MEMO GIDLEY, MICHAEL MCDOWELL AND GUY COSMO TEAM-UP FOR ROLEX SERIES SEASON FINALE
The 2006 Grand American Rolex Series season is coming to a close and Memo Gidley, Michael McDowell and Guy Cosmo would like to finish on a positive note.
All three drivers have driven with one another at some point this season but this weekend will mark the first time they’ve all three competed in the No.19 Playboy/Uniden/Palms Ford-Powered Daytona Prototype machine on the same weekend. Memo Gidley and Michael McDowell started off the season strong, scoring three top-10 finishes in-a-row at Daytona, Mexico City and Homestead. Long Beach looked to produce more of the same results until an incident during the morning warm-up found Memo Gidley in the hospital with a compression fracture to his lower back.
As Gidley began the recovery process, the Finlay Motorsports team enlisted the assistance of Guy Cosmo. Cosmo competed in the next four races with Michael McDowell, helping the team score three top-five finishes and a top- 10. Gidley climbed back behind the wheel of the popular orange and black machine at Watkins Glen.
The next few races found the team experiencing a few high points (Watkins Glen, 6th, Daytona, 8th and Barber, 6th) and low points (Mid-Ohio and Watkins Glen). With the season coming to a close, Michael McDowell was unable to compete in the Infineon Raceway event so Guy Cosmo was given the opportunity to once again climb behind the wheel of the No.19 machine.
Gidley and Cosmo fought an ill-handling race car but managed to score the team’s tenth top-10 finish of the season. It’s hard to believe, given the results and consistency of the No.19 Playboy/Uniden/Palms –sponsored machine that it has not found its way to victory circle but Gidley, McDowell and Cosmo hope to change that this weekend. The 4.5-mile, 24-turn road course will definitely put the drivers of the Rolex Series to the test but the Finlay Motorsports team is prepared and ready for the Discount Tire SunChaser 9-hour season finale. The final round of the Grand American Rolex Series from Miller Motorsports Park will take place on Saturday, September 1 at 2:00 p.m. ET.
Speed Channel will televise the start of the race live; the second segment of the telecast will begin at 6:00 p.m. ET. Be sure to check your local listings!
