GREG ANDERSON - "It was a very numbing deal. I watched what the John Force Racing teams had to go through this week, and after all they've been through, I applaud John Force for calling a halt to things and giving his teams the weekend off as they seek answers, closure, and time to regroup.

 

"We all probably wish we could be home this weekend, but we won't. It may sound like a trite statement, but we definitely will be racing with heavy hearts. We'll go to Houston because it's what we do, and we'll hopefully give the fans a good show. But Eric, the Medlen family, and John Force and his extended racing family will never be far from our thoughts."

CRUZ PEDREGON - "Eric was a genuine guy. He was very enthusiastic about everything. You couldn't help but like him. His father, John Medlen, is the nicest guy in the world, and I could see from early on that Eric inherited that gene from him. He was a great human being."

CORY McCLENATHAN- "The healing process has to start. Now we need to find out what caused Eric's accident. There are going to be changes made. Things will be different, and we have to learn to adapt to them. If we can make drivers safer . . . that's what I'm all about. I've been around here long enough to see a lot of things happen, from my accident last year at Bristol to Eric's accident, and why one walks away and one doesn't, only God knows that. It will probably be a quiet weekend in Baytown."

HILLARY WILL - It is hard to find anything to smile about right now with the loss of our friend, Eric Medlen. This is a really difficult time right now for everyone. I think I speak for everyone at KB Racing and Kalitta Motorsports when I say that we can't imagine racing without Eric. Although he isn't physically there, Eric will always be in our hearts. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, his friends, and everyone at John Force Racing.

 

"My initial thought about Houston was that we should postpone the race. However, I know that Eric would have wanted us to continue on. I think it will be helpful to be with the rest of the racing community so we can all be together during our time of loss. We will all go out and race for Eric."

SCOTT KALITTA - "Words can't even describe my feelings now. Eric had such a positive, unselfish, and kind disposition about him. I wish I was half of Eric Medlen in that regard. He was a true friend to everybody. My heart truly bleeds for his family, and right now I wish we could wake up and this all be just a nightmare. As hard as it is going to be to go to Houston and race, I believe in my heart that is what Eric would have wanted us all to do. I'm going to remember all the great things about him and the good times I had with him. He was the only guy I didn't mind losing to. Eric was good at everything he did. I'm going to do my best to console his dad and his family. I know he'll be riding along with me and all the other drivers this weekend at Houston Raceway Park. Going to the race track will never be the same. The only positive thing I can extract from this is Eric was doing what he loved. If there is life after death, he's up there smiling down upon us feeling fulfilled. I can only hope when the shock and pain subsides we will then be able to celebrate his life and all that he contributed to us in his life. Godspeed, Eric."

DAVE GRUBNIC - "Right now I'm at a loss for words. Eric was one of kindest and most genuine people that I've had the privilege of knowing. I don't understand why the good are taken from us so prematurely, but I guess I'm not supposed too. My deepest and sincerest sympathies are extended to the Medlen Family and to John Force Racing."

 

DOUG KALITTA - "The thoughts and prayers of my family are with Eric's family and everyone at JFR. Eric was such a great guy to be around. He always made me laugh, and that's what I will miss the most. He was a great driver and a great ambassador for drag racing. We will miss him terribly."

 

RON CAPPS - "Racing without Eric Medlen will not be the same. He was a terrific person and an extremely talented driver, and we'll miss him. It will be tough. He will be on our minds, but we have to focus on getting to the next race and trying to do our jobs.

 

"Right now Ace's  [crew chief McCulloch's] main concern is the safety aspects of the car. [Chassis builder] Murf McKinney, Ace, and I and Bill Simpson have been on the phone together, and Bill has been over at our shop. Ace has already added a couple of things
around the roll-cage area to our car, which won't affect the performance but definitely will up the safety aspect.

 

"It wasn't speed that hurt Eric, so we're looking at ways to make sure that the driver is better protected on all the Funny Cars. We have some great, great talented drivers in the sport of drag racing and we need to protect them more.

 

"If it means revamping these cars completely, even if affects the performance, if it's something that can be mandated for all cars, so be it. I can guarantee that John Force is looking at everything right now. He's always at the forefront of safety, and I know that will benefit the whole Funny Car class." 

 

J.R. TODD - "Eric was one of my best friends in racing. We hung out quite a bit at the track and away from the track. He only lived a mile up the road from me. We were really good friends. It's going to be different not having him here with us.

 

"When you see something like that happen, you know there are chances it is going to be bad. But you expect him to make a recovery. That was my first experience with [an accident] like that and I really didn't know what to think.

 

"We all know the dangers of this sport before we climb into the car but we do it because it is what we love to do. I don't think any of us are going to quit because of what happened, but the danger is here. Once you're in the car, though, and it starts up, that's the last thing going through your mind. It's like being back in the office and you have to forget about what happened and focus on the job at hand and not worry. But we'll never forget Eric."

 

ANGELLE SAMPEY - "I'm still upset by Eric's passing. Events like these really make you think about what's important in life. We will all have to find a way to keep going. We'll have to be there for each other, if needed."

 

ANTRON BROWN - "Eric will never be forgotten by any of us.  He was part of my extended family and I will miss him very much. With that said, racing has to continue. Eric would have wanted it that way, I guarantee you."

 

DOUG HERBERT - "Eric was always smiling," said Herbert, "one of the really nice guys out there. He was a fan favorite, and it was always easy to see why. My thoughts and prayers are with John Medlen and his entire family, and everyone who loved Eric. He will be greatly missed, but never forgotten."

