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The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
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The Grid.co.uk the national & club motor racing website - est1998 |
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The
next event for Team Sahlen will be the season finale at Miller
Motorsports Park in Utah on September 11th. SPEED TV will televise the
race live 2 pm, EST.
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mail your news to editorthegrid@yahoo.co.uk Team Sahlen run for podium cut just short with only 15 minutes left in race at the Glen The trend of being a strong Top 5 contender continued for the 4th straight race at the Watkins Glen event. This time, Team Sahlen found themselves in 4th place with only 15 minutes to go in the event. Only an unfortunate and mysterious loose wheel prevented the team from claiming a spot in the final top 5 in the GT results sheet.From the start of practice, Team Sahlen was on the sharp end of the time sheets. In Practice Session 1, Team Sahlen was in 8th place. Then in Session 2, that improved to 7th place. And progress kept coming with a 5th place slot in P3 and 4th in P4. The driver lineup at the event included newcomer Memo Gidley teamed with Wayne Nonnamaker in the #43 Mazda. Then in the #42 RX-8, Joe Sahlen was joined by the Father & Son duo of Joe & Will Nonnamaker. For Qualifying, Wayne placed the #43 in 8th slot and Joe Sahlen placed the #42 into 14th place on the grid. Amazingly, a yellow did not occur in the race until the 97 minute of the race. This led to a very fast paced 1st 2/3rds of the race. In the early stages, Wayne Nonnamaker held down 6 place in the GT class. Memo Gidley took over the helm of the RX-8 at the 45 minute mark. From there Memo continued to lay down fast, consistent lap times. This saw Team Sahlen make their last pit stop and come out on the track in 4th place. At the very point the team came out on track after the pit stop, the yellow flag came out. At that point everything went was going very well for Team Sahlen. But then on the restart, a mysterious loose left rear wheel forced Memo to the pits for a new wheel. This pushed Team Sahlen back to 8th place. "We came oh so close this weekend. Everyone on the crew put in maximum effort to get the Mazda in that position at the final 15 minutes. To see a mysterious loose wheel be the downfall is heartbreaking. But that is racing. This just gives us more reason to work harder to be in that position again in 2010." States Wayne Nonnamaker "Watkins Glen is the home event for Sahlen's. We had a lot of family and friends cheering us on today. And we had a lot to cheer about today. Being in 4th place with just a short bit to go in the race was going to be exciting. I have to say that Wayne and Memo did a fantastic job today. And the crew worked hard on the pit stops. It wasn't in the cards today, but we will keep pushing forward to get to the next level." - stated Joe Sahlen #42 ran a very clean and error free race from the 3 drivers in the car to finish in 12th place. "Joe, Dad and myself all agreed that we would share track time in the race. The traffic was very hectic all day. I am very proud that we avoided contact all day, and kept all four tires on the pavement. The crew did a great job on our stops, getting us in and out of the pits in a very efficient manner." Shared Will Nonnamaker
Top 5 finish for Gidley and the Doran Racing Team Memo Gidley and the Doran Racing Team had another strong race this past weekend in round #8 of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 at Daytona International Speedway. The team first hit the track on Thursday and as with everybody, were surprised to see sunny Florida anything but that as a steady rain fell leading up to the first practice. Memo’s teammate Dion was first to take the wheel and was turning some impressive times on the wet track. Memo then took over the controls for the last 30 min and ended up putting the McDonalds/PR Newswire/Dallara/Ford fourth on the speed charts. “The #77 car felt good and the times definitely showed how competitive we were in the wet,” said Gidley. “With that said, we were coming to Daytona with a different set up from the January race and I was really anxious to see how we would stack up in the dry.” The track continued to dry and as the cars lined up for qualifying, all teams were on dry weather tires. Dion had a nice run and again put the #77 inside the top ten with the seventh fastest time. “Up to that point, I personally had not done any dry laps in the car and really did not know what we had for the race,” said Gidley. “I was anxious to use the next day’s warm up to tune the car and get the #77 closer to the front of the field.” The Doran team also went to work over night to try to get some more drag off of the car and get the McDonalds car faster down the straights. “We hit the warm up and with a couple of small changes, we were already a second faster than what we were able to do in qualifying,” said Gidley. “I was excited and thought Dion and I would have a good car for the race.” At the green flag, Dion immediately jumped up two positions by making a great start. Dion and the #77 were running anywhere from 5th to 9th before handing the car off to Memo with close to an hour and a half to go. Memo continued to charge where Dion left off. With less than an hour to go, Memo was sitting fourth and that elusive podium looked to be within reach. “I had Oswaldo Negri in front of me and was trying to keep some pressure on him so that I could find a way by,” said Gidley. “However, I made a slight mistake and drove off into the grass on the exit of the high speed kink. This filled up my brake ducts, making the front brakes almost useless which made the car a real handful after that.” Nonetheless, Gidley continued to charge and brought the #77 McDonalds/Pr Newswire car home in one of its best positions this year in fifth place. “That was a difficult race and I was excited that we were still able to finish fifth,” said Gidley. “That elusive podium seems closer and closer and I can’t wait for it to happen. It will sure be well deserved for all of us at Doran Racing.”
