 SCCA: Lynx Racing Driver Memo Gidely Wins Stock Car RaceAfter A Learning Curve That Included Flipping His Borrowed Ride, Lynx Racing Driver Memo Gidley's Detour To Race A Car With Fenders Leads To His Usual Conclusion.... Victory
Lynx Racing driver Memo Gidley's detour from formula cars to fenders had the result everybody who knows him expected -- he won the GT America stock car race at the Reno Grand Prix driving the #2 Wendy's/Lynx Racing Thunderbird... but not before putting the car on its head during practice. "I was using the brakes the way I use them in my Toyota Atlantic formula car, which is a lot harder than they were designed for, so when I came to the second fastest turn on the track they weren't there anymore," says Gidley. "I sideswiped the concrete wall leading into the turn to try and slow down, but it spun me into the opposite wall and rolled me over. The team worked like heroes fixing the car overnight, and the next time I got on track I spent the session figuring out how to drive fast without using the brakes any more than I absolutely had to, and that was the key to winning. I want to thank the regular driver, Steve Archer, the team and the people from Wendy's for giving me the opportunity. I hope the result was enough to make up for the all-nighter they put in to get me back on track." Gidley, who regularly drives a 1,100-lb., 240 hp Toyota Atlantic formula car, qualified the 2,900-lb., 475 hp Wendy's Thunderbird fourth behind a trio of experienced Chevrolet Monte Carlo drivers (Rudy Revak, Vic Rice, the 1997 GTA Champion and Nelson Richard, the 1996 GTA Rookie of the Year) in the 23 car GT America starting field. He moved into third on the third lap, into second on lap 10, took the lead on lap 15 and led the remaining 25 laps of the 40 lap event. Gidley, as a rookie, won the 1997 Player's Challenge and finished second in the KOOL/Toyota Atlantic Championship. His racing resume starts in childhood, and includes victories and championships first on bicycles and motorcycles, then in karts, the USAC Russell Championship Series, Shelby Pro Series, Formula Ford 2000, Barber Dodge Pro Series and KOOL/Toyota Atlantic. He has been offered a second full 12-race season for Lynx Racing in the 1998 Atlantic series but is also the focus of interest from several teams in World Sports Car, Trans-Am and Indy Lights. Lynx Racing, owned by Peggy Haas and Jackie Doty, is one of the winningest teams in auto racing, and its "Road Scholar"program is one of the most unique and successful driver development programs in the sport. Drivers are chosen for scholarship rides on the basis of both past achievements and future potential. Lynx Racing's 1996 Toyota Atlantic champion, Patrick Carpentier, graduated to CART with the Bettenhausen/Alumax team in 1997 and won the CART "Rookie of the Year" award. Gidley’s Lynx Racing teammate, Alex Barron, who won the 1997 Atlantic championship, is in discussions with the Arciero-Wells/MCI CART team for the 1998 season. And the team's 'junior' driver, Buddy Rice, won the Valvoline/Team USA Scholarship to represent the U.S. at the Nation's Cup race in England. For further information on Lynx Racing, please visit the team's web site at www.lynxracing.com or call the team P.R. manager, Peter Frey, at (818) 909-0985.
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