FORCE UNVEILS ERIC MEDLEN PROJECT
 John Medlen unveils the statue of his son, Eric, who received fatal injuries in testing after the Gatornationals last March. |
John Force formally announced the creation of The Eric Medlen Project (TEMP) to address safety issues. TEMP will contain high-tech data acquisition and testing equipment to support the search for safer cars and that information will be shared with NHRA and PRO (Professional Racecar Owners), Force said.
Force plans to build the Funny Car of the Future (FCF) in a 48,000 square foot addition to the John Force Racing shop in Brownsburg, Indiana. To address safety and performance goals, Force wants to create every race car component and perform every step of the preparation process in-house.
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John Medlen, who will be crew chief on new driver Mike Neff’s Mustang, has been working closely with the NHRA, SFI, Ford Motor Company, and other on the safety issues.
“We’ve been given data that would have taken years for us to develop on our own,” Medlen said.
“It’s been a very humbling experience that shows the depth of the impact of Eric’s accident.”
Brandon Bernstein, J.R. Todd, and Morgan Lucas (left to right) were on hand at the ceremonies at John Force Racing. The statue was cast by Storyland Studios in Lake Elsinore, CA, the same company that created the statue of Wally Parks that stands in front of the NHRA Motorsports Museum.
The sale of Eric Medlen memorabilia has already raised more than $200,000 for division among four charities chosen by the Medlen family including Racers for Christ and the Drag Racing Association of Women (DRAW). (Mark Westfall photos) [8/31/2007]
2007 HEMI CHALLENGE
Click here to read coverage of the 2007 Hemi Challenge at Indy. [8/31/2007]