Gidley and the Doran Team have another nice run at their home town track Mid Ohio
And the Doran team started off strong with Memo putting the McDonalds/PR Newswire/Ford/Dallara car fifth in the opening practice. “We have unloaded with a really good car at most of the races this season,” said Gidley. “We have a good baseline set up with the car right now.” In qualifying, Dion again did a good job by putting the bright red #77 seventh. “Dion is doing a nice job and is consistently putting the McDonalds/Pr Newswire car towards the front of the field,” said Gidley. “Track position is so critical on a track with a short straightaway like Mid Ohio.” At the start, Dion had a great opening stint, keeping the #77 in sights of the leaders. At the one hour mark, a full course caution came out and the Doran team put Memo in to finish the race. “Even though it was really hot outside, I felt strong in the car and was doing everything I could to try to make a few more positions,” said Gidley. “It was a bit frustrating because as fast as we were, we were not strong on top speed and to pass was very difficult.” With fifteen laps to go, Memo was in fifth place and was one of the fastest cars on the track. “I got a couple of really bad breaks trying to pass a couple of GT cars and the Spirit of Daytona and Gainsco car slipped by down the straights,” said Gidley. “It was frustrating because I was thinking I was going to be able to hold fifth place to the end.” When the checkered flag did fall, the Doran Racing #77 with Memo behind the wheel finished in seventh place. “You know, as a team we did a lot of things right this weekend with a solid car, good pit strategy and nice pit stops,” said Gidley. “We really just needed a little more straight line speed to be able to get us on that podium. But all in all, it was a great weekend for the McDonalds/PR Newswire team and really fun to have all the local Doran fans that made the trip out to support us.”
Gidley and the Doran Team running strong at the Glen with Gidley ready to tackle the “Widow Maker”
After the first practice, Memo and the #77 car sat impressively in second place and in a powerhouse team sandwich between Gainsco and Ganassi Racing. And just to prove that it was no fluke, Memo and the Doran team went out to lead the second practice for most of the session before being knocked down to fourth with just a few minutes to go. “The thing that I am most excited about this year is that it seems in most of the races so far, we have been fast right off of the trailer,” said Gidley. “The only way to do this is with good mechanics and strong set ups, both of which seem to be happening.” When it came to qualifying, the Doran team with Memo driving, could only lay down a lap good for eighth place. “I thought I would be going for the pole and was dumbfounded as to why we lost so much speed in qualifying,” said Gidley. “But, we did make a couple of changes before the session that potentially cost us a lot of time.” However, with Memo starting, it didn’t take long for the bright red McDonalds/PR Newswire Dallara to claw its way forward. And just thirty minutes into the race, Memo was up to fifth With Memo exiting the car at the mandatory forty five minute pit stop, it was Dion’s chance to have a turn at the wheel just as the rain started to fall. “Even though he did have a quick spin, I thought Dion did a really nice job in very tricky conditions and actually had some of the fastest laps at the time…I was impressed,” said Gidley. “Because of the sporadic rainfall, none of the teams wanted to come in and all of the cars ran the wet track on slicks, not an easy task for Dion.” As the race continued to run, the Doran team struggled a little in the middle stints, during the heat of the day. “We lost something as the heat came up,” said Gidley. “But then as the temps fell by the end of the race we were once again, running some very quick laps.” At the completion of the race, the #77 McDonalds/PR Newswire prototype finished in ninth, one lap down from the leaders, with Memo setting the fifth fastest lap in the process. “I have been saying for a couple of years that a podium or win is just around the corner for Doran Racing,” said Gidley. “But wow, it sure seems like a very long corner so far! But I am very positive that this will happen soon. As a team we now have many of the pieces of the puzzle in place, we just need to work on a few more to really be a contender.”
