Daytona 24 and our freind Memo Gidley

[RWD4RSK]

To All Nor Cal members who participated in the Sacramento go kart event we did a few years ago,
Our mystery driver that we all got to try to beat that day, Memo Gidley is co driving the #99 Gainsco "Red Dragon" Prototype this weekend. Please don't forget to root for Memo and his team mates as you also root for the SRT Viper's in the GTLM class. Have a great weekend.

[Glen97]

Good deal! Is Memo's deal with the 99 for all year or just the 24hr.

[RWD4RSK]

Just the 24 and maybe the longer races like Sebring, Watkins Glen and Petit. We will see. There is also a new Muscle Milk PC car that will appear starting at Sebring with no drivers announced. Memo has a personal sponsorship with them and has driven for them before so we can only hope. Keep your fingers crossed.

[RWD4RSK]

After the first practice the 91 Viper is second quick .05 back and the 93 is 4th. Memo is 6th in the P class.

[Ohiotj]

I got the Dvr set record as much as the are showing on tv. Can't wait for this years racing season to start.

[RWD4RSK]

TV times in PST for the Nor Cal group are:
Sat 11AM-1PM on Fox, Sat 1PM to 6PM on Fox Sports 2, Sat 6PM to Sun 4 AM on IMSA.com, Sun 4AM to 12PM Fox Sports 1
Adjust for your time zone

[RWD4RSK]

2nd Practice:
The Vipers are #1 - #93, #2 - #91 by .2
Memo is 3rd quick Prototype .3 back

Very cool!!

[rw99]

Thanks x100 for posting those!

[RWD4RSK]

You're welcome Rich.

In Qualifying the Vipers are #1 (91) & 3 (93) separated by a Porsche and about .1 seconds cover all three cars.

PC's are qualifying now followed by the P's, hope Memo stays near the top.

[RWD4RSK]

Qualifying is over and Memo's car the #99 Red Dragon is on the P pole by .2. With the Vipers and Memo's car starting at the front it can't get much better. Hope the race goes as well.

[RWD4RSK]

As most of us who were watching the Daytona 24hrs know the race didn't go very well for our friend Memo Gidley. Just an update, I spoke with a mututal friend/team manager this morning who was just getting on a plane to come home to California from Daytona who gave me an update. Memo has a shiny new titanium rod in his leg, some shiny screws in his elbow, a broken knee cap, a lower back spinal fracture that will require surgery and a broken nose. Other than that he is alert and lucid but will be in FL for another week or so. I know it would raise his spirits to hear some words of encouragement from the Viper community. You can either respond to this thread or if you want to do something more formal you can get him a card and mail it to me and I will get them to him. My address is Richard Mathews, 634 Ambience Way, Danville, CA 94506. Whichever path you choose rest assured that your thoughts will get to Memo. Thanks

[whitebeard]

I watched the race and am amazed and grateful Memo is on the road to recovery. The crash was horrific.

[ViperGTS]

Speedy recovery! Memo, get well soon.

[Bill Pemberton]

Thanks for posting Richard , as it is hard to get good information after such a scary accident. Met Memo years ago at an event and he is just a genuine , regular guy , who has gotten as far as
he has in racing completely on talent. No silver spoon there, and the stories of his sacrifices and drive to get rides are legendary. Hope we all see him back in a car in the future!!!

[JonB ~ PartsRack]

Richard, thanks for the insider-update/closure. Please take a memo to Memo:

God was watching out for the 99 car that day..... WE HOPE TO SEE YOU BACK IN A CAR THIS SEASON !

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"Horrific" just does not describe how devastatingly-destructive that freak collision was. Sun-blinded Left-Hand-Driver impacted the Right-rear of a rear-engine coasting Ferrari at a closing speed differential of 120+mph. While accelerating. It was a textbook NHTSA worst-case-collision scenario. Memo's car exploded in a wash of fuel from the Ferrari. Complete testament to the builders, equipment, and to driver conditioning.

I was surprised that a RED Flag was not deployed immediately......the incident was the very definition of a Full-Stop-Red. Soon after, the cars could have circulated on the NASCAR OVAL ONLY, under Full Course Yellow, keeping the infield section 'cold track'. This would have kept the cars cool, and allowed pit stops and garage repairs in progress..... as well as timing-scoring adjustments during the prolonged infield cleanup.

Race Ops was probably going CRAZY.....I have to think that perhaps Emergency resources (Fire and Medical) were stretched too thin to allow the cars to circulate on the oval......but at Daytona? the BEST E-crews available, and had to be manned for 67 cars and "The Big One." I think Race Ops was also in some shock.....

[MtnBiker]

Horrific crash. Get well Memo!

