| Nationality | Mexico United States |
|---|---|
| Birth date | September 29, 1970 (age 56) |
| Birth place | La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico |
| Racing licence | FIA Gold (until 2017) FIA Silver (2018–2019) FIA Bronze (2020–)[1] |
| Current series | GT America Series |
| First year | 2023 |
| Current team | TKO Motorsports with Flying Lizard |
| Car number | 101 |
| Starts | 18 |
| Wins | 8 |
| Best finish | 1st |
| Year | 2023 |
| Prev series | Champ Car Indy Racing League American Le Mans Series IMSA SportsCar Championship IMSA Prototype Challenge |
| Prev series years | 1999–2004 2000–2002 1999–2012 2014 2022 |
| Titles | GT America Series (SRO3) |
| Title years | 2023 |
| Awards | Team USA Scholarship |
| Award years | 1995 |
| Podiums | 15 |
| Championships | 1 |
José Guillermo "Memo" Gidley (born September 29, 1970) is a Mexican and American racing driver, who competed in IndyCar from 1999 to 2004.
Gidley worked at the Jim Russell racing school as a mechanic to fund his career for some time, eventually getting a chance in Champ Car with Derrick Walker in 1999, although this was as a short-term replacement. He did the same task for Gerry Forsythe a year later, and Chip Ganassi in 2001, twice coming close to race victories. He nearly retained his drive for 2002 - Ganassi later suggested that they keep Bruno Junqueira over him as the Brazilian was under contract.
Gidley has raced assorted sports cars since, although he made two Champ Car starts for Rocketsports in 2004, and briefly ran in the rival IRL series. After 2005 he competed full-time in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series, co-driving with Michael McDowell to a victory in the Mexico City season finale. In 2006, he raced in the Team Playboy cars and in 2007 he partnered Max Angelelli in the SunTrust Racing team.[2] In 2010, Gidley co-drove Team CytoSport's Porsche RS Spyder with Germany's Klaus Graf and Sascha Maassen to second in class (and overall) at Laguna Seca, but he reportedly hadn't given up yet on a return to major open wheel racing.
During the 2014 24 Hours of Daytona, Gidley suffered serious injuries when his Corvette DP slammed into the back of a Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 being driven by Matteo Malucelli. Malucelli's car had lost power and had rolled to a near stop on the track, when Gidley hit him at approximately 120 miles per hour (190 km/h).[3] Gidley was taken by ambulance to Halifax Health Medical Center, where doctors diagnosed him with a broken back and leg and arm injuries.[4] Gidley underwent three surgeries before being released from the hospital eleven days after the accident.[5] After five further surgeries and three years of recovering from his injuries, Gidley made his return to racing in September 2017.[6][7]
Gidley made his come-back to racing full-time in 2022, in the IMSA Prototype Challenge, driving a Duqueine D-08 LMP3.[8] He won the second race of the season at Mid-Ohio,[9] and finished second in the championship overall. Gidley raced in GT America Series in 2023, and won the SRO3(GT3) championship,[10] with 8 wins.
Motorsports career results
American Open-Wheel racing results
(key)
Complete USF2000 National Championship results
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | Pos | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | Cape Motorsports | PIR1 46 | PIR2 1 | IRP 1 | RIR 4 | WGI 43 | MOH1 1 | NHS 2 | ATL1 6 | ATL2 2 | MOH1 7 | 2nd | 196 |
Atlantic Championship
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | Lynx Racing | HMS 2 | LBH 7 | NAZ 26 | MIL 3 | MTL 3 | CLE 9 | TOR 1 | TRR 5 | MOH 4 | ROA 5 | VAN 1 | LS 25 | 2nd | 136 | |
| 1998 | Lynx Racing | LBH 1 | NAZ 4 | GAT 1 | MIL 1 | MTL 32 | CLE 26 | TOR 6 | TRR 4 | MOH 27 | ROA 2 | VAN 7 | LS 22 | HOU 5 | 3rd | 134 |
CART/Champ Car World Series
| Year | Team | No. | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | Rank | Points | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Walker Racing | 15 | Reynard 99i | Honda HRS V8t | MIA | MOT | LBH | NZR | RIO | STL | MIL | POR 19 | CLE 11 | ROA 26 | TOR 12 | MIC | 27th | 4 | [11] | |||||||||
| Payton/Coyne Racing | 71 | Lola B99/00 | Ford XD V8t | DET 20 | MOH 22 | CHI | VAN 12 | LS 13 | HOU 14 | SRF 14 | FON | |||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | Player's Forsythe Racing | 32 | Reynard 2Ki | Ford XF V8t | MIA | LBH 21 | RIO 8 | MOT 18 | NZR | MIL | DET | POR | CLE | TOR | 20th | 20 | [12] | |||||||||||
| Della Penna Motorsports | 10 | Toyota RV8E V8t | MIC 10 | CHI 10 | MOH 12 | ROA 6 | VAN 16 | LS 19 | STL 22 | HOU 21 | SRF | FON 21 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | Chip Ganassi Racing | 12 | Lola B01/00 | Toyota RV8F V8t | MTY | LBH | TXS | NZR | MOT | MIL | DET | POR 25 | CLE 2* | TOR 17 | MIC 14 | CHI 5 | MOH 11 | ROA 20 | VAN 10 | LAU 14 | ROC 18 | HOU 3 | LS 2 | SRF 10 | FON 14 | 17th | 65 | [13] |
