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Eric Medlen Tragedy Statement
Bruce Biegler - March 27, 2007
 After learning about Eric Medlens incident shortly after arriving back from NHRA Gainesville last week I like everyone else in the sport held my breath the entire week waiting for some better news which unfortunately was never to come.
I do not have the capacity of writing any words that will make drag racing fans feel better or that will take away the immense pain of losing this great racer in such a tragic and untimely manner. I am suffering equally along with everybody else within our drag racing extended family.
It is times like this that tests the faith for some and also conjures up questions about existence, fate and purpose for others.
Eric Medlen was truly an impressive individual. His driving talents, while really still only budding, were highly impressive and his terrific personality and positive approach to the sport win or lose is something that all drag racers should pattern themselves after. It is unfortunate that like with the loss of Blaine Johnson back in 1996, the sport of drag racing will never know the heights he too could have risen to.
But be assured the name Eric Medlen will still have an ongoing impact. Nobody knows exactly right at this moment how, but after the grieving has lessened and the sport returns to some normality, I truly believe a new path for drag racing will be charted. The harsh reality is that this incident has shaken the very foundation of our sport because it involved one of NHRAs premier rising stars and involved a member of drag racings highest profile Professional team.
For John Force Racing the recovery task at hand is a formidable one. John Force himself has worn his emotions on his sleeve for his entire career and for this to have happened to the greatest Ambassador the sport has ever had is about as unfair as it can get. The team will pull together and try to get back to racing at the highest level as soon as they can. It goes without saying that Eric Medlen would have it no other way.
But I know that John Force considered Eric Medlen like a son he never had and will never let this tragedy pass without effect. Like Garlits did for rear-engined Top Fuel cars in the 1970s, I envision Force will for Funny Car class racing. Be it radically newly designed cars, imposed impact barriers or even an evolution to a shorter race track the face of drag racing as we know it is about to change.
I know I speak on behalf of all drag racing fans in Canada in expressing my heartfelt sorrow to the Medlen Family and John Force Racing team. Rest in Peace Eric....
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