03/28/07
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This edition of letters has to do with Eric Medlen and the safety issues raised by his tragic death.
SLOW ‘EM DOWN
It's time to slow the fuel cars down. Two deaths in less than 3 years of very professional drivers in well-funded and engineered cars is proof enough. We can't go back to the old days where every season we would have drivers killed.
Bigger cubic inch engines, 100% nitro, no blowers would give the fans loud, fast enough, and dependable race cars.
Bill Pinkston
SoCal
WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS?
My prayers go to the Medlen family. Eric Medlen died doing what he loved. The only bad thing here would to not learn from his death. We in the military look at all accidents and examine what happened and how to improve on what we are doing.
I race a bracket car when I am at home and I think about it when I get strapped in the car. I feel that I did everything I could to stay safe. Has everyone done the best they can? I hope we all learn from this, but remember the great drag racer Eric Medlen and the spirit and love for the sport he brought every day.
Dustin
Iraq
SHORTEN THE TRACK
Just because the pioneers decided to run horse races for a quarter of a mile doesn't mean drag racers have to stick to it. With the speeds fuel cars have reached maybe shortening tracks to 1000 feet would not only be just as exciting but a little safer. 50 years ago did NHRA ever think cars would be going 330 mph in a 1/4 mile? I don't think so. Easy to change at the track and they add shutdown area.
John Godinho
Chino, CA
SHORTEN THE TRACK OR LIMIT ENGINE SIZE
When an accident, like the one that Eric Medlen experienced happens, there is normally a knee-jerk reaction to change something, or anything, so that it doesn't happen again. This situation is different.
This is not an isolated incident, it's not the first time a tire failure has caused a catastrophic accident and we all know it won't be the last. Goodyear has been struggling with the tire failure issue on these cars for quite some time and it's evident that they are no closer to resolving the problem today than they were three or four years ago.
Now we have another incident and now we've lost another experienced driver.
Perhaps it's time to make adjustments to the way these cars are run, and I don't mean in any small measure. It's obvious that they can't continue to run the speeds that they run with any confidence that this won't happen again. Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over but expecting different results, and this, dear friends, has reached a point of insanity.
I'm not interested in paying anyone to watch someone die, regardless of how passionate he or she may be about this sport. Entertainment is one thing, carnage is another. It's time to realize that NHRA can't allow these cars to run a full 1320 course using the power they have and expect any different results, (please refer to the definition of "Insanity"). Either shorten the course to 1,000 feet or limit the engine size to 400 cubic inches. No one can tell the difference between a 300 mph run and a 334 mph run except for all the flying debris from a shredded rear tire.
The partial measures that NHRA has taken so far are obviously not working and more catastrophic accidents are going to happen. As bad as this latest incident has been, imagine the impact it would have on drag racing had that happened with a female driver. NASCAR saw the light when the cars simply outran the tracks; it's time for NHRA to step up and do the right thing.
Bob Mendenhall
Lakeside, CA
