Memo Gidley was born into a family that lived for excitement and adventure. An hour after his birth in La Paz, Mexico, Memo was taken out to the sailboat that would be his home until he was nearly eight years old. Raised by Cass, a hard working commercial fisherman from Canada, and Mary, a freelance writer from Wisconsin, Memo spent his early years on the Pacific Ocean between Mexico and Northern California, accompanied by his two sisters, Lupe and Sharon, and the family dog, Huckleberry. The family lived as “anchor outs” in the San Francisco Bay, maintaining a lifestyle straight out a Steinbeck novel. Eventually, they would move to dry land and the town of San Rafael, California. It was his time spent on the ocean that helped develop a work ethic that would take Memo from seeing his first car race to driving an Indy Car in a mere seven years, less than half the average time of most top-level drivers.
Memo learned to sail and began racing small sailboats at the age of seven. Between the ages of eight and eleven, he had successfully raced BMX bicycles and decided it was time to try racing with a motor. When he was 11, Memo purchased a motocross bike with money he had earned from painting boats around the harbors, and doing odd jobs after school. Memo and Sister Lupe would join Cass on his motorcycle (which would tow a small trailer with Memo’s bike), head out to the races and sleep under the stars. Gidley went on to win multiple 125 and 250cc Championships and continued to travel this way until “the kids grew too large to fit on Dad’s bike.”
Shortly after high school, Memo decided to pursue his dream of racing cars – a dream that was born in 1991 after his uncle, Jon, had taken him to see an IndyCar race at the legendary Laguna Seca Raceway near Monterey, California. The first time he saw the sleek, gleaming cars race through the world famous “corkscrew” section of the track, he knew what he wanted to spend the rest of life pursuing. Without the money to start his career, he referred to a flyer he had found blowing around the infield of Laguna. Leaving his apartment and moving down to Monterey, Memo enrolled in the mechanics-training program at the Jim Russell Racing School. In exchange for working in the school’s shop, Memo was able to begin driving and raced in the USAC Russell Championship Series. In his first race, Memo surprised the competition by qualifying on pole and leading the race from start to finish. Although it was his rookie season, Memo went on to win the 1992 series championship, winning nine of eleven races. After winning his first championship and graduating from the Mechanics Training Program, Memo moved to San Francisco to race for the Trackmagic Factory Kart team and to continue to pursue his dream of racing cars.
20 years later, Memo has raced virtually everything – from shifter karts to IndyCars, Formula Fords to Daytona Prototypes, American Le Mans GT cars and prototypes, even Jet Skis and schooners. No matter what the format, Gidley brings his tenacious drive and competitive fire, impressing and astounding his crews with his motivation and fitness. Along the way, Gidley has amassed a dedicated following of fans who realize that his engagement and interaction are exceptional even in a social-media-driven world. Memo has built his following the old-fashioned way – one race and one fan at a time.
Memo’s road to the top has garnered more print and television media coverage than most drivers in the sport due to his results, diverse background and because he is a supreme athlete and spokesperson. Memo has many interests that are part of his active and adrenaline-packed lifestyle. He spends his non-racing days working out, racing his shifter kart, riding his mountain bike, racing his Jet Ski, sailing, kayaking, and wakeboarding, to name a few. Known as “Mr. Adrenaline,” if it is exciting, Memo does it.
Memo also enjoys promoting his active and healthy lifestyle. In a day and age of selfish and arrogant celebrity sportsmen, Memo is a breath of fresh air.
The only woman in the world to win in the Firestone Indy Lights and in the Formula Renault, the Brazilian female racing driver Ana Beatriz is preparing herself to make her debut at Formula Indy in 2010. She should become the first woman in Brazil to race in a top series of the international motorsport.
Natural from the city of Sâo Paulo with 24 years old, she started to race with karting by the age of nine, in 1994, and stayed in karting until 2003, when she made her debut in Formula Renault Brasil, a series where she won three races in 2005. In 2006, she raced in Formula 3 Sul-Americana.
In 2007, she practice in Europe; she participated in the A1 GP Rookie Drivers programme with the Brazilian Team, in China, being invited by Emerson Fittipaldi, experience that she repeated in 2009, in Portugal; and she practiced in the Firestone Indy Lights, in the United States of America.
In 2008, she made her debut in the Firestone Indy Lights, and ended with the third place in the championship, racing by Sam Schmidt Motorsports.
In her second season with the team, in 2009, she could not participate in two races, and ended the championship in the eighth place.
She won a race, in the oval circuit of Nashville, in 2008, and another race, in the oval circuit of Iowa, in 2009.
In 2008, she was honored by the Firestone Indy Lights organization by receiving the Rising Star Award, and in 2009 she won the Most Popular Indy Light Driver Award, being chosen in a poll from the members of the IndyCar Nation, Indy's official fan club, as the most popular driver of the Firestone Indy Lights.
2009 Canadian National Junior Rotax Champion Team Canada, Rotax World Finals, Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt Inside Track Magazine Kart Racer of the Year
2010 Western Canadian Challenge Junior Rotax Champion Team Canada, Rotax World Finals, Muro Lecesse, Italy Runner up at the 2nd Annual Hinchtown Shootout
2011 Ontario Formula Ford Challenge w/ Britain West Motorsports 12 races, 10 top 10’s, 9 podiums, 4 poles, 3 wins New track record of 1:26.92 originally held by Conor Daly Quebec Formula Tour w/ Britian West Motorsports Six races, 3 podiums, 1 win, 2 fastest laps Represented Sick Kids Foundation in 2011 Formula One Charity Event
2012 SCCA Formula F Series Championship w/ BHA/Mygale 10 races, seven top fives, three podiums Quebec Formula Tour w/ BHA/Mygale. ?Canadian F1 – second & fourth – pole & fastest lap. Represented Sick Kids Foundation in 2012 Formula One Charity Event. Awarded the Team Canada Scholarship for the Formula Ford Festival
Nick Neri started racing at a young age, over the course of 11 years he has totaled over 300 wins and 26 championships. He was able to secure his first car win in his first attempt at the Skip Barber Winter Series. Here are some of his recent accomplishments: 2011 SKUSA SuperNationals S2 Winner 2011 Skip Barber Karting Shootout 2nd Place 2011 US Rotax Grand National Champion Rotax 2 Time Team USA Member at the Rotax World Finals 2 Time EKN Young Driver of the Year
Bowyer began racing at the age of five in motocross. He went on to capture over 200 wins and numerous championships over the next eight years. In 1996, he began racing street stocks at Thunderhill Speedway in Mayetta, Kansas, and won the Modified championship there in 2000. Bowyer racked up 18 wins and 32 top-five finishes on his way to capturing the 2001 Modified championships at Lakeside Speedway in Kansas City, Kansas and Heartland Park Topeka. In 2002, he began racing in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series, posting 9 poles, 12 wins and 32 top-five finishes en route to a second place finish in the NASCAR Weekly Racing Series national point standings. He was also crowned the 2002 NASCAR Weekly Racing Series Midwest Champion after another Modified championship at Lakeside Speedway and a Late Model championship at the famed I-70 Speedway in Odessa, MO, his first attempt at racing on asphalt.
Landon Cassill is the 2008 NASCAR Nationwide Series Rookie of the Year. Landon has been lead Research and Development driver for Hendrick Motorsports for five years. The 21 year old grew up in Cedar Rapids, IA and now lives in Charlotte, NC. Landon is a media and fan favorite for his likable personality and light-hearted spirit. Landon spends his time off the racetrack developing racing simulation software and listening to many different types of music.
Bradley Aaron "Brad" Keselowski (born February 12, 1984) is an American professional stock car racing driver and team owner. He currently races for Penske Racing in NASCAR, driving the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford Fusion in the Sprint Cup Series and the No. 22 Discount Tire Ford Mustang in the Nationwide Series. He is also the owner of Brad Keselowski Racing, which currently fields two full-time teams in the Camping World Truck Series.
Keselowski grew up in a racing family from Michigan. He is the son of Bob Keselowski and the nephew of Ron Keselowski. His older brother, Brian, is also a racing driver. In 2012, Keselowski joined Bobby Labonte as the only NASCAR drivers to have won a championship in both the Sprint Cup Series and the Nationwide Series.
