Eric Medlen
Moderator: John_Heard
Eric Medlen
Maybe everone should say a prayer for the loss of a fellow racer Eric Medlen and his family. He passed away friday at the age of 33 from his injuries and will be missed
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John_Heard
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I just got this in a email press release - God Speed Eric
DRIVER MEDLEN SUCCUMBS TO INJURIES SUFFERED IN TESTING ACCIDENT
GAINESVILLE, Fla. Eric Medlen, 33, who had emerged as one of the
most popular young drivers in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series,
succumbed Friday afternoon to injuries suffered when his race car
crashed into a guardwall during a Monday test session at Gainesville
Raceway.
The talented Funny Car driver never regained consciousness. After
being treated at the track, he was transported by ShandsCair
helicopter to Shands at the University of Florida medical center where
medical staff treated him for four days for a severe closed head
injury.
“Eric suffered from severe traumatic brain injury with diffuse axonal
injury, or DAI,” said Dr. Joseph Layon, Professor of Anesthesiology,
Surgery and Medicine and the Chief of Critical Care Medicine at UF.
“Survival rates associated with DAI are low.
“On Tuesday, UF and Shands neurosurgery team performed a cranjectomy
and removed the front portion of the skull to relieve pressure and
attempt to improve blood flow to the brain,” Dr.
Layon explained. “Despite receiving the most aggressive treatment,
Eric continued to have uncontrollable intracranial pressure. His body
lost the ability to manage it’s salt and water levels and he began
displaying the complicating factors associated with DAI.
“That is when Eric’s family elected to honor Eric’s wishes and remove
him from the artificial life support systems. Our hearts go out to
Eric’s loved ones.”
“On behalf of the family, I want to thank the medical staff at Shands
not just for giving Eric the very best care he could have received,
but for the compassion it showed for Eric and all those close to him”
said his father, John Medlen. “I also want to thank the thousands of
people who offered their prayers and support to us during this very
difficult time.”
As recently as Thursday night, more than 100 drivers and crew members
representing every Indianapolis-based race team attended a prayer
vigil organized by Kelly Bustos, team manager for Tuttle Motorsports,
which fields Top Fuel dragsters for 2006 Rookie-of-the- Year J.R.
Todd, one of Medlen’s closest friends in the sport.
At Louisville, Ky., where BP/Castrol had set up booth space for the
Mid-America Trucking Show, fans and well-wishers filled up two giant
posters with get well wishes Thursday. Moreover, more than 4,500
individual messages of support were left at a special e-mail address
on the first day it was activated.
“Eric Medlen was the son I never had,” said team owner John
Force. “He was the leader of my next generation of drivers.
Robert Hight, my daughter Ashley and I were with the family throughout
this very difficult time. This loss is a huge blow not only to the
Medlen family, but to drag racing and to John Force Racing. I just
want to thank everybody for their support, from Larry Smiley with
Racers for Christ to the hospital staff to the whole drag racing
community. Our prayers go out to the family.”
Little more than three years ago, Medlen took over driving
responsibilities in the Funny Car in which Tony Pedregon won the
2003 championship. He had distinguished himself as one of the
brightest young stars on the circuit, winning six times in his first
three seasons and never finishing outside the Top 5 in driver points.
A graduate of Oakdale (Calif.) High School, where he was a high
school rodeo champion in calf roping, Medlen trained under the
watchful eye of two-time PRCA World Champion Jerold Camarillo and had
contemplated a career in pro rodeo before his father called in
1996 to offer him a mechanic’s job at John Force Racing, Inc.
After spending one season on the team on which his father was crew
chief, he moved over one pit stall in 1997 to work on the car driven
by 14-time NHRA champion John Force. Serving first as the
supercharger technician and later as a clutch specialist, he was a
member of a team the crewed Force to 50 tour victories and six
championships in seven seasons.
When Tony Pedregon left after the 2003 season to form his own team,
Medlen was Force’s surprise pick to fill the seat, a move that
re-united him with his father on the No. 2 team at JFR.
He was the sport’s top Funny Car rookie in 2004, winning at Brainerd,
Minn. He won three races in 2005 and two in 2006 including the race
contested closest to his hometown the FRAM/ Autolite Nationals at
Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.
DRIVER MEDLEN SUCCUMBS TO INJURIES SUFFERED IN TESTING ACCIDENT
GAINESVILLE, Fla. Eric Medlen, 33, who had emerged as one of the
most popular young drivers in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing Series,
succumbed Friday afternoon to injuries suffered when his race car
crashed into a guardwall during a Monday test session at Gainesville
Raceway.
