RIP Eric Medlen

Eric Medlen – August 13, 1973 – March 23, 2007

From NHRA.com:

Eric Medlen, 33, who had emerged as
one of the most popular young drivers in the NHRA POWERade Drag Racing
Series, succumbed Friday afternoon to injuries suffered when his race
car crashed into a guardwall during a Monday test session at
Gainesville Raceway.

The talented Funny Car driver never regained consciousness.
After being treated at the track, he was transported by ShandsCair
helicopter to Shands at the University of Florida medical center where medical staff treated him for four days for a severe closed head injury.

"Eric suffered from severe traumatic brain injury with diffuse
axonal injury, or DAI," said Dr. Joseph Layon, professor of
anesthesiology, surgery and medicine and the chief of Critical Care
Medicine at UF. "Survival rates associated with DAI are low.

"On Tuesday, UF and Shands neurosurgery team performed a
cranjectomy and removed the front portion of the skull to relieve
pressure and attempt to improve blood flow to the brain," Layon
explained. "Despite receiving the most aggressive treatment, Eric
continued to have uncontrollable intracranial pressure. His body lost
the ability to manage its salt and water levels, and he began
displaying the complicating factors associated with DAI.

"That is when Eric's family elected to honor Eric's wishes and
remove him from the artificial life support systems. Our hearts go out
to Eric's loved ones."

"On behalf of the family, I want to thank the medical staff at
Shands not just for giving Eric the very best care he could have
received, but for the compassion it showed for Eric and all those close
to him," said his father, John Medlen. "I also want to thank the
thousands of people who offered their prayers and support to us during
this very difficult time."

As recently as Thursday night, more than 100 drivers and
crewmembers representing every Indianapolis-based race team attended a
prayer vigil organized by Kelly Bustos, team manager for Tuttle
Motorsports, which fields Top Fuel dragsters for 2006 Auto Club Road to
the Future Award winner  J.R. Todd, one of Medlen's closest friends in
the sport.

At Louisville, Ky.,
where BP/Castrol had set up booth space for the Mid-America Trucking
Show, fans and well-wishers filled up two giant posters with get-well
wishes Thursday.  Moreover, more than 4,500 individual messages of
support were left at a special e-mail address on the first day it was
activated.

"Eric Medlen was the son I never had," said team owner John
Force. "He was the leader of my next generation of drivers. Robert
Hight, my daughter Ashley, and I were with the family throughout this
very difficult time. This loss is a huge blow not only to the Medlen
family, but to drag racing and to John Force Racing. I just want to
thank everybody for their support, from Larry Smiley with Racers For
Christ to the hospital staff to the whole drag racing community. Our
prayers go out to the family."

Little more than three years ago, Medlen took over driving
responsibilities in the Funny Car in which Tony Pedregon won the 2003
championship. He had distinguished himself as one of the brightest
young stars on the circuit, winning six times in his first three
seasons and never finishing outside the top five in driver points.

A graduate of Oakdale (Calif.)
High School, where he was a high school rodeo champion in calf roping,
Medlen trained under the watchful eye of two-time PRCA world champion
Jerold Camarillo and had contemplated a career in pro rodeo before his
father called in 1996 to offer him a mechanic's job at John Force
Racing Inc.

After spending one season on the team on which his father was
crew chief, he moved over one pit stall in 1997 to work on the car
driven by 14-time NHRA champion Force. Serving first as the
supercharger technician and later as a clutch specialist, he was a
member of a team that crewed Force to 50 tour victories and six
championships in seven seasons.

When Pedregon left after the 2003 season to form his own team,
Medlen was Force's surprise pick to fill the seat, a move that reunited
him with his father on the number-two team at JFR.

He was the sport's top Funny Car rookie in 2004, winning in Brainerd, Minn. 
He won three races in 2005 and two in 2006 including the race contested
closest to his hometown, the Fram Autolite NHRA Nationals at Infineon
Raceway in Sonoma, Calif.

