R.I.P. Eric Medlen

[Scrapheap]

 Our "B" Team Driver Eric Medlen who drives the AAA sponsored Mustang Funny Car, died while testing today (monday) at Gainsville Raceway Park in Florida. His father, John Medlen is my boss AND the Crewchief for his (late) son. One can only imagine what he's going through having given the final "O.K."  for Eric's car to go down the track.

The word I got was that a rear tire exploded at half track when he was going about 280 MPH.

R.I.P. Eric "Cowboy" Medlen

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

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/motor/nhra/2007-03-19-medlen_N.htm

http://sports.espn.go.com/rpm/news/story?seriesId=8&id=2804747

[DirtDawg]

Sorry to hear about this, Scr'eap. I don't think we need another reminder to keep us aware of how dangerous motorsports are. Very sad event.

[Scrapheap]

Update:

Eric, Unfortunately, didn't go quickly and may have suffered for some time.

The word that I originally got, was that he was D.O.A. Tuns out that he was unconcious and had massive internal head injuries. The did surgery to release the pressure, and they used drugs to induce coma, but he finally passed this morning. In a sense it's probably better for hiom and his family, because if he had lived, he would've been a wheelchair bound vegtable. This would've prolonged everyone's anguish. It's all over now and everybody can have closeure. He was a great guy and a good friend and co-worker. May he finally rest in peace.

[El]

I'm very sorry, Screpheap.

[Callaway]

In a way, he died doing what he loved, but it is very sad to think of him suffering.  Maybe the coma that they induced kept him from suffering.

[ASpHole]

Sorry to hear about that. My best wishes to his family.

[DirtDawg]

I look back on what I posted and it could be interpreted in many ways ...

I did not mean that you should not have posted this - only, that it is too bad that it happened, again, so soon, again.

[Scrapheap]

Well they've decided to bury Eric in Brownsburg (Indianapolis) on Wed. , so I'll be flying out of LAX along with all the other office/machine shop personel tommorow morning for the funeral. I should be back Wed evening or Thurs morning.

See you all when I get back !!!

[The_P]

I find it utterly pretentious to offer condolences towards someone you have no connection with -- especially if it's a dead person.

[richard]

liek yo dog someone said he wasnt dead!

[Diesel]

R.I.P.

[Callaway]

I find it utterly pretentious to offer condolences towards someone you have no connection with -- especially if it's a dead person.

Why?  You can't feel sorry that someone has lost their friend or loved one?

I don't know how John Medlen felt losing his child, but I know how devastated I felt when I lost my daughter and my mother and I assume that he feels something similar but probably worse, given how it happened.

Scrapheap worked with Eric, and Eric's dad, John Medlen, is his boss.  Attending his funeral and offering condolences is not pretentious.  I think it will make the family feel better to know that the people who attend the funeral cared about Eric.

[The_P]

I find it utterly pretentious to offer condolences towards someone you have no connection with -- especially if it's a dead person.

Why?  You can't feel sorry that someone has lost their friend or loved one?

I don't know how John Medlen felt losing his child, but I know how devastated I felt when I lost my daughter and my mother and I assume that he feels something similar but probably worse, given how it happened.

Scrapheap worked with Eric, and Eric's dad, John Medlen, is his boss.  Attending his funeral and offering condolences is not pretentious.  I think it will make the family feel better to know that the people who attend the funeral cared about Eric.

What I meant was that I, myself, don't like to offer sympathies towards deceased people I don't know through some internet forum. I leave that to the people who actually knew them and cared about them -- like Scrap.

[Callaway]

I find it utterly pretentious to offer condolences towards someone you have no connection with -- especially if it's a dead person.

Why?  You can't feel sorry that someone has lost their friend or loved one?

I don't know how John Medlen felt losing his child, but I know how devastated I felt when I lost my daughter and my mother and I assume that he feels something similar but probably worse, given how it happened.

Scrapheap worked with Eric, and Eric's dad, John Medlen, is his boss.  Attending his funeral and offering condolences is not pretentious.  I think it will make the family feel better to know that the people who attend the funeral cared about Eric.

What I meant was that I, myself, don't like to offer sympathies towards deceased people I don't know through some internet forum. I leave that to the people who actually knew them and cared about them -- like Scrap.

Yes, I understand now.  That makes sense to me.

[McGiver]

I find it utterly pretentious to offer condolences towards someone you have no connection with -- especially if it's a dead person.

Why?  You can't feel sorry that someone has lost their friend or loved one?

I don't know how John Medlen felt losing his child, but I know how devastated I felt when I lost my daughter and my mother and I assume that he feels something similar but probably worse, given how it happened.

Scrapheap worked with Eric, and Eric's dad, John Medlen, is his boss.  Attending his funeral and offering condolences is not pretentious.  I think it will make the family feel better to know that the people who attend the funeral cared about Eric.

What I meant was that I, myself, don't like to offer sympathies towards deceased people I don't know through some internet forum. I leave that to the people who actually knew them and cared about them -- like Scrap.

how pea discribed is kinda how i feel.
even in real life i wonder how much sympathy i would have.  i have never had anyone close to me die, who wasn't already very elderly.