4/10/2007
Writer's Block
I have writer's block. Not just any writer's block mind you, but nostalgia drag racing writer's block. While I am the nostalgia guy here at DRO, I can’t stop thinking about Eric Medlen.
I think Eric Medlen's death transcends our drag race genres. Up until I heard the news I was on cloud nine. I was packing for my flight to attend another nostalgia event that was happening this past weekend. Not drag racing, but BMX racing. It was a reunion celebrating the 30th anniversary of the American Bicycle Association's Winternationals, and they invited a bunch of dinosaurs to come commemorate it. I was stoked to be invited as I had won the first ABA Winternationals. Then I heard the news about Eric. I can honestly say I wasn’t shocked. I’m a realist and I was glad he was alive after reading the reports on the official diagnosis of his injuries. I’m no doctor, but I was once close friends with one and this doctor's field of expertise was closed head injuries. Her lack of confidence with medical science’s ability to rehabilitate a good number of folks with closed head injuries left me worried and uneasy for Eric. At best, he would be facing a long road. So after he succumbed, why was I feeling so sad and empty? I had a hard time finishing my packing and driving to the airport.
Why was this hitting me so hard? I only met Eric once. I was at the big show chatting with a vendor friend of mine and Eric walked up. My friend and Eric exchanged nice words and my friend introduced me and added that I drive nostalgia funny cars. Eric said. “That’s cool!” and that was it. Eric walked off and I can’t say that I felt any kind of a bonding moment had just happened. It’s natural (and I would think expected!) to feel a little sad when someone is hurt or worse in our sport. I’m sure all of us are feeling a little melancholy after this. My thoughts and well wishes certainly go out to the Medlen family and the John Force racing family. This event has most definitely rocked our sport. Much like the Darrell Russell incident, it will have a profound effect on all of us, nostalgia racers included.
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Now it's a week later, and I just finished talking to a driver who was at the meeting held Friday in Houston. He filled me in on the briefing from John Force racing. As a chassis builder and a racer I’ll obviously do everything mandated by the groups involved to make any changes that may come from this incident to make my customers and my friends' cars safer, nostalgia or not.
Sorry for being such a downer this month. It’s where I am right now.
Let's try to move on to a few things that have happened this month, and hopefully my mood will change. The 49th March Meet went off with nary a hitch. While I was pretty busy with the Pisano & Matsubara funny car, I did notice a couple of things when they called us up to the lanes on Friday for our first qualifier. First, we were on time. Second, they were waiting for us! They were ahead of schedule! Very cool. Another new beginning was the drivers meeting that Steve Gibbs held for all of us nitro drivers before qualifying Friday. Steve pointed out some obvious things to us and asked our help in speeding things up regarding the show. He also touched on what he would like to see happen in the near future and you will just have to stay tuned for that news.
