By Earl Ma
with photos by the author



  "El Memo" Hits Hawaii
What do CART drivers do in the off-season? Here's one example

 

Ah, the life of a Champ Car driver! Fast cars, glitzy parties, beautiful women, and getting paid to do something you would gladly do for free - what could be better? This lifestyle continues well into the off-season, with a growing number of teams doing shakedown tests of their new 2000 chassis; the drivers, meanwhile, do their requisite promotional work at a more enjoyable, leisurely pace than weekends during the racing season can afford.

The same holds true even for drivers still busily hunting for a CART ride. Memo Gidley recently spent five days on Oahu in working vacation mode while promoting shifter kart racing for the fledgling Hawaii Karting Center. School president Bobby Brooks flew in Gidley and the Trackmagic kart with which Memo won the SKUSA Supernationals in Las Vegas this November - the same weekend CART's cancelled Hawaiian Super Prix would have taken place - for a two-day driving demonstration and clinic at the school's facility at Hawaii Raceway Park in Leeward Oahu.

Gidley assisted in the launch of the school's 2000 semester and provided information on his expertise in shifter kart racing to local junior karters and other interested spectators on December 10 and 11, despite dark clouds and heavy rains which interrupted the on-track proceedings more than once. "I haven't seen the sun in four days, but I've been assured this is the only time that it's ever rained in Hawaii!"

The Hawaiian Karting Center currently runs a 2-hour "Intro to Kart Racing" program, and Brooks decided that in launching the addition of shifter karts to the school, who better than Gidley - a multi-time karting champ in both the 80 cc and 125 cc classes - to provide good feedback on the track layout and practice with some of the local Hawaii shifter kart drivers at the same time. All aspects of the track and school program are in place, and the introductory shifter kart class is a 3-hour program for under $200. "It's the least expensive racing around," Brooks says.

"The track that we've been on is really good; I think it's a place for people to get started in karting, which leads into car racing if they want," Gidley adds, having been a long-time advocate of karting as a stepping stone to the majors. "I met some good kids out at the track, and I hope this gets a bunch more involved, because I really think that karting teaches young people or anybody a lot, but especially young people that are very impressionable - about hard work and pride in something and competition - doing something that you really love. So it's been a great trip.

"Everybody's interests change as far as what they really want to do, but karting and being involved in it - being involved in racing - is teaching you life skills, for sure. I think that if you can be successful at racing, whether it's go-karts or whatever, you can transfer what you've learned and basically be successful at anything, because more or less, everything is the same. A lot of preparation goes into it, and a lot of perfection - it gives kids something to do and gives them something to learn, and it's fun, so it's an easy way to teach them good lessons."

Gidley has no difficulty relating to wide-eyed elementary school students. "Kids are very smart. They just a lot of times don't speak too much, especially when you're new and they're a little bit shy, but basically I just try and ask them a few questions and get to know them a little bit, and try and communicate with them on their level. For me, that's easy, because I enjoy being around kids. You know, it's fun. We talked about the track, we talked a little bit about racing, we talked about how to drive around the track - the difference between driving on the wet, which we had, and driving on the dry. I just try to let them see me drive a little bit and see if there were any questions, but basically let them see that I'm really no different than they are. I think if you can get on their level, then they realize they can be what you are and what you're trying to be, and I think they'll put a little more effort into it."

Like many of his CART colleagues, such as former Toyota Atlantic teammate and 14-time karting champion Alex Barron, Gidley has stayed active behind the wheel of shifter karts even after making it to the big leagues, though as one of Trackmagic's contracted drivers, he takes a less recreational approach to driving them than most. "The lessons that you learn are everything that you need to basically run a Champ Car. Obviously you need to progress your skills up - the differences of speed between the cars - to progress that in stages, but it's just the cheapest way to learn how to drive, without a doubt.

"I think in the States, it's becoming very popular. Most or I'd say all of the kart manufacturers have professional teams that are racing and young guys getting paid money to race go-karts for a living. But unfortunately, I think a lot of the (domestic) kart community still doesn't really publicize this. It's a shame, because if you're racing in karts, you want to get your name out there so people can watch you, and if they see something they like, then hopefully they'll get you to drive for them eventually down the road. But I think also for the fans - for a driver to move up the ladder, you need to have a lot of sponsors and a lot of support, and in other countries, where fans are brought into the sport at an early level, they can follow a driver all the way up. In the U.S., they don't really get to see racing until the Atlantics or Indy Lights level, and by that time it's too late, because a lot of drivers haven't had the money to get to that point. So if you start the fans off in go-karts and develop an interest there, that's just gonna help the sport entirely. There's lots of solutions on ways to better the sport, but I think that's the biggest one."

CART recently announced dramatic cutbacks of about 44% to off-race weekend testing schedules during the season, which may result in more seat time behind the wheel of shifter karts instead for those drivers who just cannot get enough. "A lot of the drivers - they have families, so they're looking for more time to spend with them. But I think there's a number of drivers like myself who really enjoy just being out driving, especially in the go-karts or shifter karts, so having a little extra time, yeah, it would be great. It's just so much fun to be out there driving, especially for a guy like myself. I think for a lot of the guys that are more well-known, their schedules are so non-stop because of all the promotional stuff, they haven't had the time to run in the past, but I think they will now. I think it's great. Most of the drivers have (their own) karts, so I think you'll see more of them at the track."