Gidley and the Doran Team Heading to Watkins Glen After Running Strong in Lime Rock The Doran Racing Team with drivers Memo Gidley and Dion Von Moltke, had a strong run going at the Lime Rock Memorial Day Classic before being sidelined by a crash due to a failed suspension piece. The weekend started exceptionally well, with the #77 Mc Donald’s/PR Newswire Ford Dallara, quick right from the drop of the green flag in practice. “I was thinking we might have a lot of catch up to do since we were one of only a couple of teams that had missed the open test at Lime Rock earlier in the month,” said Gidley. “However as it turned out, the car was really close right from the start.” In qualifying, Memo’s teammate Dion Von Moltke put the #77 solidly in sixth place for the starting grid. And then after a great opening stint behind the wheel, rookie teammate Von Moltke, handed over the wheel to Gidley with about two hours left to go in the race. Unfortunately a snagged radio wire in the driver change cost the #77 about twenty seconds and in the process, the #77 car lost lap because of the short length of the track. However, towards the end of the race, a lucky break with a wave by under yellow, the #77 was now lined up on the lead lap but at the tail end of the grid. “I knew we had a fast car and I was just waiting for the yellow to bunch us all up again,” said Gidley. “As soon as the green waved it was either be hunted or get hunted…typical exciting Grand Am Racing and I was having a lot of fun.” With just under thirty minutes to, Gidley was up to seventh place and aggressively looking for a way around the group of three cars in front of him. Unfortunately, upon running over the curb at the chicane, the left rear suspension failed and sent Gidley straight into the tires. “The track has very aggressive curbs…and really when you are battling like we were you have to be pretty aggressive over them to be fast. I was disappointed with the failure but also really pleased with how fast the racecar was.” The #77 ended up finishing eleventh, with Memo setting the third fastest race lap in the process. And now the Doran team finds itself in NY for the next round of action in this weekend’s Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glenn GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series race presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16. Historically, Watkins Glen has been a track that the Doran team shines on. Including the last time Memo raced here with the Doran Team in 2008, he led 30 laps in route to an impressive 5th place finish. “I really love driving this Watkins Glenn track,” said Gidley. “It is fast and technical and the #77 Car has always been so good here. I think we are going to have a great weekend.”
Doran and Gidley rebound with strong finishes in second double of the season!
The Doran tam took to the track on Friday’s first practice session and came away not happy with the performance of the #77 car. However, with a compact two day show like the one at VIR, and only two practice sessions, the team had to rely on experience to quickly come up with something that would work better. The true test of a team that has a lot of good momentum is being able to recover from a bad handling car on a short weekend and turn it around,” said Gidley. “I was really happy with the team because there was no sense of panic, but the car went from not great in the first practice, to pretty good in the second and last practice before qualifying.” Then, new co-driver Dion Von Moltke, then put the #77 McDonalds/PR Newswire car eighth in qualifying, a great position after not a lot of practice. “I was really happy that Dion adapted to the new set up so quickly, and put our car right in the mix of things,” said Gidley. “I really like his attitude…he just gets in and gets it done with no excuses.” After starting eighth, Dion held his position early and was having a nice run until he started to struggle with rapidly deteriorating rear tyres; making long green flag runs difficult to maintain a competitive pace. And then a mistake in the pits where a missing stop board meant Dion would miss the #77 pit box, and lose another thirty seconds in the process of the crew pushing the car back into the pit box. Upon re-entering the track, it was not long before Dion and the #77 car were put a lap down by the race winning #01 Telmex car. “In racing, everything and everybody is pushed to the limits, and sometimes mistakes happen,” said Gidley. “It was nice that the team remained calm, and then worked on a plan to try to get our lap back.” A yellow flag at about half distance, saw the #77 get a wave by and get it’s lap back and then immediately come into the pits to put Memo in the car. Although successfully getting the lap back, Memo was still nearly a lap behind the leaders, and really needed a yellow to have a shot to get the McDonalds/PR Newswire car back into the top ten. For the next forty five minutes, Memo set some blistering times, ultimately setting the fourth fastest lap of the race in his quest to catch the pack. A yellow flag with less than ten laps remaining, bunched up the field followed by a five lap shootout would see Memo muscle the #77 into eighth place before the chequered flag fell. “Those last five laps of green were so much fun…everybody was letting it all hang out!” said Gidley. “We lost a lap early on, had a pit mistake, and even with not a lot of help with yellow flags; the Doran team still managed to finish eighth with a few passes at the end…that was a good day.” True to Gidley style, immediately after the race and after saying thanks to his crew, Memo jumped in his rental car and headed towards the airport to catch a red-eye back to CA for his second race of the weekend, DJSA Outlaw race #2 at the Camp Far West Lake in Wheatland, CA. Gidley, the Muscle Milk Extreme athlete, caught his plane in North Carolina, arrived in the San Francisco airport at 1:00 am, and was in his bed at home by 2:30 am, only to be awakened by a loud buzzing alarm at 5 am.
