Military veteran part of team hoping to tackle Le Mans race

Martyn Compton, aged 34, served in the Household Cavalry. In June 2006 he went on his first tour of Afghanistan, and on August 1, the patrol of small tanks he was in was ambushed.

His vehicle was blown up by an improvised explosive device, which killed the three crew members. He was shot at with rocket propelled grenades which blew the engine up and engulfed him in flames. He managed to crawl out while on fire and as he put himself out, he was shot twice. He suffered burns to 75 per cent of his body and has undergone more than 500 hours of operations.

In 2010, PTSD hit Martyn and fortunately, he was given a focus and support from KartForce, Team BRIT’s linked charity which helps injured troops to access karting, therefore discovering a new talent for racing. Martyn was part of the early Team BRIT line-up in 2015 before leaving to race in other championships. He has now re-joined the team as it begins its move into GT4 racing.

Team BRIT competed in the Fun Cup championship last year – the first stage of its motorsport journey towards Le Mans – and will take part in the championship again this year. The team has now revealed its new GT4 car, in which they will be racing in within the UK and overseas.

The team has developed the world’s most advanced technology to allow drivers to compete on equal terms with able-bodied competitors. These controls are specially adapted for each driver, allowing drivers with varying disabilities, such as Martyn’s team mate Ash Hall, who is a double leg amputee, to race as part of the same team.

Their ethos is ‘Believe and Achieve’ and the drivers are normalising disability – inspiring and motivating others by showing disabled people can and should have opportunities to compete on a level playing field.

Martyn said: “I have had a busy couple of years mainly having serious operations that put me out of racing for some time. I am thrilled to come back to Team Brit for the GT4 programme. It is great to see how the team has come on and I am really looking forward to what we have in store for the future.”

For details, visit www.martyncomptonracing.co.uk.