New Barbie’s for 2007

Mattel recently announced the release of limited-edition Barbie Dolls for the Greater Vancouver market…

Yaletown Barbie: This princess Barbie is sold only at the Yaletown Choices Market. She comes with an assortment of Kate Spade Handbags, a Lexus SUV, a long-haired foreign dog named Honey and a designer kitchen. Available with or without tummy tuck and face-lift. Workaholic Ken sold only in conjunction with the augmented version.	Coquitlam Barbie: The modern day homemaker Barbie is available with Ford Wind star Minivan and matching gym outfit. She gets lost easily and has no full-time occupation. Traffic jamming cell phone sold separately.
East Van Barbie: This recently paroled Barbie comes with a 9mm handgun, a Ray Lewis knife, a Chevy with dark tinted windows, and a Meth Lab Kit. This model is only available after dark and must be paid for in cash (preferably small, untraceable bills) unless you are a cop, then we don't know what you are talking about.	West Van Barbie: This yuppie Barbie comes with your choice of BMW convertible or Hummer H2. Included are her own Starbucks cup, credit card and country club membership. Also available for this set are Shallow Ken and Private School Skipper. You won't be able to afford any of them.
Chilliwack Barbie: This pale model comes dressed in her own Wrangler jeans two sizes too small, a NASCAR t-shirt and tweety bird tattoo on her shoulder. She has a six-pack of Bud light and a Hank Williams Jr. CD set. She can spit over 5 feet and kick mullet-haired Ken's butt when she is drunk. Purchase her pickup truck separately and get a confederate flag bumper sticker absolutely free.	Loft Barbie: This collagen injected, rhino plastic Barbie wears a leopard print outfit and drinks cosmopolitans while entertaining friends. Percocet prescription available as well as warehouse conversion condo.
Maple Ridge Barbie: This tobacco-chewing, brassy-haired Barbie has a pair of her own high-heeled sandals with one broken heel from the time she chased beer-gutted Ken out of Butler Barbie's house. Her ensemble includes low-rise acid-washed jeans, fake fingernails, and a see-through halter-top. Also available with a mobile home.	Kits Barbie: This doll is made of actual tofu. She has long straight brown hair, arch-less feet, hairy armpits, no makeup and Birkenstocks with white socks. She prefers that you call her Willow. She does not want or need a Ken doll, but if you purchase two Point Breeze Barbies and the optional Subaru wagon, you get a rainbow flag bumper sticker for free.
Surrey Barbie: This Barbie now comes with a stroller and infant doll. Optional accessories include a GED and bus pass. Gangsta Ken and his 1979 Caddy were available, but are now very difficult to find since the addition of the infant.	Whistler Barbie: She's perfect in every way. We don't know where Ken is.
West End Barbie/Ken: This versatile doll can be easily converted from Barbie to Ken by simply adding or subtracting the multiple snap-on body parts.

Zak’s *REAL* Real New Ride!

OK… No more B.S.

I know, I know… last time we said we weren't messing around with you about the latest pictures of Zak's new mystery ride. And you fell for it and went to find pictures of some rocket car for sale on Ebay. But this time it is the complete, 100%, no BS truth.

We've FINALLY got REAL pictures of Zak's ACTUAL new race car. I promise, these pics are legit from the front of the car to the back. No tricks, no gimmicks, no more tom-foolery.

Thanks for being so patient. Now enjoy the pics:

Quigley’s ‘Stang Update

Quigley's new 'Stang is coming along nicely!

It's getting painted right now after making it's way by HiVolt for some bitchin' wiring and electronics install. Before that, it spent some time in Zak's shop getting headers by moi and the mondo big block tweake by Ken Orser.

More details are coming, but the car certainly is looking good. Check it out:.

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Click the center of the image for a larger version. Click the left or right edge of the image to scroll through the pictures. 

2007 NASCAR POOL

We are the process of getting the 2007 Samz NASCAR Pool page up. Check back for more updates.

You can still check out last years partial-pool results here.