, Motorsport Special Events, and Motorsport TV Production Set Safety. With more than 40 years of comprehensive experience, he has worked on more than 100 facilities around the world.

Litigation Support - As an experienced expert witness, Martyn has performed hundreds of operational reviews, track inspections, designs and redesigns for CART / Champcar, IMSA, ALMS, FIA, IRL and SCCA, as well as insurance companies and independent clients from around the world. He has advised and testified for both plaintiff and defendant in the areas of:

Background Experience - Encompassing all areas of: facility design, operation and management, racetrack design, construction management, event promotion, event management, operations and logistics management, sanctioning body track inspection, insurance inspection, risk management inspection, risk assessment, safety plan design and implementation, event management planning and implementation, race car design and manufacture, performance driving instruction and emergency service dispatch.

More than 100 different motorsports and entertainment facilities (including drag strips, dirt ovals, paved ovals, go-kart tracks, motor-cross tracks, permanent road courses, 30+ temporary street races, temporary events, and TV shows) around the world have benefited from his input on their operations procedures and facility/track design, redesign, and inspection. 

As an FIA track inspector, Martyn currently serve as the backup inspector for FIA-licensed tracks (Grade 2 or higher). He is an instructor for the SCCA’s Track Reviewer program and a motorsports submission reviewer for the NFPA.

Martyn was a founding board member of the Motorsports Safety Foundation. MSF is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving safety standards in all forms of motorsport. As Director of Circuit Development for CART and Champcar (2001-2006), he was responsible for the operational readiness of the racetrack and operational television production for all the tracks the series raced on.