View Full Version : Yipes!!! So, this is the 'GWH' of Champcars?
18 M. Gidley 17 Ford-Cosworth/Lola/Bridgestone 1:01.497 102.737 165.339 2.939 0.244
Where's Nelson? :eek:
Amanda B.'s Mom
07-10-04, 04:50 PM
:shakehead
devilmaster
07-10-04, 05:03 PM
Even though some people won't agree with how PCHall said it, he has a very strong point.....
Memo maybe has one shot at this and it may be his last shot at Champcar. He has to impress well enough for Gentillozzi to accept him without money.
Being behind the Coyne cars is not going to cut it. He has to do extremely well tomorrow, and i'm thinking he has to put in a solid drive, keep it off everything and end up well into the top half of the field at the checkers.
If he does that, he may have a continued ride, if Rocketsports wants to work at finding him a sponsor. If not, this might be his final swan song in a Champcar. Its just too easy as an owner to accept a check.
Is it fair? Of course not, but thats life. I expect Valiente (who was reported that he had enough money for a partial season) or Phillipe (who will fix his bank account) to be back in the seat shortly.
Steve
lobstermint
07-10-04, 05:41 PM
Even though some people won't agree with how PCHall said it, he has a very strong point.....
Memo maybe has one shot at this and it may be his last shot at Champcar. He has to impress well enough for Gentillozzi to accept him without money.
Being behind the Coyne cars is not going to cut it. He has to do extremely well tomorrow, and i'm thinking he has to put in a solid drive, keep it off everything and end up well into the top half of the field at the checkers.
If he does that, he may have a continued ride, if Rocketsports wants to work at finding him a sponsor. If not, this might be his final swan song in a Champcar. Its just too easy as an owner to accept a check.
Is it fair? Of course not, but thats life. I expect Valiente (who was reported that he had enough money for a partial season) or Phillipe (who will fix his bank account) to be back in the seat shortly.
Steve
Ditto!
I know that he has not had testing, but he's got to do better than Sperafico and Mazzacane in qualifying. He has got one hell of a day in front of him tommorrow!
Steve99
07-10-04, 10:38 PM
Memo only used half of his qualifying laps. Why didn't he use the rest of them? That is probably the team's fault, not his. :shakehead
Steve99
07-10-04, 10:43 PM
I think half a weekend is too quick to make a judgement:
"It feels really good to get back in the car," said Gidley. "It's hard to jump in a car after a long break at the start of the weekend, let alone mid-weekend. It's been a long time since I've been in a Champ Car. This morning I just reeled off some laps and got comfortable. I think qualifying went well. The car responded well with each change we made and it still needs some tweaking, but considering the amount of time we had to develop it, it was good in the end. The Bridgestone tires were consistent and forgiving. They gave me a lot of confidence right away.
"To expect great results with 40 laps after 2 ½ years out of the car is unrealistic, but my plan is to focus on the race and turning laps. I think about the situation and have to be realistic, but I'll be pushing it out there. Physically and mentally I know I can do the laps. I surprised myself with how quickly I was comfortable back in the car," Gidley added.
"I've never driven this engine configuration before, with the added turbo boost and lower revs' but this morning I was impressed at the power of the Ford-Cosworth engine. They make the cars fast consistent and fun to drive. It took a few laps to go full throttle in the back straight, and a few more in the corners, but I got there. You can't appreciate the power of these cars until you drive them - they're the fastest cars in the world. Jumping into one (of these cars) after such a long time may be one of the greatest challenges of my career. It's an extreme test! I've had other last minute, intense situations, but none quite like this. I feel good, great with this team and am as ready as I could be for tomorrow," determined Gidley.
Would you rather have them give Donnie Beechler a try?
I think it unrealistic to imagine Gidley doing anything other than harm his reputation. I been around a few of these last minute deals. There is more to these cars than putting a drivers decal on the side.........
Go Memo, Im sure those walls will give him fits.... and push to crash
Opposite Lock
07-10-04, 11:02 PM
Rough crowd. If this really all happened just within the last 36 hours or so, it's amazing he is even within 3 seconds. He has barely had time to learn the engineers' names, let alone learn some of the recent developments like red stripe tires, pit window rules du jour, the "push to crash" :) button, etc.