Perfect weather saw the largest turnout in DJSA history, with the 850 Expert class having a full grid of fifteen riders filling the starting line of the first of three motos. In race #1, Gidley, jumped out to a good start, only to get forced wide on the outside of turn one, slipping back to sixth. Then a few corners later, Gidley had the first of three crashes, ultimately finishing eleventh in a disappointing moto #1.
“The
first moto was very disappointing for me because I was just making all
sorts of mistakes and not riding to my potential,” said Gidley. “I was
determined to turn it around.” “Wow, that was a great race!” said Gidley. “I was bummed I missed a buoy because I thought I had a real good shot to finish that last moto first. I rounded a turn only to pound a wave and have my goggles fill up with water; I even think I had a fish swimming around in there! By the time the water cleared up I was past the buoy. But that taste of leading inspires me to work even harder to do it again…I am stoked for the next race in two weeks!”
Fourth’s all around for Doran and the Gidley double!
The #77 McDonalds prototype was fast right away as Gidley immediately jumped to the front of the timing charts in practice showed that they had a shot to have a strong weekend. “Even though we were fast here last year, different tires, cooler weather, all these details can change the speed of a car year to year,” said Gidley. “However, after my first laps, I knew the #77 McDonalds car felt great and I knew we were going to be very competitive and I could not wait to race.” In qualifying, newly signed teammate Dion VonMoltke showed why he is going to be a great asset by putting the #77 McDonalds car fifth in qualifying. “I told Dion he is the glimmer of hope we needed to really have a shot to show what we can do,” said Gidley “I was really proud of him for putting the McDonalds’ car fifth on the starting grid.” At the start, Dion got freight trained and dropped a few positions, but then settled into a great pace before handing the car off to Gidley just as the pit window opened thirty minutes into the race. Gidley jumped in and then started picking off cars one at a time over the next couple of hours. Eventually he and the Doran team found themselves in fourth spot with Memo locked in a battle with third spot Ryan Dalziel in the #8 Starworks car. It was a great race that would ultimately see the Doran car finish fourth, its best result in five years. “I was in the car over two hours, I was hot, I was tired, and because we were so competitive, I was lov’n every minute of it!” said Gidley. “Dion did a fantastic job of handing me the car in a great spot, Kevin and the Doran team gave us an awesome car, it was just a great race and I was very happy for everybody involved.”
After just making the flight with thirty minutes to spare, a five hour flight next to a screaming baby, a three hour sleep at his house, a two and a half hour drive to Cooperopolis, Ca, Gidley found himself arriving at Salt Springs Reservoir for the DJSA Jet Ski Series race #1. “I should have been tired but surprisingly felt really strong,” said Gidley. “I have been training harder than ever before and it was nice to see that pay off.” The conditions in sunny California were anything but that as cold, rainy and extremely windy conditions made for some of the roughest water conditions the DJSA outlaw series has seen for a long time. Either way, DJSA series staff and riders bundled up and everybody saw some amazing racing. At the end of the day, last year’s 800 Champion, Gidley, would end up fourth overall in the Super 850 Expert class final. “I had two terrible starts, the first losing positions because of contact with two riders, and the second, a rock was sucked into my impeller causing me to have a big loss of power, but even with all that I was battling second and third place in both motos,” said Gidley. “It was a great achievement for me as I was just bumped up to the expert class which has much stiffer competition. I can’t wait for the next race!”
