Memo Gidley
| Memo Gidley | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Mexican-American |
| Born |
September 29, 1970 La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico |
| United SportsCar Championship career | |
| Debut season | 1999 |
| Current team | GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing |
| Car no. | 99 |
| Previous series | |
| 1999-2004 2000–2002 1999–2012 |
Champ Car Indy Racing League American Le Mans Series |
José Guillermo "Memo" Gidley is a Mexican-American racing driver, of German and Canadian ancestry, born in La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico in September 29, 1970. He holds dual citizenship - American and Mexican.
In his early years, he sold his apartment to fund his career and spent 4 months homeless living in his car. He worked at the Jim Russell racing school as a mechanic to fund his career for some time, eventually getting a chance in Champ Car with Derrick Walker in 1999, although this was as a short-term replacement. He did the same task for Gerry Forsythe a year later, and Chip Ganassi in 2001, twice coming close to race victories. He nearly retained his drive for 2002 - Chip later suggested that they keep Bruno Junqueira over him as the Brazilian was under contract.
He has raced assorted sports cars since, although he made two Champ Car starts for Rocketsports in 2004, and briefly ran in the rival IRL series. Since 2005 he has competed full-time in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, co-driving with Michael McDowell to a victory in the Mexico City season finale. In 2006 he raced in the Team Playboy cars and in 2007 he partnered Max Angelelli in the SunTrust Racing team.[1] In 2010 Gidley co-drove Team CytoSport's Porsche RS Spyder with Germany's Klaus Graf and Sascha Maassen to second in class (and overall) at Laguna Seca, but he reportedly hasn't given up on a return to major open wheel racing.
In the 2014 24 Hours of Daytona, Gidley suffered serious injuries when his Corvette DP slammed into the back of a Ferrari being driven by Matteo Malucelli. Malucelli's car had lost power and had rolled to a near stop on the track, when Gidley hit him at approximately 120 miles per hour (190 km/h).[2] Gidley was taken by ambulance to Halifax Health Medical Center, where doctors diagnosed him with a broken back and leg and arm injuries.[3]
Motorsports career results
American Open-Wheel racing results
(key)
Complete USF2000 National Championship results
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Cape Motorsports |  PIR1 46 |
PIR2 1 |
IRP 1 |
RIR 4 |
WGI 43 |
MDO1 1 |
NHS 2 |
ATL1 6 |
ATL2 2 |
MDO1 7 |
2nd | ??? |
CART/Champ Car
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Walker Racing | MIA | MOT | LBH | NZR | RIO | STL | MIL | POR 19 |
CLE 11 |
ROA Ret |
TOR 12 |
MIC | 27th | 4 | |||||||||
| Payton/Coyne Racing | DET Ret |
MDO Ret |
CHI | VAN 12 |
LS 13 |
HOU 14 |
SRF Ret |
FON | ||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Player's Forsythe Racing | MIA | LBH Ret |
RIO 8 |
MOT Ret |
NZR | MIL | DET | POR | CLE | TOR | 20th | 20 | |||||||||||
| Della Penna Motorsports | MIC 10 |
CHI 10 |
MDO 12 |
ROA 6 |
VAN Ret |
LS 19 |
STL Ret |
HOU Ret |
SRF | FON Ret |
||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Chip Ganassi Racing | MTY | LBH | TXS | NZR | MOT | MIL | DET | POR Ret |
CLE 2* |
TOR 17 |
MIC 14 |
CHI 5 |
MDO 11 |
ROA Ret |
VAN 10 |
LAU 14 |
ROC 18 |
HOU 3 |
LS 2 |
SRF 10 |
FON 14 |
17th | 65 |
| 2004 | Rocketsports | LBH | MTY | MIL | POR | CLE | TOR 16 |
VAN 11 |
ROA | DEN | MTL | LS | LVS | SRF | MXC | 21st | 15^ |
- ^ New points system implemented in 2004
Indy Racing League
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Team Pelfrey | WDW | PHX | LVS | INDY DNQ |
TXS | PPIR | ATL | KTY | TX2 | NC | - | ||||||
| 2001 | Brayton Racing | PHX | HMS | ATL | INDY DNQ |
TXS | PPIR | RIR | KAN | NSH | KTY | STL | CHI | TX2 | NC | - | ||
| 2002 | Dreyer & Reinbold Racing | HMS | PHX | FON 21 |
NZR | 45th | 9 | |||||||||||
| Duesenberg Brothers Racing | INDY DNQ |
TXS | PPIR | RIR | KAN | NSH | MIS | KTY | STL | CHI | TX2 |
Indy 500 results
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Dallara | Oldsmobile | DNQ | Team Pelfrey | |
| 2001 | Dallara | Oldsmobile | DNQ | Brayton Racing | |
| 2002 | Dallara | Chevrolet | DNQ | Duesenberg Brothers Racing | |
Complete American Le Mans Series results
| Year | Entrant | Class | Chassis | Engine | Tyres | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Panoz Motor Sports | LMP | Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S | Ford (Élan-Yates) 6.0 L V8 | M | SEB | ATL | MOS | SON | POR | PET ovr:5 cls:5 |
MON | LSV | 63rd | 15 | ||||
| 2006 | Highcroft Racing | LMP1 | MG-Lola EX257 | AER P07 2.0L Turbo I4 | D | SEB | TEX | MID | LIM | UTA | POR | AME | MOS | PET ovr:3 cls:3 |
MON | 20th | 19 | ||
| 2007 | Team Cytosport | LMP1 | Lola B06/10 | AER P32T 4.0L Turbo V8 | D | SEB | STP | LNB | TEX | UTA | LIM | MID | AME | MOS | DET | PET ovr:14 cls:3 |
MON | 20th | 19 |
| 2010 | Muscle Milk Team CytoSport | LMP | Porsche RS Spyder Evo | Porsche MR6 3.4 L V8 | M | SEB | LNB | MON ovr:2 cls:2 |
UTA | LIM | MID | AME | MOS | PET | NC | - | |||
| 2012 | Muscle Milk Pickett Racing | PC | Oreca FLM09 | Chevrolet LS3 6.2 L V8 | M | SEB ovr:42 cls:5 |
LNB ovr:4 cls:2 |
MON ovr:6 cls:4 |
LIM | MOS | MID | AME | BAL | VIR | PET | 11th* | 40* |
- * Season still in progress.
References
- ↑ IRL at Sonoma: No place like home for Marin drivers
- ↑ SCARY ROLEX 24 WRECK SENDS TWO DRIVERS TO DAYTONA HOSPITAL by John Dagys, Fox Sports, January 25, 2014.
- ↑ Memo Gidley breaks back in crash at Rolex 24 at Daytona by Jeff Olsen, USA Today, January 26, 2014.