Risky indeed, for the "Super-Sub". But modest name recognition, a fan base - it's not necessarily bad for the series. Interesting choice by PG.
Railbird
07-10-04, 11:29 PM
Damnit!
I'm pissed and I'm not gonna take it anymore.
Why wasn't Buddy Lazier given a shot at this ride?
buncha frickin' nancy boys
FCYTravis
07-10-04, 11:32 PM
You mean the 1988 Valvoline/Machinists American IndyCar Series champion wasn't given a shot at a spectacular comeback?
Say it ain't so, Joe. :shakehead
:rofl:
Cmndr Keen
07-10-04, 11:43 PM
This thread is a joke. No one here knows what Memo's instructions were. They did'nt even use all their laps.... Put 18 on the grid and keep it in one piece, You better be on the podium or something in between? One qual stint, doesn't know the team, the team doesn't know him, yeah, I'm sure they're basing their descisions on this race....
devilmaster
07-11-04, 12:01 AM
I think half a weekend is too quick to make a judgement:
Rough crowd.
Don't get me wrong, here. Do I want to see Memo stay in the car? Absolutely. He's a guy who, if I started a team tomorrow, (and had a sponsor to pay for it) would definitely give him a serious look and a test for a seat.
I'm being honest here though. If PG wasn't looking for a cheque to run the car, someone else would be in car from the start (perhaps even Memo), and not Fabio. Rocketsports didn't say Fabio was out because he wasn't ready, but were honest and said that contractural obligations weren't met. (and we all know what that means)
In the end, I hope Memo could stay in the car the rest of the year because I know that he will get the car up to speed and respectability, but unless PG has a complete reverse of his former plans for that car, he will look for a ride buyer to finish it off.
Steve
Ruben Barrios
07-11-04, 12:02 AM
Ok, so someone else agrees with me. I do think Memo will end up in a wall this weekend, but he will reatin the seat. Next race he will be slightly competitive.
Dougrun
07-12-04, 01:45 AM
You cannot judge him so quickly. He's a great driver. Being out of a champcar for that long takes some time to get things synchronized team-wise. I bet you all a beer he's not last in the next race.
fourrunner
07-12-04, 10:30 PM
Ok, so someone else agrees with me. I do think Memo will end up in a wall this weekend, but he will reatin the seat. Next race he will be slightly competitive.
I watched him leave the track on Sunday .... He seemed to have a Smile on his face .... I have NO idea what that smile meant.
Sean O'Gorman
07-12-04, 10:45 PM
I watched him leave the track on Sunday .... He seemed to have a Smile on his face .... I have NO idea what that smile meant.
It meant he was glad to be back in a Champ Car after 2 1/2 years!!!
Or maybe Kate Shaw crashed a golf cart. That would bring a smile to my face too. :D
theunions
07-13-04, 12:04 AM
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
At least he didn't wind up in a broken, smoking wreck like he did at RA trying to prove too much to keep a job. All he really damaged was his dignity.
At least he didn't wind up in a broken, smoking wreck like he did at RA trying to prove too much to keep a job. All he really damaged was his dignity.
Hey, remember that's after finishing second at Cleveland. I don't see anything wrong with crashing from trying too hard.
As an aside, I don't think Cheap ever intended to keep him. Every time Gidley was interviewed after a race for TCGR, his answer was "well, I actually haven't even spoken with Chip yet".
devilmaster
07-13-04, 05:08 PM
Hey, remember that's after finishing second at Cleveland. I don't see anything wrong with crashing from trying too hard.
As an aside, I don't think Cheap ever intended to keep him. Every time Gidley was interviewed after a race for TCGR, his answer was "well, I actually haven't even spoken with Chip yet".
I spoke with memo last year when he was in Windsor..... he confirmed it was a race to race deal with Chip....
Steve
it's not like the conditions at RA were conducive to safely driving a race car either...
Dr. Corkski
07-13-04, 06:35 PM
Wouldn't you be leaving with a smile too when you know there is just about no chance in hell that Kate Shaw will ever hit on you?
theunions
07-13-04, 11:47 PM
I spoke with memo last year when he was in Windsor..... he confirmed it was a race to race deal with Chip....
