NHRA Funny Car driver Eric Medlen died Friday, four days after he suffered a severe closed-head injury in a test session crash at Gainesville, Fla. He was 33. Medlen’s family elected to have him taken off life-support systems, which they said was Eric’s wish for this type of situation. Medlen’s Mustang Funny Car crashed head on into the right concrete barrier after it blew a tire on a test run the day after the Gatornationals at Gainesville Raceway. Medlen was one of four drivers for John Force Racing. The other three JFR drivers — Force, Robert Hight and Ashley Force — stayed in Florida with Medlen’s family. Eric’s father, John Medlen, said, On behalf of the family, I want to thank the medical staff at Shands not just for giving Eric the very best care he could have received, but for the compassion it showed for Eric and all those close to him. I also want to thank the thousands of people who offered their prayers and support to us during this very difficult time. More at ESPN.com, NHRA.com and Ford Racing.(3-23-2007)