The talented Funny Car driver never regained consciousness. After
being treated at the track, he was transported by ShandsCair
helicopter to Shands at the University of Florida medical center where
medical staff treated him for four days for a severe closed head
injury.
“Eric suffered from severe traumatic brain injury with diffuse axonal
injury, or DAI,” said Dr. Joseph Layon, Professor of Anesthesiology,
Surgery and Medicine and the Chief of Critical Care Medicine at UF.
“Survival rates associated with DAI are low.
“On Tuesday, UF and Shands neurosurgery team performed a cranjectomy
and removed the front portion of the skull to relieve pressure and
attempt to improve blood flow to the brain,” Dr.
Layon explained. “Despite receiving the most aggressive treatment,
Eric continued to have uncontrollable intracranial pressure. His body
lost the ability to manage it’s salt and water levels and he began
displaying the complicating factors associated with DAI.
“That is when Eric’s family elected to honor Eric’s wishes and remove
him from the artificial life support systems. Our hearts go out to
Eric’s loved ones.”
“On behalf of the family, I want to thank the medical staff at Shands
not just for giving Eric the very best care he could have received,
but for the compassion it showed for Eric and all those close to him”
said his father, John Medlen. “I also want to thank the thousands of
people who offered their prayers and support to us during this very
difficult time.”
As recently as Thursday night, more than 100 drivers and crew members
representing every Indianapolis-based race team attended a prayer
vigil organized by Kelly Bustos, team manager for Tuttle Motorsports,
which fields Top Fuel dragsters for 2006 Rookie-of-the- Year J.R.
Todd, one of Medlen’s closest friends in the sport.
At Louisville, Ky., where BP/Castrol had set up booth space for the
Mid-America Trucking Show, fans and well-wishers filled up two giant
posters with get well wishes Thursday. Moreover, more than 4,500
individual messages of support were left at a special e-mail address
on the first day it was activated.
“Eric Medlen was the son I never had,” said team owner John
Force. “He was the leader of my next generation of drivers.
Robert Hight, my daughter Ashley and I were with the family throughout
this very difficult time. This loss is a huge blow not only to the
Medlen family, but to drag racing and to John Force Racing. I just
want to thank everybody for their support, from Larry Smiley with
Racers for Christ to the hospital staff to the whole drag racing
community. Our prayers go out to the family.”
Little more than three years ago, Medlen took over driving
responsibilities in the Funny Car in which Tony Pedregon won the
2003 championship. He had distinguished himself as one of the
brightest young stars on the circuit, winning six times in his first
three seasons and never finishing outside the Top 5 in driver points.
A graduate of Oakdale (Calif.) High School, where he was a high
school rodeo champion in calf roping, Medlen trained under the
watchful eye of two-time PRCA World Champion Jerold Camarillo and had
contemplated a career in pro rodeo before his father called in
1996 to offer him a mechanic’s job at John Force Racing, Inc.
After spending one season on the team on which his father was crew
chief, he moved over one pit stall in 1997 to work on the car driven
by 14-time NHRA champion John Force. Serving first as the
supercharger technician and later as a clutch specialist, he was a
member of a team the crewed Force to 50 tour victories and six
championships in seven seasons.
When Tony Pedregon left after the 2003 season to form his own team,
Medlen was Force’s surprise pick to fill the seat, a move that
re-united him with his father on the No. 2 team at JFR.
He was the sport’s top Funny Car rookie in 2004, winning at Brainerd,
Minn. He won three races in 2005 and two in 2006 including the race
contested closest to his hometown the FRAM/ Autolite Nationals at
Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.
My 1971 X275 Nova | Facebook
This is so sad.
Gods speed Eric.
Gods speed Eric.
68 Camaro, 380ci, Procharger, G-force 5 speed, EFI, 7" 2 disc clutch, best ET 8.69 @159
Best 60' vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OLzx5jBo4w
Best 60' vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1OLzx5jBo4w
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knockem out jon
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speedracer119
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speedracer119
- Posts: 67
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I havent seen anything but heard it was a tire that came apart, this is here say at the moment and I hope NHRA today this upcoming weekend will shed more light on it.
No mater what sometimes we question when bad things happen to good people, and I try to make heads or tails of it and my faith is tested each time and the only thing I can say is that I feel the man upstairs needed another Angel to help watch over us all.
Always remember to pull your belts tight and say a small prayer for you and everyone else racing because you never know.
No mater what sometimes we question when bad things happen to good people, and I try to make heads or tails of it and my faith is tested each time and the only thing I can say is that I feel the man upstairs needed another Angel to help watch over us all.
Always remember to pull your belts tight and say a small prayer for you and everyone else racing because you never know.
Johnny B.
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