Precisely. Chip had already committed to his $5 million deal with Brack for 2002, and Bruno would be in the second year of an existing two-year contract...
Wouldn't you be leaving with a smile too when you know there is just about no chance in hell that Kate Shaw will ever hit on you?
memo's got it made i tellz ya
At that point, my socks would of been brown and lumpy.
http://img39.photobucket.com/albums/v120/Turn7/MemoCrash.jpg
Railbird
07-14-04, 09:05 AM
Memo's pace and progress suprised me Sunday.
Nice enough guy but he has never impressed me as top shelf.
Insomniac
07-14-04, 02:23 PM
At that point, my socks would of been brown and lumpy.
http://img39.photobucket.com/albums/v120/Turn7/MemoCrash.jpg
Wow, I don't remember it looking like that. I couldn't of told you the car flipped and his legs were exposed. All I remember is smashing into the inside of the "tunnel" under the bridge.
Wow, I don't remember it looking like that. I couldn't of told you the car flipped and his legs were exposed. All I remember is smashing into the inside of the "tunnel" under the bridge.
Very scary crash. He hit the wall, and the car rolled a bit until coming to rest where it was. The rear wing was on the other side of the barrier. :eek:
I was listening to the race control frequency while overlooking the area. Race Control couldn't even figure out which car it was. Then first safety team arrived on the scene, and I heard the following, "The car is car 12, the driver is code 5." (Code 5 is "life threatening injuries.")
Memo was knocked out in the crash and was unconsious when the above photo was taken. (Notice that there are still pieces in the air) He came to shortly after the safety team arrived. The safety team, arriving on the scene to see a car broken in half, headrest on the ground, and the driver hanging upside down unconsious assumed the worst.
They had arrangements made for a helicopter to land at the scene to transport him to the trauma center. When it became clear that his injuries were not serious, the helicopter was cancelled.
Listening to TV was also interesting, as ABC had gone off the air, and they were recording "live to tape" for the replay on ESPN. They had planned to interrupt golf with race updates and the finish - and then had to cut in with Memo updates. It was very somber listening to the TV crew decide what to do, as were Paul and Parker's reactions when the director told them, "Guys, he's code 5."
Memo was a very lucky man that day.
theunions
07-14-04, 03:55 PM
Excerpted from the second Rocketsports post-race press release:
A sudden driver change for to the second Rocketsports entry on Day One of qualifying for Round Six in the Champ Car World Series made it a late night for the Rocketsports crew, who took the time to prepare the No. 17 car for up-and-coming driver, Memo Gidley.
A last-minute flight from California brought Gidley in around 9 p.m. Friday and directly to the Toronto street course, where the dedicated crew was ready to custom-fit the car to his size and body shape. Gidley also met with Rocketsports engineers to sort the finer details of the No. 17 car, before making his only practice and qualifying effort prior to Sunday’s race.
No stranger to Champ Car, Gidley was well-received by the paddock and drivers who each slowed by the No. 17 pit box to salute the veteran's return. His fans also expressed their pleasure by flooding the Rocketsports Web site with email in support of the call to bring him back into the Champ Car competition.
Gidley last drove for Chip Ganassi Racing in 2001. Despite developments with the Ford-Cosworth engine and Bridgestone Potenza tires, in Champ Cars in the last two and a half years, Gidley’s ability to jump into the car at the last moment and be competitive impressed the paddock and fans alike.
“Coming into a weekend like this, the ideal situation would be to settle in, get comfortable with the team and set up a competitive car,” explained Gidley. “The Rocketsports team exceeded my expectations this past weekend in Toronto. Going from 18th to 11th in just 25 laps showed how competitive the No. 17 car was. I was pleased with the handling and performance of the car. We kept making slight changes and the car just got better, and we could have gone even further.
“I’ve crossed paths with a number of guys on the team like Phil Howard, Robin Hill, Randy Gibson and Jason Robb. That was a bonus to getting settled into the team quickly. The Rocketsports guys are passionate about racing and love to compete. They gave me a great car and were a pleasure to work with,” said Gidley.