[VYPR BYT]

Scary to watch it...
Get Well Soon Memo!

[Viper Girl]

God was rooting for the 99 car that day..... WE HOPE TO SEE YOU BACK IN A CAR THIS SEASON !

---------------------------

THIS...

Get well soon Memo

[Fatboy 18]

My very best wishes for a speedy recovery.

[FLATOUT]

I am so happy to hear this. My wife and I said a prayer shortly after impact.

[Torquemonster06]

Our thoughts and prayers are with Memo and his family.

[RWD4RSK]

Thanks for posting Richard , as it is hard to get good information after such a scary accident. Met Memo years ago at an event and he is just a genuine , regular guy , who has gotten as far as
he has in racing completely on talent. No silver spoon there, and the stories of his sacrifices and drive to get rides are legendary. Hope we all see him back in a car in the future!!!

I agree Bill, met Memo about 17 years ago at the go kart track where he became my favorite driving coach right about the time he got the Lynx Atlantic ride. Over the years he has come to my Rotary Club to speak twice creating a large fan base and a few years ago when our Nor Cal club did a indoor karting event I invited him to come join us as a mystery driver for all of us to try to beat. Boy did that get a buzz going in our club. He gladly came, started from the back in each heat but still smoked the field. In the final heat he offered a day of coaching for anyone who could beat him and again started from the back. When he got to the last driver to pass he lightened up and trailed him to the finish just so someone would win. Just an all around great person and friend.

[rw99]

My heart stopped just a bit when I saw the crash and flames, and only later did I make the connection to Memo.

So glad, honestly, that he even survived that hit... and all my best wishes to him for recovery.

[RWD4RSK]

A Memo update from Racer Magazine, please keep him in your thoughts:

Those who've gone to see Memo Gidley in the Halifax hospital in Daytona Beach, Fla., reckon the open-wheel and sports car ace has a long road to recovery. Some have said it will take the rest of 2014 to mend his broken bones and complete rehabilitation. Whatever the duration proves to be, it's clear the Californian's fitness and high-octane spirit will help to expedite the process.

Gidley's TUDOR United SportsCar Championship team owner Bob Stallings has kept RACER abreast of Memo's progress since his nightmarish crash last Saturday during the Rolex 24 at Daytona, and shared an update on Friday that's both funny and heartwarming.

“Yesterday afternoon, Memo was having a conversation with me, and obviously he's inquisitive about what's going on with him,” said Stallings. “Although he was having some good relative clarity, his short-term memory hasn't fully returned yet. You can have a good talk with him and he can remember a lot of things before the crash, but doesn't really have much recall from the race on.

“So we're talking about what happened and he stops and says in a totally serious frame of mind, ‘You know, Bob, I just wanted to tell you…I don't think I'm going to be ready for Sebring… (Laughs) I thought that was pretty funny. He's such a thoughtful and responsible guy, he wanted me to know well in advance that I might not be able to count on him for Sebring, and I thanked him for that update…”

Gidley's broken left leg and arm were reported in the aftermath of the crash, along with the fracture to his lower back, but the damage to his left foot, which has not received as much coverage, was the subject of an operation this morning.

“He had a surgery – went in around 8:30 and came out about two hours later and that was to repair some broken bones in his left foot and heel area," Stallings explained. "We'd known about that from the beginning, but it was a lower priority to the other surgeries the doctors wanted to get done first. The surgeon said everything was successful. Memo's been in a little bit of pain today, so he's been on some sedatives so he could sleep most of the day.

“As far as we know, he's finished his ordeal of surgeries and it wouldn't surprise me if tomorrow or Sunday he'll get moved from the intensive care unit to a regular room. Then they'll continue to monitor him and his possibility for travel. It could come the end of next week, but could be as early as Wednesday or Thursday. We don't have a place picked out yet, but he'll head to Northern California.”

Stallings also spoke on the kind of support Gidley has received from the greater NASCAR and TUDOR Championship community while in the ICU.
“The whole NASCAR organization has been, honestly, just terrific," he continued. "From Jim France, Mike Helton, Ed Bennett; the organization is really attentive to help him and coordinate everything to get him back on his feet. Jim comes over every morning and sits with me in the waiting room – sometimes for an hour, sometimes for two-and-a-half hours – hanging out and keeping us company. That's been really inspiring.

“Memo's mom and girlfriend are here, and they're naturally concerned about Memo's future, and Jim's been really supportive for them. It's good to see someone with resources is making sure Memo's being looked after. We've had a few drivers come to visit, but I've been discouraging that a bit because he's still in intensive car. He's appreciated it…I'm not sure he'll remember it, but it's been pretty neat for him to have such an outpouring of care.”

[100]

Thanks for the updates -- pretty sobering.