America's Driver: Memo Gidley

[Liz]

Vasser has been cast adrift.

Mikey is demanding $20 million over 2 years and so far Haas is saying No.

You know what this means.

America's Sole Pilot is MEMO GIDLEY.

*Parker Johnstone thumbs madly through his notebooks looking for anything at all that he can say about Memo for the entire two hours during a CART race.*

*Paul Page looks up telephone number of IRL and starts dialling.*

[Crash Test]

Give it a break Love....

If you stop America bashing, i'll stop Paul bashing

Did Memo really do that fantastically on the weekend? I guess 12th is a point...that's one more than I'll ever get

[Liz]

I'm not America bashing - I'm Page and Jonstone bashing!

I wouldn't care if they were Martians.

And it doesn't matter to those two where the pilot is on the track. Remember 1998 and 1999 and those wonderful views from the cars of Richie Hearn and Robbie Gordon, and all the insight we got on "Little Al" as he plodded along for his five laps or so in 22nd place?

Besides, didn't Page work for the IRL for awhile?

[Heeltoe6]

"those wonderful views from the cars of Richie Hearn and Robbie Gordon"
Well, as you can guess, the's very little companies willing to pay for the cameras and the tobacco companies are ruled out, so really, there's few to choose from, and it just happened Americans piloted those cars. BUt, look at this year, only American on boards(Vasser), and it's not even one of the full time cameras (Papis, Blundell, Montoya).

Paul Page did not "work" for the irl. ABC (stupidly) decided to put him in the booth for irl races from 96-98(i can't remember if he also did the ABC cart telecasts as well, he might have done some of them, I seem to remember him calling "the pass" at LS in '96, but Varsha called most of the races), but it is not as if he preaches TFG's b/s. Just the opposite. He's probably the biggest champcar fan there is.

[Crash Test]

Sorry Dear, I'm getting muddled up here in my old age

Actually I quite like Parker and Paige, but i think the opposite way on the pommy guy and Jeremy Shaw. I think Paige has a better voice for it than those two. Shaw comes over as a real know it all, which is good, but i feel that he overdoes it a little. Still, I enjoy reading what he writes for the magazine down here.

[Joe Fan]

I am sure that Don Panoz and Tony George would simply love it if Memo was the only American driver in CART.

[wallbanger]

Having spent some time talking with Paul Page I can tell you that he IS knowledgeable, DOES care deeply about CART and is well-liked by most CART insiders. He also speaks very highly of his cohort, Mr. Johnstone...they're buds.

I'm also fortunate to know Jeremy Shaw quite well. He is definitely a "know-it-all" in the most positive sense. Jeremy is a racer and a true CART insider. He would be angry with me if I mentioned some of the ongoing altruistic things he does for people in our beloved speed sport. He is armed with facts!

[Liz]

I think putting a camera on Mark Blundell's car is a bit of a waste unless you want to see how overtaking looks out the back of the car. How many races has he actually finished this season?

I like Jeremy Shaw and Ben Edwards myself - they cover the whole race and seem to know a lot about everyone driving in it, not just the Americans and the guys who have been racing for 100 years, and when something happens on the track, they seem to have a much better analysis of what went wrong. (For example, Tags' crashing out of Tracy and Kanaan - and almost of da Matta; they showed it very clearly why it was Tags' fault and where the mistake happened.)

I misspoke myself about Page "working for the IRL" I meant of course "working races for the IRL."

Why should Don Panoz care if Americans don't race in CART? How many Americans are working in the ALMS? I seem to notice the Audi, BMW and Panoz pilots are "furriners" who were hired for their awesome abilities behind the wheel of the car. Is that not the point of the exercise?

[Crash Test]

"not just the Americans and the guys who have been racing for 100 years"

-Maybe I am too unbiased, or was watching the wrong race, but i went out of my way to find these problems you have with them...and quite frankly i couldnt find any...i know you had the other boys...you must have missed the one race where they actually had a good call...

[Joe Fan]

Liz, the reason why Don Panoz would be happy if Memo is the only American in CART is simple. Then his series would have a more well known American driver (David Donohue) racing in it than CART would and his series would offer the same driver diversity that CART does. David Donohue, as I am sure that you know, is the son of the late Mark Donohue who many American road race fans are quite familiar with. I personally think Mark Donohue was one of the greatest all-around drivers in motorsports history. He won in sports cars, Indy Cars (ie the Indy 500) and even in NASCAR Winston Cup very quickly. He also finished on the podium in his very first F1 GP and I have no doubt that if he would have lived, he would have eventually been a WDC. I also think that if he had lived, he would have become an icon in American motorsports much like Foty, Petty and Andretti are today.

[Liz]

Erm, I never heard of David Donohue. Sorry. The only pilots I know in ALMS are Muller, Lehto, McNish, Dalmas, Alboreto, Abt, Capello, Biela, Pirro, Ortelli, Brabham, Magnussen, Kato, Raphanel, Schiatarella, Wendlinger, Beretta and Ron Fellows. Not a Yank in the bunch. I remember the name Mark Donohue but not anything about him. I personally like the ALMS and cheer for the Panoz team. But Although the Panoz is an "American" car, the pilots aren't. Not that it matters as long as they win.

[Heeltoe6]

Missed the Sears Pt ALMS coverage, eh Liz?

[Joe Fan]

Liz, David Donohue drives one of the Team Oreca Dodge Vipers and in currently third in the GTS driver standings behind Beretta and Wendlinger.