Rocketsports crew chief, Robin Hill welcomed the opportunity to work with Gidley again and felt the experience was a boost to the No. 17 crew. “I’ve worked with Memo in the past, when he drove for Ganassi, and know he’s a technical driver that gives effective feedback. He knows what he needs and what he wants the car to do. This weekend in Toronto he excelled in meeting our expectations.
“Memo communicated consistently out on the track, in the pits and the engineering office,” added Hill. “His professionalism was appreciated and he brought the results the team deserved.”
Alain Clarinval, engineer on the No. 17 car, echoed Hill’s sentiments saying, “It was good to work with Memo. He’s a low-key, likeable personality, and possesses a certain quality of a professional driver, which is essentially to express passion, but not emotion. He relates to what the car is doing without taking or making it personal.
“He focused on the car and was able to provide specific feedback, which in turn, allowed us to define what was needed to improve the performance of the car. His description of the car’s handling was precise and drawn from his experience,” pointed-out Clarinval.
Lead engineer for Rocketsports, Brian Ma noted Gidley’s contributions to the team. “Memo quickly adapted to the team and did an excellent job in such a short time. He provided valuable input that benefited the whole team effort and contributed to Rocketsports’ continuous development.
“The No. 17 crew was rejuvenated by the positive feedback and quick results, despite the lack of seat time and qualifying position. Memo’s a competitive driver and he may have been a little aggressive during the race, but we were happy to have given him a car he felt he could push,” stated Ma.
Gidley and crew captured the spirit of Rocketsports Racing and demonstrated their true capabilities this past weekend in Toronto. Hard work and commitment fueled by a passion for racing, the No. 17 Rocketsports crew got a boost that will send them into Vancouver and the balance of the season stronger and more eager to compete.
Omitted was the fact that Brian was MG's engineer at Della Penna in 2000.
Omitted was the fact that Brian was MG's engineer at Della Penna in 2000.
Any relation to the well known sports writer?
theunions
07-14-04, 04:20 PM
Any relation to the well known sports writer?
Meaning Kevin Ma of the New York Times (IIRC)...or me??? ;)
Doubtful on the former...and not so for the latter.
Meaning Kevin Ma of the New York Times (IIRC)...or me??? ;)
Doubtful on the former...and not so for the latter.
:laugh:
I meant you, I figured two people with the last name of Ma wandering the Champcar paddock would be a big coincidence.....I guess it is!
theunions
07-14-04, 05:36 PM
:laugh:
I meant you, I figured two people with the last name of Ma wandering the Champcar paddock would be a big coincidence.....I guess it is!
Yeah, he's a Hong Kong native and my dad is likewise, so we sometimes refer to each other as long-lost brothers... :D
As for Kevin (who I've only met once), now that I think about it he's actually with the NY Post...maybe not a good thing these days in light of the Gephardt headline... :rofl:
theunions
07-14-04, 05:37 PM
David Phillips' editorial on MG's weekend at SpeedTV:
Finding Memo (http://www.speedtv.com/commentary/12035/)
FCYTravis
07-14-04, 05:49 PM
:thumbup:
Great article, great driver.
no phillips has got it all wrong, the real journalist at rfm already called memo worthless, duhhh!!!! what do race engineers know? pffff.
FCYTravis
07-14-04, 06:37 PM
no phillips has got it all wrong, the real journalist at rfm already called memo worthless, duhhh!!!! what do race engineers know? pffff.
:rofl:
C'mon Ank, get with the program, everyone knows that journalists are always right! Race engineers are just shills for the Memo Gidley apologists :laugh:
theunions
07-14-04, 07:32 PM
:rofl:
C'mon Ank, get with the program, everyone knows that journalists are always right!
I assume you realize the "real journalist" he was specifically (and sarcastically) referring to isn't one (but just in case others don't realize it, this had to be said)... :D
I assume you realize the "real journalist" he was specifically (and sarcastically) referring to isn't one (but just in case others don't realize it, this had to be said)... :D
Brian and you have more in common too, between his driver and your writing, i see a common foe on the horizon, the foe is just that sizeable... ;)
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