Brownsburg, Ind. --First off I want to congratulate Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and Karen Stoffer (Pro Stock Motorcycle) on their wins at the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals the previous weekend, as well as Morgan Lucas who picked up his second win of the season in his Top Alcohol Dragster at the NHRA Sportsman Championship at Memphis Motorsports Park yesterday. Also, hats off to Penske Racing’s Ryan Newman who finished fourth in the Sharpie Mini 300 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday.
As most of you have heard by now, Eric Medlen was involved in a testing accident at Gainesville Raceway last Monday that resulted in a severe closed head injury with DAI. After having a cranjectomy performed on Tuesday and being treated the rest of the week at Shands Hospital, Eric passed away on Friday at age 33. The full story and official John Force Racing statement can be found at the following link, http://www.nhra.com/content/news/19197.htm.
Even though Eric wasn’t on a Ringers supporting team, I am proud to say over the past four seasons, I was fortunate enough to spend time with him to where I could call him a friend. It was just on the Wednesday the week of Gainesville that Brandon Bernstein, J.R. Todd, Eric and I were sitting at the Waffle House having a “midnight snack” when Eric, J.R. and I realized we all lived within four miles of each other. We were all being goofy and quoting one-liners from movies we thought were funny and Eric pops out saying “hey, we need to start a movie night since we all live close together!” Most of you are probably thinking, how can you call him a friend when you don’t know where he lives? In the world of racing, at least in my experience with traveling on circuits, your life is out on the road and you have friends that are out on the road, just because you don’t know where they live or you haven’t been to their house, doesn’t mean they aren’t a friend. A couple people I consider my best friends live hundreds of miles away and I only see them once or twice a year, if I am lucky, but that doesn’t mean they are not still a friend.
I guess what is really weird to me following Eric’s death was just on Sunday night at 9:30 p.m. after I got back to my hotel, I was talking with him on text messaging seeing if he wanted to join me, J.R. and a couple other people up at the Ale House (a favorite local hangout of the NHRA community) for a drink. He said something to the nature of thanks for the offer, but I am testing in the morning. We went on to start planning what Tuesday we were going to start our movie nights and where we were going to be first and chatted about a couple other things. Before I walked out of the hotel to get in my rental car, I asked him one last time if he’s sure he didn’t want to meet up for at least one drink and he said yeah. Our texting ended with me saying “have a good test and call me when you get back to Indy.” Needless to say, Wednesday night, March 14, 2007 will always hold a special place in my heart, as I was fortunate enough to hang out with Eric and his “brat pack” at the Gainesville Ale House and the infamous Waffle House. Thanks for the crazy memories, Eric…you will truly be missed.
On behalf of Ringers Gloves and the Ringers/CP Road Show crew, I would like to extend our deepest sympathies and condolences to Eric’s family, friends and everyone at John Force Racing and his sponsor, Castrol. He was one helluva guy and I know the Funny Car class won’t be the same without him.
About Ringers Gloves
Ringers Gloves, Official Gloves of NHRA and title sponsor for the Ringers Gloves Pro Bike Battle, is a full-line manufacturer of high-end, task specific gloves, SFI 3.3/1, 3.3/10, 3.3/20 racing gloves, UnderX protective undergarments and rdigs pit boots.
