Formula 3 Upgrade For Gidley & Team USA

Oct 13, 1995
Ashford, England — In just over one week, rising North American auto racing star Memo Gidley is set to compete in his first international event on the famed Donington Park road course in England. The talented Californian will contest the International Formula 3 Challenge in a Mugen/Honda-powered Dallara run by Dick Bennetts’ vastly experienced – and successful – West Surrey Racing team.
The original plan called for Gidley to drive a year-old chassis in the B-Class category, but after an extremely promising recent test session at Snetterton, England, Bennetts has offered the opportunity for Gidley to upgrade his status to one of the very latest A-Class Dallara F395-Mugen/Hondas.

“I was very impressed with the job Memo did in the car during the test,” said Bennetts. “To set a time of 68.1 (seconds) on his first time out in the car, and on that track, was a good effort. I’m sure that with another day in the car, having had time to sit back and think about it, he’d be quite a bit faster.

“I think both he and we will gain more by running him in the A-car at Donington. The newer cars have a slightly stronger engine and I think we’ll have a good chance of gaining a better overall result.”

Gidley, of course, was thrilled to hear the news: “Wow! I had a great time in the car at Snetterton and I just felt so comfortable with the West Surrey team. Dick Bennetts has a huge amount of experience and it was a great opportunity for me to work with – and learn from – the team. Just to win the Valvoline Team USA Scholarship was a dream come true for me, and now to learn I’m going to be driving one of the latest cars and hopefully dicing up there with the big boys, that’s just fantastic! I can hardly wait to get in the car.”

Gidley, who cemented his position as Rookie of the Year in the close-fought SCCA/USAC United States Formula Ford 2000 National Championship at Mid-Ohio last weekend – and only narrowly failed in his bid to win the overall title – is already in England and will drive the patriotically liveried red, white and blue Valvoline Team USA Scholarship Dallara-Mugen/Honda in an exclusive Formula 3 test at Snetterton next Tuesday. He is also scheduled to undertake a half-day test at Donington on Thursday, prior to the race weekend.