Another Top Ten for Gidley and the McDonald's/Doran Race Team
Dion ended up qualifying the car 11th after some strong personal practice times earlier in the day. “Dion really impressed me with his ability to get up to speed in the McDonald's car right away,” said Gidley. “Unfortunately, he made a mistake on the second lap of qualifying and badly flat spotted a front tire which really hurt his qualifying run. Without that, I was sure he was going to qualify in the top eight…he was doing that well.” At the start of the race, Dion was able to move as high as 8th before settling back into just around the top ten. Then the mandatory 45 minute stop for all teams saw Dion get out and Memo get in to see what he could do in the McDonald's car for the next 2 hours.
The Brumos car hounded Gidley, eventually putting the #77 McDonald's car a lap down. Gidley then fought back and ten laps later re-passed the leading Brumos car to put the McDonald's car back on the lead lap. “The McDonald's car really felt nice and I was able to track down the lead car and get our lap back which felt really good,” said Gidley. “But again, the yellow never came which was frustrating for us.” At the end of the nearly three hour race, the #77 McDonald's car ended up finishing 9th overall. “It was a bit frustrating because the car felt like a 5th or 6th place car and we just needed a yellow to get us back up to the lead group and go racing,” said Gidley. “But, all in all, it was a good weekend for the #77 McDonald's car and to have two strong run early in the season is a positive thing for us. Dion also did a good job in this race. I was impressed with his speed and know that he will just continue to get stronger and stronger in the car. I’m looking forward to good things around the corner for us.”
Gidley takes the #77 McDonalds Car to the Front, Finishes 10th in Daytona 24 Hours
Even at that, with another day of practice before the start of the race on Saturday, the team went to work to get a little more speed out of the car. And ultimately, the practice times on Friday had the McDonalds car sitting 7th fastest. “Kevin made two really good changes to the car on Friday practice that improved the car nicely,” said Gidley. “Other than that, we just went through the motions, bedding brakes, cycling drivers in for practice, working on driver changes. With the speed of the car on Friday, and our good progress with all the other details that needs to get done for a long race like Daytona, I was feeling really confident for the race.” When race day did roll around on Saturday, and in typical Daytona 24 fashion, conditions had gone from perfect and dry to heavy downpours and it was obvious the start of the race would be very treacherous. “One of the things I love about this race is the unpredictability of anything and everything,” said Gidley.. “When I woke up Saturday morning to heavy downpours, I could only think to myself, ok…here we go!” Because of the horribly conditions, the race was started under yellow and the entire field followed behind the pace car for a number of laps to access the conditions of the track. When the race did go green, Gidley immediately jumped from eleventh to eighth by the end of the first lap. Then every lap he continued to slice through the field, and by the fifteenth lap, Gidley and the bright red McDonalds #77 leading. With rain known as the great equalizer, Memo then put on a clinic in the wet conditions as he pulled away to a six second lead until the first caution came out, lapping a second faster than anybody in the field. “I really enjoy driving in the wet and was having an awesome time slicing up through the field,” said Gidley. “There is nothing like the feeling you get from being in first, and looking at a clear track ahead of you, in typical McDonalds style, I really was luv’n it!” After a fantastic first hour, the McDonalds car then settled into a nice top ten pace with no real drama. “In a race like this, protecting the car and being as easy on it as possible while still maintaining a fast pace is what will ultimately win you this race,” said Gidley.
With the McDonalds car back out on the track and many laps down, now it was important to have a trouble free run and hope good reliability from here on out would improve their position. “Not only was there still water on the track, it was dark and now the temperature had dropped dramatically which made the first few laps coming out of every pit stop on cold tires extremely treacherous,” said Gidley. “My co-drivers, Fabrizzio, Brad, and Derek did a really nice job in really tough conditions.” Regardless, the McDonalds team drove on and continued to pick off cars one at a time. And after a long and grueling twenty two hours, the McDonalds team had moved into tenth place in class, and would stay that way until the chequered flag fell two hours later. “It feels great after that broken gearbox to recover and finish tenth,” said Gidley. “For the last few months everybody on the Doran team has been working very hard in preparation for this event and it was nice that we ran strong at the end.” And when asked about his experiences at this year race. “This is the Daytona 24 hour experience…exciting and unpredictable!” said Gidley. “I have been dreaming and working hard to win this race and put that Rolex watch on my wrist for a number of years. But even with all the hard work I put in, a little luck…or bad luck like we had this year can really hurt the chances of winning. Regardless, it was a wicked good time and I enjoyed it. I want to thank my Doran team, McDonalds, and my co-drivers Fabrizzio, Brad and Derek, who all did an outstanding job. One day my neighborhood will see me driving around, hanging my arm out the window of my truck wearing my Rolex watch, just not this year.”
