Muscle Milk Team CytoSport is making a change to its driver lineup for the American Le Mans Series Monterey presented by Patrón race this weekend.
The team has called on the services of Memo Gidley to help pilot the #6 Muscle Milk Porsche RS Spyder, as the team battles to maintain its championship lead during Saturday’s six-hour event at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca.
Memo Gidley, a former CART/Champ Car and current GRAND-AM driver, will be replacing owner/driver Greg Pickett who has elected to bypass the Laguna event after heavy business commitments interrupted the veteran racer’s pre-race preparations.
This weekend’s event won’t be Gidley’s first experience with Muscle Milk Team CytoSport. The Mexico-born, American last drove for the team at Petit Le Mans in 2007, helping them to a third place finish, and has been part of the Muscle Milk family for many years.
Gidley will get his first taste of the Porsche RS Spyder during Thursday’s test session at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, which runs from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. PT.
Although it will be his first time aboard the Spyder, Gidley has plenty of experience behind the wheel of racecars. Since 2005, he has been racing Daytona Prototypes in the GRAND-AM Series, making 54 starts. His stint in the sports car series was preceded by five years of competing in the CART/Champ Car series.
Round 3 of the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón will be a fourth ALMS start for Gidley who has two podium finishes in his three previous races.
The six-hour race will see the green flag at 2:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, May 22 and will be streamed live online at americanlemans.com/live. The event will also be broadcast tape delayed on CBS Sports at 1:30 p.m. ET May 29, 2010. Fans can also follow live radio coverage on American Le Mans Radio presented by Porsche as well as Sirius Channel 127 and XM Channel 242.
What they have to say:
Memo Gidley, Driver #6 Muscle Milk Porsche RS Spyder “Greg gave me a heads up that he might need me this weekend. He said I know you’re ready to go, so just be there. Greg helps me out a lot and of course Muscle Milk and the whole CytoSport company is like a family. I’m always ready to help, to do whatever I can. “Jumping into the Porsche RS Spyder is going to be an awesome experience. I’m just really happy to be here with Muscle Milk Team CytoSport. This track has a special meaning to me because this is where I came to see my first car race ever, and this is also where I first started working as a mechanic at what use to be the Jim Russell School that was based here. That was a big deal, starting from nothing and starting off here. Also, when I was racing in Champ Car, I finished on the podium here. It was nice to realize how far I had come. So this track is very special from that standpoint. This is where it all began for me.”
Greg Pickett, Owner / Driver #6 Muscle Milk Porsche RS Spyder “First of all I want to thank Memo for stepping in for me this weekend. It’s been a busy few weeks for me with meetings and travel and this week leading up to the Laguna race has been no different. During a race week, I like to prepare myself and meet with the guys and immerse myself back into race mode. This week, I’ve just been too busy to prepare myself to my liking and I felt that the best thing to do for the team was to give my spot to Memo. With Memo being part of the Muscle Milk family for such a long time it was an easy decision to have him drive the Porsche RS Spyder. “That said, I look forward to watching my guys have a great weekend out there and I also look forward to being back in the racecar for our next race in Utah.”
About CytoSport
CytoSport, the maker of Muscle Milk®, is among the largest sport nutrition protein beverage companies in the U.S. and offers a complete line of protein-enhanced powders, shakes and bars. Muscle Milk® was recently named the 2008 Ready-to-Drink Beverage of the Year by bodybuilding.com, Best Functional Beverage and Beverage of the Year by BevNet and 2009 Company of the Year by Beverage Forum presented by Beverage Marketing Corporation and Beverage World. For more information on Muscle Milk or additional CytoSport products, visit: www.cytosport.com.