He finished second in the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series season in his first year in the driver development program. He made his Nationwide Series debut in a Penske Racing car at Kansas Speedway that year and won the pole. He then drove in the season finale for Team 42 Racing.
He was slated to contest the first five races of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season with Team 42 with additional appearances possible. However, he failed to qualify at Daytona and Bristol. After missing the show at Bristol he was out of the car until returning for the eighth race of the season at Talladega where he crashed on lap 113. He earned his first Top 10 finish at Bristol's second race with a ninth place finish. Kligerman also earned a top ten with an 8th place finish at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Kligerman competed for Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2011, driving the No. 29 for Brad Keselowski Racing. He returned to the No. 29 truck in 2012, and also drove the Penske Racing No. 22 in the Nationwide Serieson a limited schedule, sharing the seat with Brad Keselowski and Jacques Villeneuve.
After the first eleven races of the 2012 season, Kligerman was released from his ride at Brad Keselowski Racing. Shortly thereafter, Red Horse Racing announced that they had signed a contract with Kligerman to drive the No. 7 Toyota for the remainder of the season.
Kligerman practiced and qualified the No. 22 Dodge for Penske Racing at Michigan International Speedway in the Sprint Cup Series in August 2012, as regular driver Sam Hornish, Jr. competed in the Nationwide Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuvethat weekend, returning for the race.
Kligerman won his first Camping World Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway on October 6, 2012. A fringe title contender late in the season, Kligerman was officially eliminated from championship contention after being involved in a crash at Phoenix and finishing in 27th place. The next week he would make his final start for Red Horse Racing in the 2012 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, winning his second career pole and finishing in 7th place. He finished 5th in the series points standings.
Anouncing that he would not be returning to Red Horse Racing or the Camping World Truck Series in 2013, Kligerman signed with Kyle Busch Motorsports to drive their No. 77 Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Nationwide Series full-time in 2013.
In November 2013, Kligerman made his Sprint Cup debut at Texas Motor Speedway in the AAA Texas 500, driving for Swan Racing. He finished 18th in the event, Swan's best result in 2013.[11] Two weekends later, at the Ford 400, Kligerman impressed again by finishing 25th, on the lead lap.
For 2014, Swan Racing announced Kligerman's hiring for the full 2014 season, as part of an expansion to two full-time teams, alongside Cole Whitt. During a practice session for the 2014 Daytona 500, Kligerman was involved in an accident that saw his car overturned into the catch fencing, but was uninjured.
Due to sponsorship woes and on track struggles including many DNFs and wrecked race cars in the first eight races, Swan was forced to sell off both of its teams prior to Richmond, with the #30 points being bought by Xxxtreme Motorsport, who already had a driver in J. J. Yeley. Thus, Kligerman was without a ride. However, Swan will continue to keep Kligerman under contract.
On May 14, Stewart-Haas Racing announced that Kligerman would serve as a stand-by driver for Kurt Busch in the No. 41 at the Sprint All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600 when Busch was attempting the 600-Indianapolis 500 "Double Duty".
Kligerman worked with NBC Sports Network as an analyst later in the 2014 season; in September, he announced that he would test an Indy Lights car for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.
JTG Daugherty Racing is proud to enter the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season with championship driver Bobby Labonte to contend for a spot in the coveted Chase during their third full-time season at the pinnacle of the sport.
Labonte may be new to the JTG Daugherty Racing team, but he is definitely not new to the scene owning 21 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series victories, 10 NASCAR Nationwide Series wins and a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series win.
In fact, his name is synonymous with champion. In 2000, the Corpus Christi, Texas-native was crowned the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion after an impressive four wins, 19 top-five and 24 top-10 finishes. The very next year he added to his accolades by winning the IROC Championship. He is also the 1991 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion. Ten years prior, he was hoisting a trophy for winning a Late Model Championship that helped pave the way to a successful career in NASCAR.
NASCAR Sprint Cup driver, Paul Menard, drives the No. 27 Menards Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing. Menard hails from Eau Claire, Wisconsin and began racing go-karts when he was 8 years old. He won the Briggs Junior Karting Class Championship and later claimed the Briggs Medium Class Champion before working his way up to higher level racing. He began ice racing at the age of 15 and won 10 International Ice Racing Association events in his career.
Piquet scored his first win in a NASCAR-sanctioned series in March at Bristol Motor Speedway, winning his first-ever K&N Pro Series East start. On June 23, 2012, Piquet scored his first win in NASCAR competition, winning the Nationwide Series Sargento 200 at Road America; he was the first Brazilian driver to win a NASCAR national touring series event. On August 18, 2012, Piquet won his first race in the Camping World Truck Series at Michigan. On lap 56 of the race he spun out racing Kurt Busch after a restart. The team pitted under the caution and it allowed them to use fuel strategy later in the race to obtain their first win of the season. On September 29, 2012, Piquet won his second career Camping World Truck Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
David Reutimann enters his fifth full NASCAR Sprint Cup season driving Michael Waltrip Racing's Toyota Camry sporting the traditional Reutimann family No. 00 and the equally familiar paint scheme of the Aaron's "Dream Machine™“ now in its 12th season with MWR and NASCAR.
The 40-year-old Reutimann also begins the 2011 season with his crew chief of three years Rodney Childers and a largely intact No. 00 crew from the previous season. About the only 2011 change for Reutimann will be in his expectations - those are certainly much greater.
The Zephyrhills, Fla. native no longer goes to the track each weekend hoping to qualify or run well. After consecutive seasons visiting victory lane, Reutimann and crew expect those victory lane celebrations to be even more frequent in 2011. With the expected success, the MWR team eyes a place in the 2011 "Chase for the Championship".
The No. 00 showed the speed and flashes of brilliance in 2010 to make it a Chase contender in '11. In July, Reutimann led 51 of the final 55 laps to win at Chicagoland Speedway. He's led over 100 laps the last three seasons posting 11 top-five finishes in the last two years.
TUMS and Best Western joined the primary sponsorship rotation in 2010 and return in 2011 giving Reutimann solid sponsorship for the next few years at MWR. Life is good for Reutimann who is one of those overnight sensations that took 25 years to create.
Reutimann followed the footsteps of his legendary father, Emil "Buzzie" Reutimann, who is still famous for his dirt-track domination all along the Eastern seaboard. David raced alongside his father, competing in Modified and Late Model races each Friday and Saturday night for the majority of this youth.
His first break came in 1997 when he started competing in the NASCAR Southwest Series where he earned Rookie of the Year honors. He competed in the series throughout the next five years, which included a second-place finish in the 2002 points standings.
During the 2002 season, Reutimann landed a career-changing opportunity courtesy of a connection with his long-time childhood friend Brian Pattie. Pattie was working with driver/owner Joe Nemechek, heading up the Nationwide team as the crew chief. Nemechek needed a driver and following Pattie's advice offered Reutimann a few races in 2002. Reutimann made his debut at Richmond finishing a respectable 16th-place. He competed in three more races in 2002 and performed well enough for Nemechek to give him a seven-race schedule in 2003, when he earned two top-five and three top-10 finishes.
Collecting his first career pole at Memphis in 2003 allowed Reutimann to say on national television that he was looking for a job. At the same time, Darrell Waltrip was starting a truck series team with new manufacturer Toyota and believed Reutimann was the ideal driver. The 2004 season marked Reutimann's first as a full-time driver in one of NASCAR's top touring series. Reutimann won his first career pole, as well as the first pole for Toyota, at Atlanta in just his second career start in 2004. He won another pole and set the track speed record during the season finale at Homestead to finish the year with four top-five and 10 top-ten finishes capturing the 2004 rookie of the year honors. His first career truck series victory came at Nashville in August 2005. In 2006, he won two poles, seven top-five and 19 top-10 finishes that placed him third in the driver point standings at season's end.
During the 2006 season, Reutimann ran a few races in the Nationwide Series for Darrel's brother Michael Waltrip. Later that year, the younger Waltrip announced in Reutimann's hometown of Zephyrhills, Fla. that he would be starting a full-time Cup Series team in 2007 with support from Toyota, which was planning to make its Cup Series debut that year. Reutimann's performance in 2006 led to his hiring at the newly formed MWR for the 2007 season as the full-time driver for Waltrip's Nationwide and Cup teams.