As far as his father Mark Donohue, he was one of the more gifted and natural racing talents that ever came along. I would have to rank him easily as one of the top twenty-five greatest drivers of all-time. As I stated earlier whatever he raced, he won quickly in: sports cars, Indy Cars, NASCAR stock cars, etc. You can read more about his career at: unfairadvantageracing.com

[Liz]

Yes, I did miss Sears Point. What happened?

Thanks, Joe, I will go look Mark Donohue up. I have nothign against American drivers per se; I like to see a thing well done. I see David Donohue was racing at Le Mans, but I missed him - I was cheering for Ron Fellows of course, and admiring Wendlinger et al. in the other Viper.

And personally I hope Memo does become America's Driver as I think he's a nice boy and works hard and he is also a good racer when he has the right equipment. And I like a man who is willing to work hard with no reward, just in the hope that the reward will come - because when the reward does come, he is so much fun to watch!

[Neil C]

Liz, I have watched many CART races on Canadian Television. Like any other telecast, they focus on Canadian drivers. When I watch CBC coverage of the Olympics, we hear about the Canadians. Every country has a right to be proud when its athletes compete, win lose or draw. Why is it only bad when Americans do so?

[Liz]

It isn't. Sports reporting should be objective.

The coverage we get on Eurosport is very well balanced; it does not focus on any one team or pilot to the exclusion of others, that is although the announcers are both British, they don't focus strictly on the British pilots. That is the way it should be. Unless the announcers have been hired by a particular team (as common in hockey and baseball, and I assume in other stick and ball sports), they should not cheer for any particular team or player. It is not good sportsmanship. There have been people lately who have said that Martin Brundle's involvement with DC (in a professional aspect only, I hasten to add) is very clearly colouring his coverage of F1. I don't realistically see how it could not. It'd be like expecting a mother to broadcast a race in which her son was driving! ("Oh look, there's Harry!")

Since we don't have any race broadcasters in Canada--we get either the American feed or the Eurosport feed -- I can't say whether Canadian broadcasters are objective or not.

[Heeltoe6]

"Yes, I did miss Sears Point. What happened?"
Donohue and co driver(and fellow 'murican) Tommy Archer took the GTS win in the other Oreca Viper. It was the first time that pair had won all season, and perhaps in Oreca's entire ALMS career, but Donohue(not sure if Archer was his codriver at the time) did also win in FIA gt back when Oreca raced there.



As for the objectivity, unfortunately it's wishful thiking. I haven't seen a sports broadcaster(or news anchor for that matter) who hasn't shown some obvious bias. But yes, it's what should be, but I don't think it will ever be.

[Joe Fan]

I personally think Paul Page does a great job. He is overdramatic at times but that keeps me awake during some of the broadcasts. I don't think Paul is biased towards Americans because if you'll notice, he acts like he wets his pants every time Montoya does something..."MONTOYA!" Michael is the all-time CART victory leader and like it or not, for this reason he is deserves a little more attention than Joe Blow Cart driver. Dale Earnhardt Sr. gets the same attention in NASCAR Winston Cup TV broadcasts for this reason whether he is really in the hunt for the win or a championship. Jimmy Vasser doesn't get the same hype from Paul that Montoya does or Michael for that matter. Why? Because he is more of a smooth type driver rather than a ragged edge driver and is rarely challenging for the win lately.

From what I have heard from those who get Murray Walker as an announcer of their F1 races, he always blabbering about Jenson Button when he does something good and Jenson has yet to contest for a win yet.

[Jay]

Montoya is without question biased towards Micheal Andretti. I am not saying he is biased to all Americans, just Micheal Andretti. And for one reason or another he seems to be biased to Montoya.

Our coverage is either the Micheal Andretti show, or the much prefered Eurosport guys, who are probably the only unbiased racing comentators in the entire sport. Seriously!

Yes Murray is biased for Jensen Button and TGF. Martin is fairly neutral.

[AndrettiRULES]

Yes I've noticed both Montoya/Andretti seem to be fans of each other. I've heard Montoya is very impressed at how quick and fierce Andretti is @ 37....and I just think Mikey knows talent when he sees it....he did drive alongside Senna, errr....behind Senna

AR

[Liz]

He drove on the same track as Senna sometimes.

So did Mo Gugelman. In fact, Mo drove with Senna for a lot longer, a fact that seems to be generaly forgotten. I thought of this when I met him this summer - here I was talkign to a man who had actually been a friend of Senna.

Even if he'll never be the pilot Senna was, I have to respect that.

[floid2000]

Liz...As usual you have summed it all up in a few well chosen words. I am in awe of anyone who ever shared a porta-potty with Senna. He was a God of a stature that NO, Lowly American could ever hope to attain. Clowns like Mike Andretti (winningest active driver in Cart) or the likes of Al Unser Jr.are mere wanabe race car drivers.Cart Championships and IMSA wins are easy. I also applaud your ideas on Superspeedways. Leave them to the Tobacco chewin' crowd at Nascar(sorry). REAL Drivers never want to go over 180MPH. They could get injured or worse yet ruin a car.Lets keep our racing nice and safe for Gil and the rest of the Brazilian drivers. Some day i hope maybe my country (America) will produce a truly great driver and shut down (once and for all) all of those FAST race tracks.
Best Wishes
floid2000

[Jay]

You can always hope Floid2000.