| 2004 | Rocketsports | 17 | Lola B02/00 | Ford XFE V8t | LBH | MTY | MIL | POR | CLE | TOR 16 | VAN 11 | ROA | DEN | MTL | LS | LVS | SRF | MXC | 21st | 15^ | [14] | |||||||
- ^ New points system implemented in 2004
Indy Racing League
| Year | Team | No. | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Rank | Points | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Team Pelfrey | 82 | Dallara IR-00 | Oldsmobile Aurora V8 | WDW | PHX | LVS | INDY DNQ | TXS | PPIR | ATL | KTY | TX2 | NC | - | [15] | ||||||
| 2001 | Brayton Racing | 61 | Dallara IR-01 | PHX | HMS | ATL | INDY DNQ | TXS | PPIR | RIR | KAN | NSH | KTY | STL | CHI | TX2 | NC | - | [16] | |||
| 2002 | Dreyer & Reinbold Racing | 24 | G-Force GF05C | Infiniti VRH35ADE V8 | HMS | PHX | FON 21 | NZR | 46th | 9 | [17] | |||||||||||
| Duesenberg Brothers Racing | 32 | Dallara IR-02 | Chevrolet Indy V8 | INDY DNQ | TXS | PPIR | RIR | KAN | NSH | MIS | KTY | STL | CHI | TX2 | ||||||||
Indy 500 results
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Start | Finish | Team |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Dallara | Oldsmobile | DNQ | Team Pelfrey | |
| 2001 | Dallara | Oldsmobile | DNQ | Brayton Racing | |
| 2002 | Dallara | Chevrolet | DNQ | Duesenberg Brothers Racing | |
Complete American Le Mans Series results
| Year | Entrant | Class | Chassis | Engine | Tyres | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Rank | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Panoz Motor Sports | LMP | Panoz LMP-1 Roadster-S | Ford (Élan-Yates) 6.0 L V8 | SEB | ATL | MOS | SON | POR | PET ovr:5 cls:5 | MON | LSV | 63rd | 15 | |||||
| 2006 | Highcroft Racing | LMP1 | MG-Lola EX257 | AER P07 2.0L Turbo I4 | SEB | TEX | MID | LIM | UTA | POR | AME | MOS | PET ovr:3 cls:3 | MON | 20th | 19 | |||
| 2007 | Team Cytosport | LMP1 | Lola B06/10 | AER P32T 4.0L Turbo V8 | SEB | STP | LNB | TEX | UTA | LIM | MID | AME | MOS | DET | PET ovr:14 cls:3 | MON | 20th | 19 | |
| 2010 | Muscle Milk Team CytoSport | LMP | Porsche RS Spyder Evo | Porsche MR6 3.4 L V8 | SEB | LNB | MON ovr:2 cls:2 | UTA | LIM | MID | AME | MOS | PET | NC | - | ||||
| 2012 | Muscle Milk Pickett Racing | PC | Oreca FLM09 | Chevrolet LS3 6.2 L V8 | SEB ovr:42 cls:5 | LNB ovr:4 cls:2 | MON ovr:6 cls:4 | LIM | MOS | MID | AME | BAL | VIR | PET | 12th | 40 | |||
- * Season still in progress.
WeatherTech SportsCar Championship results
(key)(Races in bold indicate pole position, Results are overall/class)
| Year | Team | Class | Make | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Rank | Points | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing | P | Riley Corvette DP | Chevrolet 5.5L V8 | DAY 18 | SEB | LBH | LAG | DET | WGL | MOS | IMS | ROA | COA | PET | 56th | 14 | [18] |
| Source:[19] | ||||||||||||||||||
References
- ^ Goodwin, Graham (19 November 2019). "2020 FIA Driver Categorisation List Published". Dailysportscar. Retrieved 31 December 2025.
- ^ Wilson, Derek (August 8, 2007). "IRL at Sonoma: No place like home for Marin drivers". The Mercury News. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016.
- ^ Dagys, John (January 25, 2014). "Scary Rolex 24 Wreck Sends Two Drivers to Daytona Hospital". Fox Sports. Archived from the original on June 14, 2014.
- ^ Olsen, Jeff (January 26, 2014). "Memo Gidley breaks back in crash at Rolex 24 at Daytona". USA Today
- ^ "Memo Gidley, injured in Rolex 24, released from hospital". USA Today. February 6, 2014. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ Coble, Don (January 27, 2017). "After horrific crash, Gidley ready to drive again". The Florida Times-Union. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ "Driver Memo Gidley returning to IMSA race seat". Autoweek. September 7, 2017. Retrieved July 6, 2025.
- ^ "Gidley making Daytona return in Prototype Challenge". RACER. 2022-01-10. Retrieved 2023-09-28.
- ^ "Memo-rable Journey Reaches Memo-rable Moment: Gidley's Return to Victory Lane"
- ^ "Memo Gidley Clinches GT America SRO3 Championship In Race 1". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 2023-10-12.
- ^ "Memo Gidley – 1999 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ "Memo Gidley – 2000 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ "Memo Gidley – 2001 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ "Memo Gidley – 2004 Champ Car World Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 15, 2023.
- ^ "Memo Gidley – 2000 Indy Racing Northern Lights Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
- ^ "Memo Gidley – 2001 Indy Racing Northern Lights Series Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
- ^ "Memo Gidley – 2002 Indy Racing League Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved August 6, 2023.
- ^ "Memo Gidley – 2014 Tudor United SportsCar Championship Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Memo Gidley Results". Motorsport Stats. Retrieved 21 March 2024.