The 2007 season presented challenges to Reutimann and his MWR Cup Series team. While competing in 26 of the 36 races, the No. 00 Toyota team showed considerable progress toward the end of the season and finished 39th in the championship points race. Reutimann performed well on the 2007 Nationwide Series circuit, finishing second in the championship points race by collecting one win, one pole, five top-fives and 12 top-ten finishes.
In 2008, Reutimann again competed full-time in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide series and displayed marked improvement in both series, solidifying his position at MWR for 2009. Racing for MWR and Toyota in NASCAR's two premiere series gave Reutimann a national stage to display his driving talent and established him firmly in the sport.
In 2008, made all 36 races on the schedule, led the most laps at Richmond and posted multiple top-10 finishes. In the season finale at Homestead, Reutimann won his first pole award in front of home state fans. In just his second season of full-time competition, he recorded four top-10, 18 top-20 and 24 top-25 finishes to finish 22nd in the standings.
Reutimann took huge step forward in 2009, earning his first trip to victory lane in the rain-shortened version of the 600-mile race at Charlotte in May. Reutimann's popularity also soared to new heights. Playfully dubbed "The Franchise" by his team members, Reutimann finished in the top-five of the all-star race fan vote in 2009.
In 2010, Reutimann's fifth-place finish in the season opening Daytona 500 set a career best in NASCAR's most prestigious event. In May, he recorded back-to-back top-five finishes for the first time in his career with fifth-place finishes at both Dover and Charlotte. In July he earned his second career NSCS victory at Chicago. The win qualified Reutimann for a second consecutive appearance in NASCAR's upcoming all-star race in May. Reutimann recorded six top-five and nine top-10 finishes while leading 104 laps and finished 18th in the standings.
Brian Lee Vickers NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver. Vickers was the Nationwide Series champion, and at age 20, the youngest champion in any of NASCAR's three top-tier series. After taking a medical leave of absence during the 2010 season, Vickers returned to the #83 Red Bull Toyota Camry for Red Bull Racing Team in 2011.
2014: USA IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Championship, Platinum Class
For the 2014 IMSA Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge, USA, Michael raced with a financial scholarship from IMSA, Yokohama Tire, and Porsche Motorsport North America. This scholarship was a result of his success at the exclusive Porsche Motorsport Young Driver Academy held at Barber Motorsports Park in November of 2013.
Race 1-2 Sebring, Florida: Qualified P8 / Finished P6 / Championship Position P7
Race 3-4 Laguna Seca, California: Qualified P1 / Finished P1 / Championship Position P2
Race 5-6 Lime Rock, Connecticut: Qualified P2 / Finished P3 / Championship Position P2
Race 7-8 Watkins Glen, New York: Qualified P3 / Finished P3 / Championship Position P3
Race 9-10 Mosport, Canada: Qualified P3 / Finished P4 / Championship Position P3
Race 11-12 Road America, Wisconsin: Qualified P1 / Finished P1 / Championship Position P3
Race 13-14 Circuit of The Americas: Qualified P1 / Finished P1 / Championship Position P3
Race 15-16 Road Atlanta: Qualified P2 / Finished P2 / Championship Position P3 (Crowned Rookie Champion)
2013: FIA European Formula 3 Championship – 8 Top 10 Finishes **while missing 2 complete championship race weekends, Monza & Brands Hatch** / P12 at Masters of Formula 3 Zandvoort Circuit Park / Supported by Mercedes-Benz HWA AG Junior Program in F3 / Invited to and completed the 2013 Porsche Young Driver Academy – 2 Day Porsche Motorsport GT3 test at Barber Motorsports Park **1 of only 4 drivers invited**
In his rookie year as a professional racing driver, former pro cyclist, Robb Holland was the revelation of the SPEED World Challenge series. Holland finished the season strongly in 11th place overall just 13 points behind Jeff Courtney in a very hotly contested Rookie of the Year competition. However in the process of battling for the RoTY title, Holland became the first driver to score manufacturers points for Dodge in the Touring Car class on the strength of his 3rd place finish at Road America. In battling with the factory Acura’s and Mazda’s, Holland quickly earned the respect of the series veterans with his clean drives, fast pace and strong results.
Over the past several years Holland has been a consistent top podium finisher in both the World Challenge Touring Car and GT divisions and also has had several strong drives in the ultra competitive Grand Am series. In addition Holland has made a number of guest appearances in the National Auto Sport Association National Championships, culminating in a spectacular from the back of the grid to 2nd place drive in the ST2 class in 2007.
In 2012, Holland rebounded from the late demise of the Volvo factory C30 Touring Car program by becoming the first American in almost 40 years to race in the British Touring Car Championships. The affable Holland quickly won over the British fans by scoring points in 3 out of his first 6 races. Later in the year Holland made history again this time by becoming the first American ever to race in the World Touring Car Championships, when the series made it’s U.S. debut at Sonoma Raceway. Holland was called in, literally, at the last minute, to fill in for the teams regular driver, and he responded strongly by placing 13th overall and 7th in the independents category against the top Touring Car drivers in the world.
When he isn’t racing, Holland still spends most of his time at the track working as a driving instructor for Lamborghini of Denver, Audi Club of America, and 3Zero3 Motorsports as well as a personal driving instructor for several clients around the country. In addition Holland is part owner of a race shop at the legendary Nurburgring in Germany where he runs an arrive and drive race program for U.S. drivers looking to compete on the legendary circuit.
Holland is almost as well known for his work off the track as his speed on it. With his Grocery Getter series on Jalopnik (the largest automotive enthusiast site on the web), technical writing in Grassroots Motorsports, and race reporting on SPEEDtv.com gaining him a large fan base. In addition Holland has spent many hours in the broadcast booth with the late Tom Hnatiw, doing live play-by-play for the World Challenge series.
Memo Gidley was born into a family that lived for excitement and adventure. An hour after his birth in La Paz, Mexico, Memo was taken out to the sailboat that would be his home until he was nearly eight years old. Raised by Cass, a hard working commercial fisherman from Canada, and Mary, a freelance writer from Wisconsin, Memo spent his early years on the Pacific Ocean between Mexico and Northern California, accompanied by his two sisters, Lupe and Sharon, and the family dog, Huckleberry. The family lived as “anchor outs” in the San Francisco Bay, maintaining a lifestyle straight out a Steinbeck novel. Eventually, they would move to dry land and the town of San Rafael, California. It was his time spent on the ocean that helped develop a work ethic that would take Memo from seeing his first car race to driving an Indy Car in a mere seven years, less than half the average time of most top-level drivers.
Memo learned to sail and began racing small sailboats at the age of seven. Between the ages of eight and eleven, he had successfully raced BMX bicycles and decided it was time to try racing with a motor. When he was 11, Memo purchased a motocross bike with money he had earned from painting boats around the harbors, and doing odd jobs after school. Memo and Sister Lupe would join Cass on his motorcycle (which would tow a small trailer with Memo’s bike), head out to the races and sleep under the stars. Gidley went on to win multiple 125 and 250cc Championships and continued to travel this way until “the kids grew too large to fit on Dad’s bike.”
Shortly after high school, Memo decided to pursue his dream of racing cars – a dream that was born in 1991 after his uncle, Jon, had taken him to see an IndyCar race at the legendary Laguna Seca Raceway near Monterey, California. The first time he saw the sleek, gleaming cars race through the world famous “corkscrew” section of the track, he knew what he wanted to spend the rest of life pursuing. Without the money to start his career, he referred to a flyer he had found blowing around the infield of Laguna. Leaving his apartment and moving down to Monterey, Memo enrolled in the mechanics-training program at the Jim Russell Racing School. In exchange for working in the school’s shop, Memo was able to begin driving and raced in the USAC Russell Championship Series. In his first race, Memo surprised the competition by qualifying on pole and leading the race from start to finish. Although it was his rookie season, Memo went on to win the 1992 series championship, winning nine of eleven races. After winning his first championship and graduating from the Mechanics Training Program, Memo moved to San Francisco to race for the Trackmagic Factory Kart team and to continue to pursue his dream of racing cars.
