What exactly happened to Memo Gidley?

[Fio1]

From someone who was there early. What happened?

[RaceCat]

From someone who was there early. What happened?


I was there early but didn't see the DP cars on the track. All I know is that he ended up, upside down. :(

Not good!

RaceCat

[jcollins28]

No. 19 Playboy/Uniden Racing Ford Crawford driver Memo Gidley sustained a compression to the L1 vertebra and a minimal compression to the T12 vertebra according to Dr. Lawrence of St. Mary's Medical Center in Long Beach. Gidley's injuries were sustained in a crash in Turn 1 during the morning warm-up, but as of the end of the race, had been released from the facility and was resting in his hotel room. Gidley was replaced in the No. 19 machine for the race by Alex Barron, and he and co-driver Michael McDowell finished 21st...

[spinner26]

According to Speed Channel it was mechanical, lost it it turn one and destroyed the car.

[Fio1]

People said he flipped over and landed on the otherside of the wall. :eek:

[theunions]

He says he "remembers everything" and did not flip - just caught a lot of air. And it most certainly did not land upside down.

And obviously the car was not destroyed - they couldn't quite finish everything in time to make the grid though, so they started from pit lane five laps down.

Anyone got photos or video of the accident itself?

[pchall]

I've read reports where he has lower back injuries. T12 and L1 and the other descriptions we're used to seeing in another series. Must have been something in that wreck that moved loads forward to his lower back. :confused:

[Accipiter]

Catching air and slaming back down on the wheels could do it.

[Anteater]

An update on Memo:

SUDDEN IMPACT: Speedy Memo Gidley hasn't had a lot of luck in racing recently, but he still retains his sense of humor.

Gidley, a former go-kart whiz kid, lost a regular Champ Car ride after 2001 and has been coaching, writing and running races here and there in touring car, sports car and open-wheel the past couple of years.

At Long Beach, Gidley thought he was on to a good thing, getting a shot behind the wheel of the No. 19 Playboy/Uniden/Palms Ford-powered Crawford Daytona Prototype in the Crown Royal Grand American Challenge.

But Gidley suffered a mechanical failure in the morning warm-up and hit the barriers entering Turn 1 at 140 m.p.h. He suffered injuries to his lower back and is undergoing treatment in Indianapolis.

"An injury is no fun but considering the speed of impact, I am thankful that my injuries were limited to what they are," he said. "I am always willing to take the good with the bad and know that crashing is part of racing and I'm not afraid of that."

Gidley will wear a back brace for the next two months while undergoing therapy.

"My friends, family and fans have shown me so much support, and that's been really cool," he said. "Also, I guess the other benefit is that I've been told because of the impact, I will be a quarter-inch shorter -- not a bad thing for a race-car driver, because it will lower my center of gravity."
http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060414/SPORTS16/604140315/1064

Glad that he's on the mend, and his sense of humor is intact!

[theunions]

Glad that he's on the mend, and his sense of humor is intact!

Wait 'til you see the interview we shot in Long Beach that Sun. night, 36 hours after the crash. ;)

In the meantime, here's an audio interview conducted this week by AR1's John Hammer at the Finlay shop in Mooresville (in other words, outside of the initial consultation with Dr. Trammell the Monday after Long Beach, MG is not yet "undergoing treatment in Indianapolis," one of several errors in that article when the writer wasn't quoting directly from MG's press release), but you don't have to be an AR1 subscriber to listen:

10+ minute audio interview (http://www.memogidley.com/multimedia/mgpitpass41806.mp3)

He didn't actually get to go to that second party though. :p

[cameraman]

Wait 'til you see the interview we shot in Long Beach that Sun. night, 36 hours after the crash. ;)

Where might one be looking to see such a video...

[theunions]

Where might one be looking to see such a video...

It's not posted yet, because I won't be able to get around to start editing it until at least Sunday.

[theunions]

Where might one be looking to see such a video...

Finally!
Before race day...and after race day (http://www.racingpress.com/videos/gidleylbgp.html)

A "recovery" video should follow next week.

[pchall]

http://www.grandamerican.com/News/Article.asp?ID=6572

Memo Gidley Reunites with Teammate Michael McDowell and Starts 2nd for the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen

WATKINS GLEN (June 3, 2006) -- Memo Gidley, who was injured while
practicing for the Grand American Rolex Series event in Long Beach, has anxiouslybeen awaiting his return to the cockpit of the No.19 Playboy/Uniden/Palms Ford-powered Crawford Daytona Prototype machine. The waiting period was unfortunately extended by one day when Gidley and his teammate Michael McDowell were told that day one of practice for this weekend's Sahlen's Six Hours of the Glen was canceled. The reason was a conflict between the Indy Racing League and Watkins Glen International regarding the age restrictions of the competitors. The conflict was resolved when Krohn Racing elected to withdraw their young shoe from the team's entry allowing for the racing to resume.