Grand-Am
A DC "Memo" from Watkins Glen
MEMO Memo Gidley's glad to be back in the saddle of his No. 19 Playboy/Uniden/Palms Crawford-Ford Daytona Prototype after a near two-month layoff. The multi-discipline race driver had no choice but to take some time off after a hard-hitting ...
Published: Jun 4, 2006, 6:18 PM
Copy link
Share on Viber
MEMO
Memo Gidley's glad to be back in the saddle of his No. 19 Playboy/Uniden/Palms Crawford-Ford Daytona Prototype after a near two-month layoff.
The multi-discipline race driver had no choice but to take some time off after a hard-hitting run-in with a Long Beach Grand Prix tire wall.
Having just taken a checkered flag signaling the start of his post-qualifying cool-down lap, Gidley's car did almost everything but cool down and went straight into a tire wall at the end of the LBGP's front straight.
Launched by the recoiling tirewall, Gidley's car landed awkwardly, sending a shockwave through his seat and spine, putting Gidley in the hospital.
Living life in the fast lane, you'd expect Gidley was ready to go racing as soon as his rehabilitation began.
"There were people telling me about how I must've felt being laid up," Gidley said, "but I'm just not bothered b stuff like that."
"In my life, instead of dwelling on what was, I like to look ahead. What happened is something you can't change. The future is where your fate lies so I focus on what I need to do to make myself better -- whether personally or professionally."
Gidley took his life attitude and focused on making sure he did what the doctors wanted him to do and, in the end, he got back into the seat earlier than doctors had at first imagined.
"You just can't take bad things personally," Gidley said. "Achieving success is about moving ahead with what you've got at the time. I'm not real big on looking behind."
That must be the reason Gidley doesn't get freaked when he's in the lead -- he probably doesn't look in the review mirror to see all those other famous names behind him.
ENDURANCE MAN
Even at 62, Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach chief executive officer Jim Michaelian enjoys taxing himself to the limit, whether professionally or during personal downtime.
The famed Champ Car World Series event run in the downtown streets of Long Beach, Calif., is massive undertaking just to get the race off the ground and then in tearing it down afterward.
It's a string of long days for Michaelian during the event week, each day arriving at the track to do daybreak news programs and leaving for home at night with the last of his staff.
Michaelian, already at work on the 2007 event, took a breather this weekend and hopped into the No. 41 Team Sahlen Porsche GT3 Cup car at Watkins Glen International for the Sahlen's Six-Hours of The Glen.
The last race in which Michaelian participated was this year's Rolex 24 At Daytona, where he and his teammates finished 41st in a 66-car field.
-- DC Williams, exclusively for Motorsport.com
We want your opinion!
What would you like to see on Motorsport.com?
Take our 5 minute survey.
- The Motorsport.com Team
Read and post comments
Read also :
Share Or Save This Story
Copy link
Share on Viber
Previous article Bergmeister, Said win The Glen for Krohn Racing
Next article Watkins Glen: Hour 2 standings
Top Comments
There are no comments at the moment. Would you like to write one?
View More & Comment
More from
Memo Gidley
Gidley to race at Daytona eight years after huge Rolex 24 shunt
IMSA Others
IMSA Others
Gidley to race at Daytona eight years after huge Rolex 24 shunt
Gidley comeback set for PWC Sonoma races
SRO America
SRO America
Sonoma
Gidley comeback set for PWC Sonoma races
Gidley makes comeback after three-year rehab
SRO America
SRO America
Gidley makes comeback after three-year rehab
More from
Williams
Williams has better cooling vests than anyone – Alex Albon
Formula 1
Formula 1
Williams has better cooling vests than anyone – Alex Albon
James Vowles explains request for review of F1 cost cap
Formula 1
Formula 1
Singapore GP
James Vowles explains request for review of F1 cost cap
Latest news
F1 United States GP live commentary and updates - qualifying
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
2 min
F1 United States GP live commentary and updates - qualifying
Colton Herta savours "super special" Austin homecoming as 2027 uncertainty remains
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
27 min
Colton Herta savours "super special" Austin homecoming as 2027 uncertainty remains
NASCAR Cup Talladega starting lineup: Chase Briscoe beats Austin Hill for pole
NASCAR Cup
NAS NASCAR Cup
Talladega II
1 h
NASCAR Cup Talladega starting lineup: Chase Briscoe beats Austin Hill for pole
F1 United States GP: Lewis Hamilton pips Max Verstappen in FP3
Formula 1
F1 Formula 1
United States GP
1 h
F1 United States GP: Lewis Hamilton pips Max Verstappen in FP3
Subscribe and access Motorsport.com with your ad-blocker.
From Formula 1 to MotoGP we report straight from the paddock because we love our sport, just like you. In order to keep delivering our expert journalism, our website uses advertising. Still, we want to give you the opportunity to enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free website and to continue using your adblocker.
You have 2 options:
- Become a subscriber.
- Disable your adblocker.
Subscribe now Already subscribed? Sign in here
Already disabled your adblocker?
Reload page
Manage Alerts
Subscribe