20 years later, Memo has raced virtually everything – from shifter karts to IndyCars, Formula Fords to Daytona Prototypes, American Le Mans GT cars and prototypes, even Jet Skis and schooners. No matter what the format, Gidley brings his tenacious drive and competitive fire, impressing and astounding his crews with his motivation and fitness. Along the way, Gidley has amassed a dedicated following of fans who realize that his engagement and interaction are exceptional even in a social-media-driven world. Memo has built his following the old-fashioned way – one race and one fan at a time.
Memo’s road to the top has garnered more print and television media coverage than most drivers in the sport due to his results, diverse background and because he is a supreme athlete and spokesperson. Memo has many interests that are part of his active and adrenaline-packed lifestyle. He spends his non-racing days working out, racing his shifter kart, riding his mountain bike, racing his Jet Ski, sailing, kayaking, and wakeboarding, to name a few. Known as “Mr. Adrenaline,” if it is exciting, Memo does it.
Memo also enjoys promoting his active and healthy lifestyle. In a day and age of selfish and arrogant celebrity sportsmen, Memo is a breath of fresh air.
Today, at 22 years of age, Canada’s Kyle Marcelli has established himself as one of North America’s rising stars in professional auto racing across the globe. After a successful karting and single-seater career, Kyle made his rookie debut into sports car racings “Big Show”, the American Le Mans Series in 2010. Since then Kyle has built a reputation of being a consistent front-runner earning six pole positions, three wins, thirteen podiums and five lap records.
2012 also represented Kyle’s first taste of GT competition as he drove for Pfaff Automotive Group in the Porsche GT3 Cup Canada. Although an ineligible entry, Kyle adapted well to the different driving style and won every race.
While Kyle’s second home is the podium, his more permanent residence is Barrie, Ontario. Following his career aspirations of professional auto racing; he’s a consummate professional both on and off the track.
Kyle represents his passion, sport, sponsors, team and fans proudly and effectively. He’s winning, engaging and always visible.
James Day has been at the forefront of drag racing for over 30 years. A second-generation racer to father Richard Day attended his first drag race at three weeks old. From then on, he has spent his entire life around racecars, learning how to build them, repair them, and drive them.
In 1997 for his 18th birthday, James’s parents sent him to Frank Hawley’s drag racing school to drive a super comp dragster. It was his first chance to go down the strip and the desire to make this his career went through the roof. Three years later in 2000, James decided it was time to prove to everyone and himself that he could drive something high powered. He went back to Frank Hawley’s drag racing school to drive a top alcohol funny car. It was the greatest accomplishment of his life. It was then he decided that he has what it takes to become a world-class driver.
Every year from 2000-2006 James was given opportunities to drive for various teams in various classes. He has been fortunate enough to work with some of drag racings most prestigious talents such as Jack Wyatt, Gary Densham, Jerry Toliver, and Del Worsham. Most recently, James worked under the umbrella of his father in law, Don Schumacher. This allowed James to work behind the scenes and gain experience in the business and marketing side of drag racing. Working for Don Schumacher Racing (the largest team in NHRA history) also allowed James to work closely with premier drivers Ron Capps, 4 time world champion Gary Scelzi, Whit Bazemore, Jack Beckman, and 7 time world champion Tony Schumacher.
Fate stepped in early 2007 when James was given an opportunity by DLS Motorsports to drive their Nitro Funny Car. For James, getting behind the wheel of a pro car has been a life long dream. James raced with DLS motorsports for 2007 and for a short time in 2008 when sponsor funding ran out. James has continued to drive anything he can get his hands on driving nostalgia top fuel cars, NHRA nitro funny cars, and nostalgia nitro funny car from 2008 to 2012. “I love to drive race cars, it’s who I am, it’s what I do”.
Passion. My name is Shea Holbrook and while I didn’t come from a racing background I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life, and that’s my passion for racing. Growing up my parents told me I could be anything I wanted, and that just happened to be anything the boys were doing. Determination was instilled in me at a young age as I was a competitive water skier. Committed to being the best water skier I could be I spent endless hours training, reviewing taps and went on to hold numerous state, regional and national titles. It wasn’t until the age of 16 that motorsports came into my life when I rode shotgun at Daytona in a Richard Petty Experience. From that day on I knew what I was destined to do, become a champion racecar driver.
Racing beginning to current. While working diligently to pursue a career in motorsports I quickly began excelling throughout high performance driving events. I then went on to obtain my club license and since then I’ve been road racing competitively all over the nation with many organizations, from sprint races to 25 hour enduros, spent a season with Skip Barber driving open wheel cars, and a few months of late model oval track testing. Determined as ever I was fortunate to obtain small sponsorships that gave me the ability to debuted my first humble professional racing season with SCCA World Challenge Pro Racing in 2010 finishing 6th in the championship.
In 2011, those partnerships grew as became the first woman to win a Long Beach Touring Car race at the Long Beach Grand Prix with Pirelli World Challenge along with winning the Best Standing Start and the Hard Charger Award. It is an honor to be recognized as the fourth women to of ever won a professional race at Long Beach alongside Katherine Legge, Dancia Patrick and Simona De Silvestro. Just when I thought my team and my own hard work was going unrecognized the tables turned. At this point in my career I truly understood the meaning of perseverance, especially in this industry. This year I raced in the Pirelli World Challenge Touring Car Championship in which I just finished 4th in the championship. Education. My education without a doubt is a crucial part of my success as a racing driver. Pursing my education was a difficult challenge, but I was resilient and received my Bachelor’s Degree in Interpersonal and Organizational Communications and a minor in Marketing from the University of Central Florida in May of 2012 on top of pursuing a racing career.
Moto. “Fear is a state of mind, will is an action taken.” Many told me I couldn’t and that I’d never make it. Especially being a female. It was my “will” to persevere. People aren’t used to women being so passionate, particularly in a male dominated industry. One day I told myself it didn’t matter what people thought, I just wanted to race. And that’s where this quote came from. A bigger picture. I have close ties with Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy, a nonprofit directly benefiting Duchenne muscular dystrophy. I have two cousin affected by this disease, Matthew (1989-2008) and Jordan Klapp. After attending Duchenne conferences I realized I could help raise awareness and funds to help many boys and their families. Today we’ve raised over $20,000 for Duchenne and invite families out for races. In 2008, Shea Racing also partnered up with Frito Lay Corp., to raise $12,500 for the Susan G. Komen “For the Cure.” The dream. It is my goal to achieve the most I can in the racing seat. My aspirations are high and lead me to become a factory driver. But with that said, being behind any wheel is the dream. I have also put myself in a position as part owner of Shea Racing, LLC. to further grow my entrepreneurial aspirations in years to come, when I’m too old and they kick me out of the car, to become a team owner.
My name is Alex Rogeo and I am Alex the Car Girl! I have loved cars for as long as I can remember, and my obsession with cars is only increasing as I learn more about them. Growing up, my father owned an auto repair shop and could fix, paint, polish and rebuild anything from cars to RVs. I began my love affair with cars because of him and the knowledge that he gave me. I spent a lot of my childhood days wandering around the shop and watching what was going on. Even though I was too young to appreciate it then, I really am glad that I was exposed to that at such a young age. Not only did it give me knowledge that I could not have acquired anywhere else, it planted the seed of what would grow into an abiding passion for cars.
Not only was I learning about cars as a child, I was also getting hands on experience driving ATVs. I grew up in the northern snow belt, not far from the true home of the automobile, Detroit! My grandparents owned a cottage in the country that we visited often. They had about 4 ATVs that we would all use. We used to go riding for hours at a time, and I was never bored of it. When I was eleven I got to drive my grandparents four-wheeler for the first time. I had two other people on the back, and I was still getting through mud holes that the adults had a hard time getting out of. My dad noted that I was definitely a natural. Some of my happiest memories involve my grandparents cottage, ATVs, and my family. I have been going to that cottage every year since and getting my fill of riding on the amazing trails surrounding it.
