Martyn Thake Expert Witness
Curriculum Vitae

Motorsports Expert Witness - 40+ years experience

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Specialties & Experience of this Expert Witness

General Specialties:

Automotive and Risk Management

Keywords/Search Terms:

motorsports, auto racing, racetrack, design, street races, operation, race car, manufacture, safety, event planning, emergency services, service, vehicle, performance driving, drag, dirt, paved, go kart, motocross, road

Years in Practice:

40

Number of Times Deposed/Testified in Last 4 Yrs:

3

Additional Information

More than 40 years of comprehensive motorsports and special event 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 my input on their operations procedures and facility/track design, redesign, and inspection. I have 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 and have advised and testified as an expert witness. As an FIA track inspector, I currently serve as the backup inspector for FIA-licensed tracks (Grade 2 or higher). I am an instructor for the SCCA’s Track Reviewer program. And a motorsports submission reviewer for the NFPA. As an experienced professional expert witness, I offer testimony in the areas of: Racetrack and track design, construction, operation, and management - Race car design, manufacture, and distribution - On-track & off-track safety (design & implementation) - Event planning, operation and management - Emergency services - Emergency service dispatch – Emergency Vehicle Operations and Procedures - Performance driving - TV/Movie/Commercials production set safety. I have worked as an expert on more than 50 cases over the past 13 years, with my representation being split about 50/50 plaintiff/defendant. My experience includes inspection, document/video review, deposition and trial testimony. Past clients include; Arizona Counties Insurance Pool, The Cincinnati Insurance Company, Mt Hawley Insurance, K&K Insurance, Naughton Insurance, Evanston Insurance Company, Wells Fargo Insurance, Truesports/Mid-Ohio, the American Le Mans Series, Pikes Peak International Hill Climb and CART/Champcar. I 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), I was responsible for the operational readiness of the racetrack and operational television production for all the tracks the series raced on. I was a member of the Horton / CART Safety Team (87-02), including 2 years as the Safety Team dispatcher (rapid response, ambulances, wreckers, etc.). President & CEO of the race car manufacturer SCCA Enterprises (91-95). A Firefighter/EMT & Community Education Director (responsible for all community CPR class instruction), and the Emergency Vehicle Operator Course Instructor for the Crested Butte Fire Protection District (CBFPD), Crested Butte, Colorado (98-01). My company, Motorsports Consulting Services, LLC (MCS), provided design, construction and event operation and management services, plus operations and logistics department staffing for the Grand Prix events in St Petersburg, Miami, Houston, Cleveland, Denver, and Baltimore. For all these clients we also prepared and operated the event operation and management plans and developed and implemented all safety plans and crisis and communication plans.