 

TONY PEDREGON - "Eric and I remained the best of friends after working together for eight years. I respected Eric, not just as a friend but also as a driver and competitor. I am privileged to have been able to work with someone with so much talent and ability. He made me smile every time we talked or saw one another. John Medlen raised a very unique and special son. I loved Eric like a brother. He will be missed by me, my family, and my team." 

TONY SCHUMACHER - "Whenever something like this occurs in the NHRA family, it's tough to go forward. But I'm confident that Eric would want us to move on with life, which includes racing. He will definitely be with all of us in spirit out in Texas."

ANDREW HINES - "It's a tough loss for everybody. I didn't get a whole lot of chances to hang out with him but when we did talk, we always had a good laugh. It's rough on the entire racing community, whether you race a bike or drive a car. He left his mark on the sport and it won't be the same without him."

 

KURT JOHNSON - "It's a terrible tragedy and a huge blow to drag racing. I still find it hard to believe, but we've lost one of the sport's young stars. He was just out there on Monday, trying to get his junk to go faster, when something went terribly wrong. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Medlen family, and to everyone at John Force Racing. Competing in a different division, I really didn't know him all that well. However, of the six races he won in his career, I feel fortunate to have shared a winners circle with Eric in Seattle. Standing next to him on the podium that day was probably the closest I was to him, and will always be a special memory. We're certainly going to miss him."

 

WARREN JOHNSON - "Eric was one of the fan's favorites, and we've lost him way too soon. I always enjoyed his interviews at the top-end. Not only did he have something pretty interesting to say, but he always conveyed an incredible level of excitement, which the fans really picked up on. He was just a neat kid, and without a doubt, he will be sorely missed. Our thoughts go out to John Medlen and the entire Medlen family, as well as the entire John Force Racing organization.

 

"Wally Parks founded the NHRA over 50 years ago to provide competitors a safe place to race. That premise remains in effect today. Drag racing is certainly a sport, but it is also how we make our living, so I am adamant about minimizing the risks involved. We have sadly lost one of our brightest young stars and as much as we all would like, we can't change that. What's important now is how we move forward.
 
"I know everyone agrees that losing even one life is totally unacceptable. Therefore, I suggest that we handle this accident, as well as any on-track incident, much like the NTSB approaches a plane crash. In other words, reconstruct the event, examining every detail no matter how minute, bringing in whatever experts are needed. Every element involved that day needs to be considered from the weather and racetrack to the car, its driver and the safety equipment, painstakingly inspecting each piece individually and together, until we find out exactly what happened.
 
"We may end up realizing that there was nothing we could have done better, or we could learn something new that will help in the future. In either case, the information gathered is important to preserving the safety of those involved. Doing that, while continuing to try our very best on the track this weekend, is the only way to truly honor the memory of a great kid taken from us way too soon."

 

STEVE JOHNSON - "Eric was among the best of the new drivers on the circuit," Johnson said. "He was a joy to be around, always smiling, always with a good word for the fans. When something like this happens – and thankfully such incidents are extremely rare – it puts everything into perspective. Racing may seem important, but what really counts are family and friends, so we'll go on after attending the funeral in an effort to honor Eric's dream of becoming a champion."

 
KENNY KORETSKY - "It's a real shame . . . I didn't know him well, but I liked him because you could tell he liked drag racing. He was always smiling. I know he will be missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his dad John, the Medlen family and everyone at John Force Racing. It's going to be a tough race. I know a lot of people are going to be thinking of Eric. I know we will."

ANNE PALUSO, Harley-Davidson Racing Manager - "This will obviously be an emotional weekend for everyone because Eric was such a presence at the track. We asked him to speak to a group of Japanese media that came to the track last year and before we brought them over, Eric learned a few words in Japanese so he could greet them properly and make them feel welcomed. He didn't think anything of the extra effort. He was a great spokesman for the sport and it won't be the same without him. Our condolences and deepest sympathies go out to the Medlen family and John Force Racing organization."

  

JIM OBERHOFER, Kalitta Motorsports Manager - [In Hillary Will's blog on NHRA.com for March 26] . . . "Drag Racing is a tough business in many ways but it is toughest when something like this happens. I know that after watching Hillary's accident during testing in Las Vegas I was devastated to say the least. One of the most amazing things I saw afterwards was Hillary standing there saying she wasOK. I know that accident took its toll on [team owner] Ken Black, myself and our team because Hillary is like family to us and we don't ever want to see anything happen to her. Hillary reminded us afterwards that this is what she wants to do. Eric would tell us the same thing.

 

"Right now our thoughts and prayers are with Eric, his father John and the rest of the Medlen family along with everyone at John Force Racing. I can only imagine how tough the last week has been for them and how the upcoming months will be. I am going to miss a lot about Eric, his goofy text messages, his goofy phone calls, how he would call me 'Pop' and I would call him 'Son' but most of all I am just going to miss him because of the good person he was. Thanks for being my friend, Eric, and thanks for making Ashley feel special whenever you talked to her. Rest in peace, Eric."

TODD MYERS, Kalitta Motorsports Public Relations Representative - "Everyone at Kalitta Motorsports is deeply saddened by Eric's death. To lose a competitor as well as a friend is completely unimaginable. Eric's smile and gentle-hearted laugh was inescapable to his peers and to drag racing fans across the world. Eric will be irreplaceable, but we as a drag racing community must continue to do our best to honor his name in all of actions from this point forward. Our condolences go to the Medlen family, John Force Racing, and everyone privileged enough to have known the great man that Eric Medlen was."