Following a severe incident at this years Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona involving Memo Gidley and his no. 99 Gainsco Auto Insurance Corvette Daytona Prototype, Team Owner Bob Stallings announced the team has suspended operations for the 2014 United SportsCar Championship and will focus their efforts on 2015.
The accident, which occured on lap 93 less than three hours into the race, happened when Gidley made an outside pass in his polesitting DP and struck the limping Ferrari 458 of Matteo Malucelli. Malucelli escaped with a "non-critical" cerebral concussion, while Gidley suffered a broken back and major injuries to his left arm and leg. His recovery will likely take several months.
“It is with great regret that we will have to suspend operations for the balance of the 2014 season,” said Stallings. “Since Daytona, priority one for us has been on Memo’s recovery. Everyone on the team has been focused on his care and comfort, and it has meant the world to see such support from the fans and the racing community at large. Even though Memo has a long road ahead, the worst is behind him, and it has allowed us to step back and take a look at the program at large. With both the personal and economic strain this has put on us, we feel it’s in the best interest of everyone to sit out this year, with a firm focus on a return in 2015.”
As a result, the 2007 and 2009 DP champions have released crew members and drivers Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty to seek opportunities with other teams for the remainder of the season.
