NHRA News: As top rookies, Line and Medlen emerge as favorites (7/9/2004)

As top rookies, Line and Medlen emerge as favorites

By Rob Geiger, NHRA.com
7/9/2004

"I'd be lying if I said I never think about it."
– Eric Medlen

First-year racers Jason Line and Eric Medlen have emerged as the two prominent front-runners for the Auto Club of Southern California Road to the Future award, which honors the NHRA's rookie of the year. Both men have had productive first-half campaigns and it would probably be a toss-up decision if voting was held today. Like last year, a panel of media members will decide the winner at year's end.

Line has had the better start, winning two races in four final-round appearances and logging one low qualifier award in Pro Stock. But Medlen, who has one runner-up finish and one No. 1 start to his credit, drives a Funny Car for 12-time champion John Force, which is sure to garner him some extra attention when the voting ballots are sent out.

Either man would be a fine representative for the NHRA and the Auto Club of Southern California. Both are unfailingly polite and both grew up in the NHRA's drag racing community. Not surprisingly, when pressed on the subject, Line and Medlen each deferred to the other driver as the favorite to win the prestigious award.

Line has two wins in four final-round showings.
Racers Edge Photography

"The odds are probably against me," said Line. "I mean, he drives a Funny Car for John Force, the same car that won the championship. It's tough to match up with that. He seems like a great guy the few times we've talked and I see how hard his team works. I wouldn't be upset at all to see him win it."

Medlen quickly countered with, "It'll be pretty darn hard for me to win the way Jason is racing over there and they aren't showing any signs of slowing down as far as I can tell. He's a great driver, and that's a great car and a great team."

When compared head-to-head, Line, the NHRA's 1993 Stock Eliminator national champion, has the edge with 12 races in the books. He's amassed a 21-10 race day record and has been ranked third in the Pro Stock standings for the last seven races. His KB Framers Pontiac Grand Am averages a third-place starting position each race. Overall, he's earned 852 championship points.

"It would be my biggest accomplishment, for sure," Line said of possibly winning the award. "The Stock title will always be a big deal for me but this is different somehow. It feels bigger.

Eric and John Medlen.
Racers Edge Photography

"Still, if you gave me a choice between winning no races but winning the rookie of the year versus winning five races but not the rookie of the year, I'd choose winning the five races because when we win, the whole team gets to enjoy it. The rookie of the year puts the spotlight on one person and I know for a fact I'd be nothing without the team we have here.

"You'll never hear anyone on this team talk about winning the championship or winning rookie of the year. We don't look at it that way. We look at the next pass down the track. That's our entire focus."

Medlen, a longtime crew member of John Force Racing, was selected to take over the Castrol Syntec Ford Mustang that won the 2003 championship in the latter part of this past off-season. Learning on the fly, Medlen has still managed to maintain a top-10 ranking all season – he's currently sixth – while posting a respectable 15-12 elimination record. He usually starts race day in the No. 5 slot and has earned 713 championship points so far.

"I'd be lying if I said I never think about it," said Medlen, a former rodeo rider whose father John tunes his car. "It's hard to avoid because the media brings it up a lot it seems like. I'm sure it's the same for Jason.

Being a racing star is still new for Line.
Racers Edge Photography

"He's a nice guy. I don't really know him that well because Pro Stock is totally separate from this mess over here. But we have talked at driver intro a few times. I'd say I like the guy and I wish him good luck.

"I'm not gonna be crushed if I don't win it. There are other things to win. I don't think your career is ruined or something if you don't win it. But certainly it would be special."

Medlen and Line are vying to become a part of a very prestigious list, or lists, as is the case since the Winston Rookie of the Year title was combined with the Auto Club of Southern California Road to the Future award in 2002. Former winners include NHRA champions Gary Scelzi, Tony Pedregon, Larry Dixon, Jeg Coughlin, and Matt Hines. Additionally, established stars like the late Darrell Russell, Antron Brown, Doug Kalitta, Ron Capps, Kurt Johnson, Mike Edwards, Bob Vandergriff, Don Lampus, Brandon Bernstein, GT Tonglet, and Del Worsham, among others, were all honored with one of these awards in the past.

"Just look at the guys and girls that have won in the past and there are no slouches on the list," Medlen is quick to point out. "Every one of them had spectacular years the time they won and most have had great careers since they won it. The cool thing is you only get one chance at that deal, so sure, it's very special."

Medlen is a threat to win every weekend.
Racers Edge Photography

Line says his racing family, which includes his father and mother, Lawrence and Maxine, brothers Lance, Jason, and Ben, who all compete in Stock, and his sister Stephanie Diekema, who drives Super Stock, are more excited about the possibility he'll win the honor then he is himself.

"They're all fired-up but I really don't have any specific goals like this," Line said. "I want to stay out here racing for 15 or 20 years or more. That's my goal. I think it's a lot harder to stay in this class then to make it to the class in the first place. You look at a guy like [2002 rookie of the year] Gene Wilson, a great driver, a good guy all the way around, and for whatever reason, he's not racing right now. I hope that doesn't happen to me.

"I can't imagine how [winning the awrd] would hurt my cause. It would certainly look good on my resume. But it doesn't guarantee you anything in the long run. It's just a great way to start your career.

"I don't want to think that far ahead. It's just not the way I think. When we were leading the points in Stock in 1993, my brother Lance just drilled into me the fact that looking at the points was a waste of time. He'd tell me to just do my job, win rounds, and let the points take care of themselves. Obviously, the rookie of the year deal isn't based on points but I can't do anything more to win it other than doing my job the best I can. It's the same for Eric. So we'll just shake hands, wish each other well, and see what happens."

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