The passion only kept growing, and I kept on pursuing this interest of mine. I had friends and neighbors who passed their knowledge onto me. After high school, I moved to Southern California to attend college. That’s when I met Richard. He was my car-loving neighbor that lived behind me. He taught me most of what I know today about cars. He has always had fun cars, starting with a gorgeous, outrageously modified Redfire 2003 Mustang Cobra convertible when I first met him (I loved riding in it and hearing that supercharger whine!), through his surprisingly fast Cadillac CTS-V with a 400+ horsepower LS6 and six speed manual, to his current SRT8. Richard used to race all kinds of vehicles from dirt track cars to road race and even Landspeed motorcycles. As a former licensed aircraft mechanic, between his cars and his knowledge he made the perfect neighbor!
I have had so many opportunities since I met him that I would never have had other wise. He took me to my first drag race and let me drive his car, a Dodge SRT8 Magnum. I did pretty well for my first race, running within a couple of tenths of Richard’s time the same day—and he has a lot more experience. He taught me cornering techniques, how to drive the car at high speeds, and of course, the mechanics of a car. Just recently we drove 170 mph at El Mirage dry lake bed in desert of Southern California—wow that was a blast! Richard has helped me take care of my own car, and I have even helped others take care of theirs. Through his help and knowledge, I have learned more than I ever thought I could not only about cars, but also about life in general.
When I bought my first new car, Richard and I started having Friday afternoon car wash parties. He used to detail cars and always keeps his cars looking better than new. He has the perfect setup at his house, down to even having softened water for washing! Over the years, he taught me how to detail my car from top to bottom. It’s so fun and rewarding to drive a lovingly detailed car, don’t you think?
This led to our forming EZ Detailing, Inc., our filming and now selling a DVD on automotive detailing, and soon a line of car care products. We also began a racing team, Team EZ-Detailing, where I drive and Richard is Crew Chief in the Pacific Street Car Association (PSCA), NHRA Summit Series, and West Coast Hot Rods Association (WCHRA) at tracks in Bakersfield and Fontana, California and Las Vegas, Nevada.
Besides cars, bikes and ATVs, my other passions are singing, acting and modeling. I am currently working towards my B.A. as a theatre major. I am very serious about singing—you can definitely say that a singing career is my dream. I have been singing since I was quite young, and taking lessons and performing for about 4 years now.
Cassie (born August 29, 1986) is a Minnesota native currently competing in the National Hot Rod Association (“NHRA”) Lucas Oil Series. Cassie gets her love of racing from her father, James Simonton, who has been involved in racing as a driver and chassis builder for over 25 years. She began her racing career at the age of 8 in a Junior Dragster winning numerous bracket races. One of her biggest accomplishments as a Junior was placing 2nd out of 65 cars in the IHRA Junior Dragster Nationals. She went on to win the Division 5 NHRA Lucas Oil Drag Racing event at Brainerd International Raceway, in Brainerd, Minnesota.
She ended her Junior Dragster career that same year, at the age of 16, stepping out of the Junior Dragster and into a Blown Alcohol Dragster. That same weekend, after obtaining her license on Friday and qualifying on Saturday, she competed in the finals, taking 2nd place. Cassie graduated, at the top of her class, from the University of Northwestern Ohio with an Associates’ Degree in High Performance in 2008. Immediately following graduation and, with her mechanic’s degree in hand, Cassie began an Internship with Kon Rodz Racing as a crew member. In 2010, at the age of 23, she began her rookie year as a driver in the Top Alcohol Funny Car (“TAFC”) division of the NHRA, finishing the year with a recorded ET of 5.68 and running 256 mph. Cassie is proud to be 1 of only 5 female drivers competing in this division.
Third-generation racer Marco Andretti made a successful leap to the IndyCar Series in 2006 after three seasons competing in various junior formula series and Firestone Indy Lights.
But Andretti's rapid rise shouldn't come as a surprise given his lineage. He is the son of IZOD IndyCar Series team co-owner and Indianapolis 500 veteran Michael Andretti and grandson of auto racing legend Mario Andretti. Through all the notoriety, Marco has been able to keep a level head. "To be honest, I've been dealing with it since I first stepped into a go-kart. It's been all eyes on me and at 9 years old that's a lot. It gets easier, I get better dealing with it as I get older but the pressure gets heavier and heavier. I do what I love to do and that's drive race cars."
A graduate of Notre Dame High School in Bethlehem Township, Pa., Andretti is an avid sports participant.
The only woman in the world to win in the Firestone Indy Lights and in the Formula Renault, the Brazilian female racing driver Ana Beatriz is preparing herself to make her debut at Formula Indy in 2010. She should become the first woman in Brazil to race in a top series of the international motorsport.
Natural from the city of Sâo Paulo with 24 years old, she started to race with karting by the age of nine, in 1994, and stayed in karting until 2003, when she made her debut in Formula Renault Brasil, a series where she won three races in 2005. In 2006, she raced in Formula 3 Sul-Americana.
In 2007, she practice in Europe; she participated in the A1 GP Rookie Drivers programme with the Brazilian Team, in China, being invited by Emerson Fittipaldi, experience that she repeated in 2009, in Portugal; and she practiced in the Firestone Indy Lights, in the United States of America.
In 2008, she made her debut in the Firestone Indy Lights, and ended with the third place in the championship, racing by Sam Schmidt Motorsports.
In her second season with the team, in 2009, she could not participate in two races, and ended the championship in the eighth place.
She won a race, in the oval circuit of Nashville, in 2008, and another race, in the oval circuit of Iowa, in 2009.
In 2008, she was honored by the Firestone Indy Lights organization by receiving the Rising Star Award, and in 2009 she won the Most Popular Indy Light Driver Award, being chosen in a poll from the members of the IndyCar Nation, Indy's official fan club, as the most popular driver of the Firestone Indy Lights.
Carpenter, the stepson of Indy Racing League founder Tony George, has been racing since he was 8 years old and balanced racing and education throughout much of his career. Carpenter graduated from Butler University with a degree in Marketing in 2003, a few weeks before he won the Freedom 100 at the historic Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Carpenter always has been interested in things with engines.
"I lived out in the country and would always ride three-wheelers and motorcycles and drive tractors," he said. "Once I got my first quarter-midget, I fell in love with it and wanted to do it ever since."
Ed was the first driver to run an Indy Lights and Indy Car Series race in the same weekend. He made his Indy Car debut at Chicagoland in 2003, after running the Lights race that same weekend.
Ed is married to Heather Carpenter. They have two children, Makenna and Ryder.
Helio is currently competing in the North American IndyCar Series. In IndyCar competition, Castroneves has 14 wins and 28 poles, and has never placed lower than sixth in the standings in a complete season of racing. Prior to IndyCar, Castroneves competed in the CART championship with a highest championship points finish of fourth.
Castroneves won the Indianapolis 500 in 2001, 2002 and 2009, making him one of only nine drivers to date to have won at least three. He finished second to teammate and countryman Gil de Ferran in 2003. Castroneves has won four pole positions for the Indy 500, including back-to-back poles in 2009 and 2010 for the first time since Scott Brayton.
Mike started his racing career at the age of 8 at Rye House in Hertfordshire. Since then, he has gone on to be the Formula A British Karting Champion, the Formula Renault Champion (2004) and the top British driver in the British Formula 3 Series, coming 3rd in 2005 with Fortec Motorsport.
In 2006, Mike raced in the British F3 International Series and had a phenomenal year. He dominated the championship and won the title with three races still remaining. It was also during this year that he won the Macau Grand Prix, becoming the first British driver to do so since 1999.
Mike moved to the GP2 Series in 2007 and spent the season racing for Super Nova Racing. He was also signed up to Honda F1 Racing as one of their test drivers. 2008 saw Mike remain in GP2 but this time he was racing with Trident Racing. At Monaco, he had his first 2008 podium when he took 1st place in the sprint race.
Mike finished the championship in 17th place and recorded one top 5 finish and three top 10 finishes. Mike decided to stay in the US with Dreyer & Reinbold Racing for 2010 but a horrific, high-speed crash at the Indy 500 race meant he was unable to finish the rest of the season. Mike has been training hard and is now fully recovered and ready to take on the 2011 Indycar Series with Andretti Autosport.
