[ak69]

ERIC MEDLEN SUFFERS HORRIFIC CRASH | Print |
Written by CompetitionPlus
Monday, 19 March 2007


NHRA POWERade Funny Car driver Eric Medlen was airlifted from Gainesville Raceway to Shands Memorial Hospital in Gainesville, Florida following a testing crash shortly after Noon, EST. According to Torco's CompetitionPlus.com staff members on the grounds, Medlen was making a run in the left lane when the car skated around before making contact with the retaining wall. The car then darted across the track and struck the right lane retaining wall.

According to medical personnel on the scene, Medlen was unconcious when they arrived but breathing on his own.

We'll bring you more details once they become available.

 

[69 Ratt Vette]

Hope he is OK

 

[driver]

Just read it on nhra website.

 

[Burnsamatic]

Those funny cars are getting way out of hand. I think they need to scale them back a bit. Maybe Ashley Force should reconsider driving one.

 

[driver]

A couple hit the wall yesterday.All team FORCE.

 

[70 SS LS-5]

Those funny cars are getting way out of hand. I think they need to scale them back a bit. Maybe Ashley Force should reconsider driving one.

No, they absolutely don't need to scale them back. It's just like NASCAR becoming so sissified over the years. Nobody forces them to get in the car and drive that fast. If it's so dangerous and they're so afraid they shouldn't get in the car.
Some things in life are dangerous. That's part of what makes life worth living.
:beers:
Mike

 

[Busted Knuckles]

I AGREE with Mike.
They already control the potency of the fuel, NHRA dictates car length, rear end gears and cubic inches, plus they use tires to control speed (to an extent) kinda like NASCAR does. Funny cars run the same engines as dragsters. Line 'em up and run 'em!!!

 

[driver]

Update..He is in CRITICAL condition..Don't sound good.

 

[SS_Sean]

http://www.nhra.com/content/news/19115.htm

 

[OutCast]

Bad news for sure.

Here's the link http://www.nhra.com/content/news/19115.htm

John

 

[Bomber '67]

He is in my prayers, get well Eric.

The top classes of drag racing are safer now than at just about any time in the past. Motorsport for motorsport, drag racing has proven to have the lowest incident rate, it is actually the safest pro motorsport thanks largely to the long time safety efforts of the NHRA.

Thomas

 

[bigjimzlll]

according to this post(a reliable source) http://drr.infopop.cc/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/75460652/m/2041017892
Eric has passed away. Until it is confirmed by JFR(John Force racing) I still hold a shread of hope.

God Speed Eric........

 

[chevguy65]

He is in an induced coma but brain activity is good.

 

[Mike McMasters]

i hope all of the premature rumors about him passing are just that (bad rumors). eric and his family are in our prayers.

mike

 

[10sec69]

Update from NHRA.com:

http://www.nhra.com/content/news/19115.htm

 

[-SS454-]

Oh no, thats horrible news. I hope he pulls through.

I agree they do not need to make the cars slower. If he crashed at 280 mph, and they slow the cars down, it doesnt mean someone cant still crash at 310 mph. What they absolutely should do is put in safer barriers that Nascar uses. Upgrade the tracks safety, not lower the quality of racing.

 

[novaderrik]

they could line the sides of the track with the safer barriers, run the cars on rails, make the cars out of Nerf, and put the drivers in a bulletproof inflatable air bag fire suit, and people would still get hurt. but those people choose to do what they do, knowing full well what can happen at any time.
part of what makes the fuel classes exciting is knowing that they are right on the edge every second of every pass.

 

[70 beater]

This is on the NHRA site:

Funny Car driver Eric Medlen, injured in a testing accident Monday at Gainesville Raceway, remained in critical condition Tuesday in intensive care at Shands at the University of Florida medical center.

According to Medlen's father, John, doctors are continuing to work to reduce pressure and swelling from what has been characterized as a severe closed head injury suffered when the 33-year-old's car crashed heavily into the guardwall.

“We would ask everyone to keep Eric and his family in their prayers while at the same time respecting their need for privacy in this very difficult time,” said Kelly Antonelli, a spokesperson for John Force Racing, Inc.

“Obviously, our primary concern is for Eric's health,” Antonelli said, “but we also are aware of erroneous information that has been posted on various internet sites and, unfortunately, that has been a source of additional pain for the family.

“To address that issue, we will continue to provide daily medical updates authorized by the family and the medical staff here at Shands.”

Seems to be alot of people who like to generate rumors online.Not sure if this has been posted yet.

 

[kjett]

I hope Eric Medlin has a speedy recovery and my prayers are certainly with his family. I think these cars are about as safe as they can possibly be with the technology currently available. The technology is improving all the time. For those that follow NASCAR, look at the lick that David Reutimann took a couple weeks ago. He was briefly knocked out from the impact, but was otherwise basically unhurt due to the safety equipment which inlcudes low impact walls (and most probably the HANS device as well). A crash very similar to that one took Dale Earnhardt's life just a few short years ago. I'm not for slowing the cars down, but I wouldn't mind seeing them deploy low impact walls if it would help to reduce the driver injury.

 

[Ron454]

I guess I wonder if Ashley will be too rattled by this and her brush with the wall last week to race at the next event.