Check out Memo Gidley’s personal sponsors. Muscle Milk at www.musclemilk.com and other Cytosport workout products and supplements at www.cytosport.com , Aderholt Specialty at www.aderholt.com, Trackmagic Karts at www.trackmagic.com, Marin Bikes at www.marinbikes.com ,Bell Helmets at www.bellracing.com , Gatorz precision eyewear at www.gatorz.com , Shawn Thomas Automotive at Infineon Raceway, MG Secrets of speed karting books at www..mgsecretsofspeed.com
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The
Doran team with drivers Memo Gidley and Dion Von Moltke, notched up
another great run this past weekend in the EMCO Gears Classic held at
the Mid Ohio sports car course for round #7 of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports
Car Series race presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16. Doran Racing,
which is based in Mansfield, Ohio, considers this its hometown track and
the Doran fans came out in force to support the local teams effort.
“Just coming to this race is special to me because of all the success I
have had over the years here on my climb up the ladder,” said Gidley.
“But it was even more special because being a Doran Team driver meant a
lot of local people came out to support us which was awesome.”
So
far this year, the #77 McDonalds/PR Newswire Daytona prototype has been
getting a lot of attention. It seems like week in and week out, the
driving duo of Memo Gidley and Dion Von Moltke, have been seen on more
occasions than not, towards the front end of the Daytona Prototype
field. And this past weekend at the Sahlens 6 Hours of the Glen round#5
of the GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask
No. 16 series race, was no different. 
The
Doran team with drivers Memo Gidley and Dion Von Moltke, turned what
could have been a poor weekend into a strong day for the #77
McDonalds/PR Newswire Daytona Prototype this past weekend at the
GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16,
the Bosch Engineering 250 at Virginia International Raceway. 
“That
wake up alarm came sooner than just about any alarm I have ever had!”
said Gidley. “After a few minutes of telling myself to get up, I jumped
into the truck and started the two and a half hour drive to the Jet Ski
race.” 
Doran
Racing had their best result in five years finishing fourth this past
weekend with the #77 McDonalds car in round #3 of the GRAND-AM Rolex
Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16, Saturday during
the Porsche 250 at Barber Motorsports Park in Birmingham, Alabama.
After
that Gidley immediately jumped in his rental car and drove off to
Atlanta to try to catch a flight hoping to get back to DJSA Jet Ski
Series race #1 at Salt Springs Reservoir Sunday at Copperopolis, CA.
“Thank goodness for my engineer Mike, who told me that Atlanta was one
hour ahead of Alabama, or I don’t think I would have known to leave at
the right time!” said Gidley. 
The
#77 McDonald's/Doran Daytona Prototype had another strong finish in
round two of the 2010 GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by
Crown Royal Cask No. 16 this past weekend at the Grand Prix of Miami.
The driver duo of Memo Gidley and newly recruited Dion VonMoltke,
brought the McDonald's car home 9th. The weekend kicked off on Friday,
with Memo and the team making significant changes to the #77 racecar in
practice. “I was happy with the positive changes we made to the car in
the very limited amount of practice we had at this event,” said Gidley.
“The car became very responsive and very competitive and I was looking
forward to see what Dion could do in qualifying and what we could do in
the race.” -Gidley-(R).jpg)
However,
Gidley came out of the pits and was only six seconds ahead of the #59
Brumos car and under an immediate threat to go a lap down. “We really
needed a yellow so that I could get back up to the tail end of the field
but that never came,” said Gidley. 
Beautiful
clear and warm conditions kicked off the Daytona 24 Hour race week and
the Doran team was anxiously awaiting the first day of practice and
qualifying. “The McDonalds car was running nice when we tested here a
few weeks ago, despite freezing cold conditions,” said Gidley. “And the
good feeling of the car continued when we first rolled out this
weekend.” In qualifying the first day, Memo put the #77 McDonalds car
solidly 11th on the grid. “I was pretty happy in qualifying because
even though we were not the fastest car, the McDonalds car felt really
solid,” said Gidley. 
Unfortunately,
also in typical Daytona 24 fashion, on hour six a problem surfaced. The
car was pulled into the garage with a broken ring and pinion in the
gearbox. “I don’t know how many people realize the magnitude of what
the mechanics fixed on the car in a short time,” said Gidley. “They
literally replaced the entire back half of the car in a little over an
hour, an amazing feat!”