De Silvestro spent her early career honing her racing skills in Europe. 2003 and 2002 saw the youngster earn a second-place finish in the Trofeo Industria Parma, fifth in Wintercup Lonato and third in Primavera Lonato. She also finished seventh in the Swiss Championship, thirteenth in Kart-Cup Monaco and 2nd in the Bridgestone-Cup Switzerland. In 2004 she raced in the French Formula A Championship and finished fifteenth overall and in 2005 Simona finished twenty first in the Formula Renault 2000 Championship in Italy.
In 2006, Simona crossed the Atlantic over to the United States to pursue her open wheel dreams. That year she completed her first season in the Formula BMW USA championship collecting a victory at Lime Rock, six podiums and eleven top-10 finishes en route to a fourth-place finish in the overall point standings. She also scored two third-place finishes at the U.S. Grand Prix and made history by becoming the first woman to ever earn a podium result at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
In 2007, as a rookie in the Atlantic Championship, De Silvestro earned two top-10 results and scored championship points in nine of 12 races en route to 19th in the point standings with Walker Racing and followed that up in 2008 when she earned eight top-10 finishes, including her very first win at Long Beach for the Late Paul Newman's outfit, Newman-Wachs Racing. In 2009 De Silvestro picked up her game and stunned the North American open-wheel world. She would go on to win 4 races in dominant fashion with Team Stargate Worlds. In addition to her wins she also earned 4 pole positions and an extraordinary 9 podium finishes in the 2009 Atlantic Championship Season. Her success was not only impressive but it was also record breaking.
At the end of the season De Silvestro also had an extraordinary 9 podium finishes. The results of her effort led to her finishing the season in 3rd place, proving to observers that she is on par to becoming open wheel racing's next shining star.
He finished second in the 2009 ARCA RE/MAX Series season in his first year in the driver development program. He made his Nationwide Series debut in a Penske Racing car at Kansas Speedway that year and won the pole. He then drove in the season finale for Team 42 Racing.
He was slated to contest the first five races of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series season with Team 42 with additional appearances possible. However, he failed to qualify at Daytona and Bristol. After missing the show at Bristol he was out of the car until returning for the eighth race of the season at Talladega where he crashed on lap 113. He earned his first Top 10 finish at Bristol's second race with a ninth place finish. Kligerman also earned a top ten with an 8th place finish at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.
Kligerman competed for Rookie of the Year in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2011, driving the No. 29 for Brad Keselowski Racing. He returned to the No. 29 truck in 2012, and also drove the Penske Racing No. 22 in the Nationwide Serieson a limited schedule, sharing the seat with Brad Keselowski and Jacques Villeneuve.
After the first eleven races of the 2012 season, Kligerman was released from his ride at Brad Keselowski Racing. Shortly thereafter, Red Horse Racing announced that they had signed a contract with Kligerman to drive the No. 7 Toyota for the remainder of the season.
Kligerman practiced and qualified the No. 22 Dodge for Penske Racing at Michigan International Speedway in the Sprint Cup Series in August 2012, as regular driver Sam Hornish, Jr. competed in the Nationwide Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuvethat weekend, returning for the race.
Kligerman won his first Camping World Truck Series race at Talladega Superspeedway on October 6, 2012. A fringe title contender late in the season, Kligerman was officially eliminated from championship contention after being involved in a crash at Phoenix and finishing in 27th place. The next week he would make his final start for Red Horse Racing in the 2012 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, winning his second career pole and finishing in 7th place. He finished 5th in the series points standings.
Anouncing that he would not be returning to Red Horse Racing or the Camping World Truck Series in 2013, Kligerman signed with Kyle Busch Motorsports to drive their No. 77 Toyota Camry in the NASCAR Nationwide Series full-time in 2013.
In November 2013, Kligerman made his Sprint Cup debut at Texas Motor Speedway in the AAA Texas 500, driving for Swan Racing. He finished 18th in the event, Swan's best result in 2013. Two weekends later, at the Ford 400, Kligerman impressed again by finishing 25th, on the lead lap.
For 2014, Swan Racing announced Kligerman's hiring for the full 2014 season, as part of an expansion to two full-time teams, alongside Cole Whitt.[12] During a practice session for the 2014 Daytona 500, Kligerman was involved in an accident that saw his car overturned into the catch fencing, but was uninjured.
Due to sponsorship woes and on track struggles including many DNFs and wrecked race cars in the first eight races, Swan was forced to sell off both of its teams prior to Richmond, with the #30 points being bought by Xxxtreme Motorsport, who already had a driver in J. J. Yeley.[14] Thus, Kligerman was without a ride. However, Swan will continue to keep Kligerman under contract.
On May 14, Stewart-Haas Racing announced that Kligerman would serve as a stand-by driver for Kurt Busch in the No. 41 at the Sprint All-Star Race and Coca-Cola 600 when Busch was attempting the 600-Indianapolis 500 "Double Duty".
Kligerman worked with NBC Sports Network as an analyst later in the 2014 season; in September, he announced that he would test an Indy Lights car for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports.
Pippa Mann's racing career started with a friend's birthday party that included go-kart racing.
Mann worked her way up the British karting ladder before moving to Italy in 2001 to concentrate full time on karting and competing in the Italian, European and World Karting Championships. She became the first female to win an international karting event.
Firsts are nothing new to Mann. She was the first female to race in the World Series by RFenault 3.5 Championship and in 2010 was the first female to earn a pole at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Firestone Indy Lights.
Martin Plowman is as dedicated off the racetrack as he is on it. He teamed up with Snowball Express -- an organization whose mission it is to create new memories and inspire hope in the children and families of fallen U.S. military members -- for his IZOD IndyCar Series debut.
Earlier in the year, he was a member of the morale-boosting Indy 500 Centennial Tour that visited military personnel of multiple nations in the Middle East and on the U.S. aircraft carrier Abraham Lincoln.
At a young age, Plowman became an ambassador of Karting for the Disabled, making possible accommodations so that all people can participate in recreational karting.
Plowman speaks French and Italian. He enjoys playing the piano, going to movies, jogging and fishing.
Sebastian Saavedra, a full-season competitor in Firestone Indy Lights in 2010, made his IZOD IndyCar Series debut with Brayn Herta Autosport in the Indianapolis 500. He competed in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway for Conquest Racing.
Saavedra became the first driver born in the 1990s to compete in the Indy 500 and the second from Colombia (Roberto Guerrero).
Saavedra competed in Firestone Indy Lights in 2009 with AFS Racing Andretti Autosport before moving to second-year team Bryan Herta Autosport for the 2010 season. He won from the pole at Iowa Speedway in June.
Helio is currently competing in the North American IndyCar Series. In IndyCar competition, Castroneves has 14 wins and 28 poles, and has never placed lower than sixth in the standings in a complete season of racing. Prior to IndyCar, Castroneves competed in the CART championship with a highest championship points finish of fourth.
Castroneves won the Indianapolis 500 in 2001, 2002 and 2009, making him one of only nine drivers to date to have won at least three. He finished second to teammate and countryman Gil de Ferran in 2003. Castroneves has won four pole positions for the Indy 500, including back-to-back poles in 2009 and 2010 for the first time since Scott Brayton.
Memo Gidley was born into a family that lived for excitement and adventure. An hour after his birth in La Paz, Mexico, Memo was taken out to the sailboat that would be his home until he was nearly eight years old. Raised by Cass, a hard working commercial fisherman from Canada, and Mary, a freelance writer from Wisconsin, Memo spent his early years on the Pacific Ocean between Mexico and Northern California, accompanied by his two sisters, Lupe and Sharon, and the family dog, Huckleberry. The family lived as “anchor outs” in the San Francisco Bay, maintaining a lifestyle straight out a Steinbeck novel. Eventually, they would move to dry land and the town of San Rafael, California. It was his time spent on the ocean that helped develop a work ethic that would take Memo from seeing his first car race to driving an Indy Car in a mere seven years, less than half the average time of most top-level drivers.
