Eric Medlen RIP

[Mike Holleman]

Just learned that Eric Medlen died as a result of a crash during testing at Gainesville. Way too young.
Mike Holleman

[ProdigyCustoms]

Tore me up when i read it last night. Being a father and son team myself, I can only imagine the horror of watching him crash. What I have not heard is what happened. But it's a funny car, anything could happen.

[Mike Holleman]

What I have read is something let go and he went hard into the wall. Very sudden and no time to react. It really sucks. He had a great future in NHRA. I know his family is devistated. I had a good friend lose his son a couple of weeks ago in a street accident.
Mike

[Johnny Blaze]

My understanding was a tire came apart at the topend and sent him into the barriers.



GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — NHRA driver Eric Medlen died Friday, four days after sustaining a severe head injury in a crash during a test session at Gainesville Raceway.
The 33-year-old Medlen, who drove for John Force Racing, never regained consciousness after his Funny Car crashed into a guardrail on Monday at the Florida track.

Medlen, one of the most popular drivers in the NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series, underwent brain surgery Tuesday night to relieve the pressure and hemorrhaging and was being kept in a drug-induced coma to promote healing. But doctors said he never showed any improvement.

"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."

He said that, despite receiving "the most aggressive treatment," Medlen continued to have uncontrollable intracranial pressure. "That is when Eric's family elected to honor Eric's wishes and remove him from the artificial life support systems," Layon said.

FIND MORE STORIES IN: Racing | NHRA | Raceway | Funny Car | GAINESVILLE | Drag Racing | Medlen | Drag | John Force Racing
Team owner and longtime drag racer John Force was devastated by the loss.

"He was the leader of my next generation of drivers," Force said Friday. "This loss is a huge blow, not only to the Medlen family but to drag racing and to John Force Racing."

In 2004, Medlen took over the Funny Car in which Tony Pedregon won the previous year's championship and was the division's top rookie. He won six times in his first three seasons and never finished outside the top five in driver points.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

[TZmtrsprt]

Very sad to hear. Eric was truly "The Next Generation" of not only John Force's team but of the NHRA. He seemed like a great guy and a future star. This must just be devestating to not only John Force Racing but to the whole drag racing community. Wonder what effect this will have on the team. It's going to be even more difficult to strap both your son in-law and now your daughter in one of those nitro fueled missles. Thanks for the memories Eric, Rest In Peace for sure.

[speedster]

I feel terrible for the Medlen family, the Force's and teammates. We had a clip of him on our camera from the Saturday at Gainesville. That has to be a scary feeling for the other Next Gen drivers. RIP Eric.

[speedster]

Rear tire blew at 1000'. Actual cause unknown so far.

[MuscleRodz]

That has been an issue before. Same thing that killed that girl in Tulsa a couple years ago in the IHRA Top Fuel Class.

Mike