I will never forget sitting in the hospital with Brandon, J.R., Morgan and a number of others waiting for someone to tell us he was O.K. And then when John Medlen came out and gave us the news. Nor will I ever forget when I got the call saying that he was gone.
Two years ago I sat down and wrote a little story about Eric. I showed it to his dad, who told me I should publish it, but I never did. Today I'm going to share, here it is,
Eric Medlen must have known that he didn’t have a lot of time, because Eric was in a hurry, always. Did you ever watch him pack the chutes? Did you ever watch him put decals on a new body? Did you ever watch him mixing fuel? Eric was in a hurry. Did you ever watch him working the ropes? He bounced from fan to fan, he could barely be still long enough to take a picture. And he wasn’t hurrying to get it over with, he was hurrying because he had to bounce over to the next thing. When it was time to warm up the car, he would hop into the seat. After a run he would pop out of the hatch, and if we were going to do an interview, he couldn’t stand still. That was Eric, he didn’t walk, he bounced through life. He was full of energy, positive energy, energy that must have kept regenerating, because he shared it with everyone but never seemed to run out.
Eric wasn’t much of a dreamer, he didn’t have time. Eric was a doer. When he was a kid, he admired his dad. John Medlen was involved in many different forms of racing. He was and is a master machinist, engine builder and tuner. But Eric didn’t dream about being like his dad, he did it. From the time he could pick up a broom, he went to work with his dad. He learned how to run the machines, how to make things, how to fix things and what made things tick. There wasn’t much that Eric couldn’t handle.
Then his mom and dad split up, and John moved away. Eric had some cousins that were into horses and Rodeo’s. Eric didn’t look at them and dream about being a cowboy. He did it. He put on a hat, got on a horse and grabbed a rope. And with the same enthusiasm that he always had, he jumped in with both feet. By the time he finished high school, Eric was a Champion. And was preparing to make his mark as a Professional Cowboy.
After graduation his dad called with an offer. Come to work as a crewman for John Force Racing. How many people dream about doing that? The chance to be with his dad was enough (just barely) to get him to give up the saddle. And off he went. Eric loved being a crew guy, working first on the team led by his dad, and then on the bosses team. If it needed to be done Eric could do it. Eric knew the car from front to back and everywhere in between. Welding, plumbing, wiring, or bolting it together, just tell Eric what need to be done, and get out of the way.
Somewhere along the way, between winning races and championships, as a member of John Force’s crew, Eric decided he wanted to drive. He didn’t dream about someday doing it, he went to work to make it happen. He scrimped, saved and even sold a few of his prized possessions, to attend Frank Hawley’s school to get a little experience and a license. He might not have known when or where, but if an opportunity came along he was ready. When the call came, even Eric had to be surprised, it wasn’t a low budget part time ride. It was the Championship Winning car from the previous year, tuned by his dad, that needed a driver. And Eric was the perfect fit. In his first year, he won a race and finished top 5 in the PowerAde points.
Over the next couple of years, Eric won five more races, became a fan favorite, and an ESPN favorite as well. His enthusiasm was infectious, his smile, ever present, his attitude constantly positive. If they were winning it was all about the team. I can’t count the number of times Eric would say “My dad, and Jason and all my guys are doing a great job, all I do is stand on the gas” He LOVED his team, and they felt the same about him. If they weren’t doing so well, Eric would take much more of the blame than he deserved. In all the times I talked to him at the track, at the shop at dinner, or on the phone I never heard him say anything bad about anyone. And believe me, you can’t say that about me.
This guy even dated a cheerleader, and not just any cheerleader, but a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. How many people watch Monday Night Football and dream about that? Not Eric, he didn’t dream about it, he went out and did it.
Those are just a few examples, there are many more. But Eric was a doer not a dreamer, and if I’ve learned one thing from this, I’m going to start doing some of the things that I’ve been dreaming about. And I mean now. I don’t know how much more time that I have, but I do know that I’ve wasted way to much. So in honor of Eric, I’m going to try to bounce more, and gripe less.
After all, how many dreams do you have that you are going to try to accomplish “someday”?
Me too, so I’m starting today.
Alan Reinhart