Memo learned to sail and began racing small sailboats at the age of seven. Between the ages of eight and eleven, he had successfully raced BMX bicycles and decided it was time to try racing with a motor. When he was 11, Memo purchased a motocross bike with money he had earned from painting boats around the harbors, and doing odd jobs after school. Memo and Sister Lupe would join Cass on his motorcycle (which would tow a small trailer with Memo’s bike), head out to the races and sleep under the stars. Gidley went on to win multiple 125 and 250cc Championships and continued to travel this way until “the kids grew too large to fit on Dad’s bike.”
Shortly after high school, Memo decided to pursue his dream of racing cars – a dream that was born in 1991 after his uncle, Jon, had taken him to see an IndyCar race at the legendary Laguna Seca Raceway near Monterey, California. The first time he saw the sleek, gleaming cars race through the world famous “corkscrew” section of the track, he knew what he wanted to spend the rest of life pursuing. Without the money to start his career, he referred to a flyer he had found blowing around the infield of Laguna. Leaving his apartment and moving down to Monterey, Memo enrolled in the mechanics-training program at the Jim Russell Racing School. In exchange for working in the school’s shop, Memo was able to begin driving and raced in the USAC Russell Championship Series. In his first race, Memo surprised the competition by qualifying on pole and leading the race from start to finish. Although it was his rookie season, Memo went on to win the 1992 series championship, winning nine of eleven races. After winning his first championship and graduating from the Mechanics Training Program, Memo moved to San Francisco to race for the Trackmagic Factory Kart team and to continue to pursue his dream of racing cars.
20 years later, Memo has raced virtually everything – from shifter karts to IndyCars, Formula Fords to Daytona Prototypes, American Le Mans GT cars and prototypes, even Jet Skis and schooners. No matter what the format, Gidley brings his tenacious drive and competitive fire, impressing and astounding his crews with his motivation and fitness. Along the way, Gidley has amassed a dedicated following of fans who realize that his engagement and interaction are exceptional even in a social-media-driven world. Memo has built his following the old-fashioned way – one race and one fan at a time.
Memo’s road to the top has garnered more print and television media coverage than most drivers in the sport due to his results, diverse background and because he is a supreme athlete and spokesperson. Memo has many interests that are part of his active and adrenaline-packed lifestyle. He spends his non-racing days working out, racing his shifter kart, riding his mountain bike, racing his Jet Ski, sailing, kayaking, and wakeboarding, to name a few. Known as “Mr. Adrenaline,” if it is exciting, Memo does it.
Memo also enjoys promoting his active and healthy lifestyle. In a day and age of selfish and arrogant celebrity sportsmen, Memo is a breath of fresh air.
2009 Canadian National Junior Rotax Champion Team Canada, Rotax World Finals, Sharm el Sheikh, Egypt Inside Track Magazine Kart Racer of the Year
2010 Western Canadian Challenge Junior Rotax Champion Team Canada, Rotax World Finals, Muro Lecesse, Italy Runner up at the 2nd Annual Hinchtown Shootout
2011 Ontario Formula Ford Challenge w/ Britain West Motorsports 12 races, 10 top 10’s, 9 podiums, 4 poles, 3 wins New track record of 1:26.92 originally held by Conor Daly Quebec Formula Tour w/ Britian West Motorsports Six races, 3 podiums, 1 win, 2 fastest laps
Represented Sick Kids Foundation in 2011 Formula One Charity Event
2012 SCCA Formula F Series Championship w/ BHA/Mygale 10 races, seven top fives, three podiums Quebec Formula Tour w/ BHA/Mygale
?Canadian F1 – second & fourth – pole & fastest lap
Represented Sick Kids Foundation in 2012 Formula One Charity Event
Awarded the Team Canada Scholarship for the Formula Ford Festival
In his rookie year as a professional racing driver, former pro cyclist, Robb Holland was the revelation of the SPEED World Challenge series. Holland finished the season strongly in 11th place overall just 13 points behind Jeff Courtney in a very hotly contested Rookie of the Year competition. However in the process of battling for the RoTY title, Holland became the first driver to score manufacturers points for Dodge in the Touring Car class on the strength of his 3rd place finish at Road America. In battling with the factory Acura’s and Mazda’s, Holland quickly earned the respect of the series veterans with his clean drives, fast pace and strong results.
Over the past several years Holland has been a consistent top podium finisher in both the World Challenge Touring Car and GT divisions and also has had several strong drives in the ultra competitive Grand Am series. In addition Holland has made a number of guest appearances in the National Auto Sport Association National Championships, culminating in a spectacular from the back of the grid to 2nd place drive in the ST2 class in 2007.
In 2012, Holland rebounded from the late demise of the Volvo factory C30 Touring Car program by becoming the first American in almost 40 years to race in the British Touring Car Championships. The affable Holland quickly won over the British fans by scoring points in 3 out of his first 6 races. Later in the year Holland made history again this time by becoming the first American ever to race in the World Touring Car Championships, when the series made it’s U.S. debut at Sonoma Raceway. Holland was called in, literally, at the last minute, to fill in for the teams regular driver, and he responded strongly by placing 13th overall and 7th in the independents category against the top Touring Car drivers in the world.
When he isn’t racing, Holland still spends most of his time at the track working as a driving instructor for Lamborghini of Denver, Audi Club of America, and 3Zero3 Motorsports as well as a personal driving instructor for several clients around the country. In addition Holland is part owner of a race shop at the legendary Nurburgring in Germany where he runs an arrive and drive race program for U.S. drivers looking to compete on the legendary circuit.
Holland is almost as well known for his work off the track as his speed on it. With his Grocery Getter series on Jalopnik (the largest automotive enthusiast site on the web), technical writing in Grassroots Motorsports, and race reporting on SPEEDtv.com gaining him a large fan base. In addition Holland has spent many hours in the broadcast booth with the late Tom Hnatiw, doing live play-by-play for the World Challenge series.
Jack Mitchell Jr is a 17 year old American open wheel race car driver working his way up to becoming a successful IndyCar driver. Jack began driving race cars when he was 14 with no previous karting experience unlike most other drivers. Within a year, he received "Most Improved" honors in the Skip Barber Summer Series, with a few wins. He also began driving Formula Fords in the Ontario FF Series. He finished 3rd overall with the "Rookie of the Year" award, collecting a win and 6 podiums.
By age 16, Jack finished runner-up in the 2012 Skip Barber Summer Series, grabbing 6 wins and 18 podiums in 20 races. He was also selected for the Team USA Scholarship to go over to England to compete in the Formula Ford festival and Walter Hayes Trophy Race where he earned 5th and 10th place finishes respectively, while earning a pole position and a win at Brands Hatch on the way to the final. Jack is currently competing in Canadian Formula 1600, where he sits 2nd in the championship points.
Arie Jr. is an auto-racing driver who competes in the IZOD IndyCar Series and Indianapolis 500. He was the first runner-up during the eighth season of ABC's The Bachelorette. Arie Jr. is son of 2-time Indianapolis 500 winner and Indianapolis Motor Speedway speed record holder Arie Luyendyk. Arie Jr. was also voted INDYCAR's Firestone Indy Lights Most Popular Driver four years in a row and make his Indy 500 debut in 2006. In 2007 he represented Team Netherlands in the A1GP Championship and has also competed in the 24 Hours of Daytona in the DP category as well as the 12 Hours of Sebring in the GT class.
In his first year as a driver in the U.S. F2000 National Championship for Andretti Autosport, Veach had 10 top-five finishes and four podium results. Despite entering the series after the season-opener (St. Pete) and therefore missing out on two rounds of race points, he managed to finish fifth in the driver championship point standings. His performances also contributed to Andretti Autosport securing the team championship for the 2010 season. He was also named a semi-finalist for Sports Illustrated's annual Sports Kid of the Year award.
CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
2011 - Finished 2nd in $5,000 'UMP Nationals' at the Eldora (OH) Speedway
2011 - Made Starting Field for $100,000 'Dream 100' at the Eldora (OH) Speedway, $50,000 'USA Nationals' at the Cedar Lake (WI) Speedway, $50,000 'North/South 100' at the Florence (KY) Speedway, $40,000 'Topless 100' at the Batesville (AR) Motor Speedway, $40,000 'Knoxville Late Model Nationals' at the Knoxville (IA) Raceway, and $25,000 'Commonwealth 100' at the Virginia Motor Speedway
2011 - Qualified for 54 Feature Events
2011 - 4 Top Five Finishes & 11 Top Ten Finishes Primarily Running Lucas Oil Series
Tracy Lee Hines (born May 1, 1972) is an American auto racing driver. He was the 2000 USAC Silver Crown Champion and 2002 USAC National Sprint Car Champion. He currently does not have a full-time ride in NASCAR as he competes for Tony Stewart Racing in three USAC series. Hines made his first attempt at a Busch race in 2000, when he attempted to qualify for the Cheez-It 200 in a car owned by Jimmy Spencer.
Kraig returned to sprint cars in 2008 driving for Tony Stewart, following two years pursuing a career in NASCAR country. He shocked the sprint car world by taking the 2005 Knoxville Nationals, completing the first father/son tandem to win on sprint car racing's biggest stage.
He spent his youth watching his father, Steve, and learned much along the way. Tutored by his grandfather Bob, and Uncle Randy, Kraig started his sprint car career in 2000. The first four years were spent running regionally, before he ran the full WoO schedule in 2004, and claimed Rookie of the Year honors. He finished fifth in the WoO standings in 2005, before moving South to race.
"The King" has earned his moniker. He has won the Knoxville Nationals a record 12 times, and with his son, Kraig, triumphing in 2005, he is half of the only father/son team to achieve that feat. He's won 20 World of Outlaws titles. He's won just about every race at every track.
He's a 12-time Gold Cup winner in California, an eight-time winner of the King's Royal at Eldora, a four-time winner of the Williams Grove National Open, and a three-time winner of Manzanita's Western World.
He's the all-time leading feature winner in Eldora history despite limited appearances, and is high on virtually every all-time feature winners list for tracks the WoO has competed at. His 58 career wins at Knoxville put him third on the track's list behind only Danny Lasoski and Doug Wolfgang.
Danny Lasoski was born into a racing family. His father George and uncle Tom Corbin were tearing up the tracks in Dannys youth, so being bit by the racing bug came as no surprise. Dannys racing career began at Saline County Speedway in Marshall, MO in 1980 when he began racing alongside his father George.
He enjoyed moderate success in the family-owned Lasoski and his first big break came when he was hired to drive Bobs 22 car in 1984. The two teamed for four wins including his first at Knoxville Raceway. Lasoski was also crowned the 1984 1-70 Speedway Track Champion at Odessa, MO. Following a successful tour with Derry, Lasoski was hired by Max Rogers in 1986 racking up 12 feature wins and his first Knoxville Raceway Track Championship.
Lasoskis career sky rocketed when he joined forces with Ron Kohls and Guy Forbrook in the summer of 1988. Together they would wreak havoc over the Midwest for the next five years racking up 100 wins, four Knoxville Raceway Track Championships and three Husets Speedway Track Championships.
Lasoski would join forces with Gil Sonner in 1994 and early 1995 to add another 37 feature wins to his career totals and his sixth Knoxville Raceway Track Championship. Forbrook and Lasoski would continue their admittedly rocky relationship in 1996 to add 22 more feature wins together and their seventh Knoxville Raceway Track Championship.
Lasoski found success on the World of Outlaws tour when he teamed with Dennis Roth in 1998. Over the next three years they would win 32 times with the WoO and win his first Knoxville Nationals. Tony Stewart would came calling in 2001 and the two became a dominant force on the Outlaw tour, a stunning 96 races together including three more Knoxville Nationals titles and the World of Outlaws Championship in 2001.
After parting ways with Stewart, Lasoski would once again fill the seat for Roth. The two teamed up for another 23 feature victories and the 2006 National Sprint Tour Championship.
Most recently Lasoski once again teamed up with Forbrook in 2008 to win his eighth Knoxville Raceway Track Championship and another seven victories.
Lasoski is also heavily involved with the Michael Ross Foundation (MRF), a non-profit charity organization benefiting the Bay Cliff Health Camp in Big Bay, MI. Lasoski helps host and coordinate a celebrity golf tournament and auction to raise funds for the MRF. During the past 11 years, Lasoski and friends have raised over $1,400,000 to support the charity.
"Hotfoot" Jason Meyers has been with Elite Racing since its inception in 2004. Jason's smooth but aggressive style on the track has led the team to 25 (and counting) feature wins, and is consistently in the top 5. The team's drive to perfection on every detail has earned the team recognition top marks for professionalism among their peers. This reputation, combined with Jason's business knowledge, genuine personality, and public relation skills, have enabled Jason and the team to develop a professional image second to none.
Schatz, a resident of Fargo, ND, started his racing career at the age of 11 competing in go-karts. After four years of competition, Schatz followed his father's footsteps and jumped into a sprint car at the age of 15. He spent three years racing regionally before joining the sport's premiere series, the World of Outlaws, at age 18. He earned the coveted WoO rookie of the year in 1997 and continued climbing the standings each season. In 2000, he started winning some of sprint car racing's biggest races, and by 2003, he was established as one of the best Outlaws with his success on American dirt tracks and Australian soil as well. By the end of 2004, there were only three major sprint car race victories, not on his resume (the Knoxville Nationals, Kings Royal and Silver Cup). After four times finishing second at Knoxville, Schatz broke through in 2006 and carried that momentum to secure his first career WoO championship.
In 2007, he successfully defended his WoO championship by winning a series best 19 feature events. The incredible season included his first Kings Royal triumph at Tony Stewart's Eldora Speedway, another Silver Cup win, his second consecutive Knoxville Nationals victory, and his fourth Williams Grove National Open win.
After 15 seasons behind the wheel of a family-owned No. 15, Donny began a new stage in his career in February 2008 by driving for NASCAR star Tony Stewart. Schatz won his debut in the Armor All sponsored No. 15 with Chevy horsepower and ended his first season driving for "Smoke" in victory lane at The Dirt Track @ Lowe's Motor Speedway. In between, he claimed his third consecutive Knoxville Nationals with a late race pass for the lead and 17 other WoO triumphs en route to his third consecutive WoO championship.
In 2009, Schatz continued his reign on top of the Sprint car world winning 12 WoO feature events his second Kings Royal triumph and fourth consecutive Knoxville Nationals crown. With consistency during the final 10 races of the season, Schatz won the closest championship title fight in the series 31-year history and became only the second driver to win four consecutive WoO crowns.
The 2010 World of Outlaws season began with his 101st career WoO triumph in the season opener at Volusia Speedway Park. Unfortunately, his second win of the season didn't come until his May triumph in Charlotte. A series of bad luck made his drive for five championships an uphill climb. By late July, Schatz and the TSR team were hitting their stride. He won an All-Star race at home (Red River Valley Speedway) in his own car and then won an Outlaw show in Ontario a few days later. He entered the 50th Knoxville Nationals looking to become only the second driver to win five straight Nationals. The 50-lap race turned out to be a thriller between Schatz and Sammy Swindell, but in the end Schatz came home second. His charge from the back of the pack to second at Cottage Grove in late August paved the way to his win at Chico the following week. Another win in Lernerville at the end of September gave him hope of regaining the top spot in the standings, but bad luck again at Williams Grove dashed his title hopes. He finished second in the standings and looks to make a charge at title number five beginning in Florida in February.
Brian was one of the most promising young motorcycle aces in the American Motorcycle Association’s flat track ranks and netted various championships and honors including the highly coveted “600cc AMA National Championship” and “AMA 600cc National Hot Shoe Championship” titles. A racing injury sidelined Shirley in 1999 and his two-wheel career came to a sudden end in 2000. The talented young racer seized an opportunity to compete in stock cars and soon returned to his winning ways. In his first full season of competition in dirt racing’s premier super late model division, Brian won a track championship and “National Rookie of the Year” honors with the largest dirt sanctioning body – United Midwestern Promoters (UMP). After only two years in the highly competitive late model ranks, Brian took his #3s team on the road with the Northern Allstars Late Model Series, which is co-owned by NASCAR veteran Ken Schrader, and yet again claimed top honors as the series’ “Rookie of the Year” and “National Champion”