What about the guys who are indeed still testing their Champ Cars right now at Homestead, Sebring, and elsewhere - does Gidley see himself at a distadvantage because he's not racking up seat time in a new Reynard or Lola? "Well, the more seat time you have, I think the better prepared you are. I think that's why I've been so successful in karting and shifter karts, because I can go out there with the best equipment, knowing what I need to get out of the kart and how to set it up and what it takes to drive it fast. The Champ Car stuff is all pretty new to me, so any kind of seat time I can get helps me out. For sure, I'm behind most everybody unless they've just gotten into their cars.

"But my day will come, and it doesn't take me a whole lot of time to learn stuff, because I think I work out a lot harder than most. So I'm just anxious to get out there and get a full season on the tracks I've been on already, because my day's gonna be coming, and I look forward to getting the satisfaction out of running at the front, eventually winning races and championships and doing what I love to do."

Getting the kart from San Francisco to Honolulu for this engagement, via air cargo, proved no easy task, even with a forklift and flatbed. The crew which arrived at Honolulu International Airport to pick up what they expected as a 200-pound crate had to call Gidley for the lock combination so they could immediately disassemble what actually became a 700-pound monster. "The karts that I race personally - they spend a lot of time putting them together and making them race ready. To ship them over is a pretty big project because they weigh quite a bit - not like a car, but when you ship them over, still you wanna make sure everything's secured right and that you've got the necessary parts that you need to run…but they're pretty simple. It took me about 45 minutes to load the box up and just a little longer to prep the kart and stuff, but yeah, it's a pretty big box!"

The added weight came from all the additional gear Gidley threw in, including one prophetic set of rain tires. "This year...the first four definitely, then in most of the races I ran, it rained, and at most of the racetracks it was the first time it had rained in I don't know how many years. And it was around the time El Nino was rolling through, so the guys at Walker started calling me "El Memo," and it was true! Just about every racetrack I raced on, whether it was Vancouver or Portland or Mid-Ohio, every one - we had rain on it at some time or another. I like driving in the rain. I have no problem with it at all. I didn't know how warm it was over here, and the track drives pretty quickly, but I threw a set of rain tires in just in case."

Memo's first trip to Hawaii came some seven years earlier as part of an off-road testing team, and he clearly enjoyed this return visit. "Hawaii's great - the atmosphere's really nice...I wish I could spend some more time, but I'll definitely come back. Everybody's really nice, and the people are friendly..in off-season sightseeing, I think I've done pretty well! I don't usually come over to Hawaii, but (this kind of trip) is part of the sport. I like to be at home working and driving, so I can't really go on vacations unless I have my go-kart. So I guess this was the perfect vacation because I have my go-kart, and it's been excellent."

On Gidley's last full day on Oahu, the world-famous Honolulu Marathon took place for the 27th time, with more than 20,000 runners from around the world streaming past his Waikiki hotel room in the wee hours of the morning. Did he give the slightest consideration to running this kind of race? "Yeah, well actually, I set my alarm for 4:30, and it rang, but you know, I just couldn't drag myself out of bed. I wanna do those 26 miles - they look like so much fun! I think if you run in a marathon, you probably have a chance of dying, and I've always thought that would be a terrible way to die - to be running for 26 miles!" And he forgot his running shoes anyway.

Gidley looks forward to doing this junket again. "For sure, the highlight is when you look at the pictures of the kids that are at the track - for me, when they're pulling out of the lot, and they're still saying goodbye to you by first name, then you know you've made a real serious impression on them...but you know, the Baywatch Christmas party, a little bit of club-hopping and sightseeing - that always helps out! I'm pretty serious about my racing, so I don't get wound up in the other stuff too much, but it's always nice!"

What else did Gidley do? Like many other tourists, he made the requisite visits to Iolani Palace and Punchbowl National Cemetery, saw the statue of King Kamehameha I downtown and that of and surfing legend Duke Kahanamoku in Waikiki. Brooks also arranged for him to attend the "Baywatch" party, where he met stars Stacy Kamano, Simmone MacKinnon, and Jason Brooks, as well as the show's Executive Producer, Director, and creator Greg Bonann. At the same function, Gidley also talked with University of Hawaii football coach June Jones, recently named College Football Coach of the Year by the Western Athletic Conference, who took a keen interest in racing (including the Super Prix's collapse) and in Gidley's talent.

Local Champ Car enthusiast and radio show host Jerrette Kamaka arranged Gidley's appearances on local radio talk shows, trackside filming of a feature story for the local "Hawaiian Moving Company" TV program (scheduled to air January 9), an autograph session at All-Star Café in Waikiki (where his Herdez uniform will go on display shortly), and a press meeting at world-famous Nick's Fishmarket, owned by Denver Broncos patriarch Pat Bowlen.

Same time next year, Memo? He's definitely willing to come back and give the kart another spin.

"I just need the keys to that Baywatch boat next time."

For more information on the Hawaii Karting Center, call Bobby Brooks @ (808) 682-6006.

  Hawaii Raceway Park



Demonstration Runs



Baywatch Visit



Promotional "Work"

©1999 Earl Ma and SpeedCenter

 

 

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