Memo Gidley Back Behind the Wheel in GAINSCO Porsche
Nearly four years after horrific accident, racer returns to test #99 GAINSCO Porsche 911 GT3 R.
It’s been three years and five months since Memo Gidley‘s horrific accident at the 2014 Rolex 24 at Daytona. The driver spent months in the hospital. Afterwards, he underwent three years of rehab after suffering fractures in his knees, back, and heels. But Gidley never wavered from his desire to return to racing, no matter how insurmountable the odds appeared to be.
And now he’s achieved that first step after a few test laps in the GAINSCO Porsche. The testing took place in the very same #99 Red Dragon livery he was piloting on that fateful January day. With several of his teammates by his side. And from the sounds of it, he couldn’t be more excited to get behind the wheel.
“It felt awesome. It felt so natural, it’s just such a comfortable environment for me.” Gidley said in a press release. “I’ve worked so hard to get to this point, and this was my ultimate goal. There were a lot of days where it wasn’t going well, but I just kept imagining getting back out on the track, getting back behind the wheel. I just wanted to be a driver looking for a ride, and now I am…I am back!”
Gidley’s test run covered nearly the same distance as a Pirelli World Challenge sprint race. Quite a few things have changed since he last piloted one, including the addition of an anti-lock braking system. But after only a couple of laps, he was turning in competitive lap times. Just like old times. After the checkered flag dropped, team owner Bob Stallings sounded almost as excited to see Gidley out there again as Gidley himself.
“Memo is back behind the wheel of a race car again and it was a great day for him and all of us on the GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Race Team. His indomitable human spirit is amazing and an inspiration. He has come back from very difficult circumstances to do what his heart aches for…RACING!”
