Sunday I went to Jon, Kim, Jessica, and Julia Oberhofer’s house for Easter dinner. Jim, Tammy, and Ashley Oberhofer came and so did Rick Fischer. It was really nice to spend the holiday with them since I didn’t go back to my hometown for the holiday; they are like a second family to me. Jon “O” and his wife, Kim, prepared a great meal for all of us. We had prime rib, ham, asparagus, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, sautéed mushrooms and onions, and lots of good stuff.

Lately I’ve taken a little bit of extra time to appreciate the people around me and the friendships I have. We have all been reminded how precious and short life is and that life is not about how much stuff we have or many trophies we have on the mantel. At the end of the day, I think the thing that matters most is the people in my life

The passing of Eric Medlen’s has really affected me, as it has a lot of people. The way the racing community came together made me realize how much of a family it truly is. It was tough to see everyone hurting so much. Eric touched a lot people’s lives. I really admire him for that. He built a lot of friendships and bonds with people and I think that is the important thing in life.

I love hearing the stories about all the ways he was able to make people laugh or smile. Even if he’s not physically there, he is still making people smile. It was really tough not to have Eric at the Houston race. You could definitely feel his absence. However, stories about him were being told throughout the pits. His presence was felt and he was still making people smile and laugh. It rained all day Saturday and half the day Sunday. I told my team that Eric just wanted us all to go to the movies because that’s what he liked to do when it rained. Our team lost in the first round and we were pretty disappointed about it. I had some ice cream though, in honor of Eric because he told his friend, Brandon Bernstein, that you can’t eat ice cream and be unhappy. I think a lot of people have been eating more ice cream lately.

I got to know Eric a little bit before he became a professional driver at John Force Racing. I was pleasantly surprised when he continued talking and being friendly to me after he went pro. I was a Sportsman racer at that time and thought he would have forgotten all about me. Then when I went pro, he was always there to encourage me and offer advice. We had similar experiences because we stepped into high-profile fuel cars with little prior experience in them. We both knew we had the opportunity of a lifetime. He understood what it meant to try too hard and knew what it was like to want to win too much. I struggled sometimes last year and he really helped me out a number of different times.

This photo was taken last year by Kim Oberhofer during a rain delay when Eric came over to our pit to hang out. Jon “O” is to Eric’s right. Julia Oberhofer is in front of him and Jessica is in the middle.

One of the most recent stories I have of Eric was from this last February. I told this story to NHRA.com for their quotes page. Eric really knows how to light up a room…or a bus. On Friday morning of the Phoenix race, I had a breakfast to attend near the track with a big group of fans. I was sitting with them on a bus at 7 am. The atmosphere on there was kind of dull and lackluster reflecting the fact that no one had had breakfast or coffee yet. There was very little energy. Then Eric and all his energy jumped on the bus and it was like the electricity came on. It didn’t matter that it was 7 am and people were barely awake. Eric seemed as though he had just won a race and his enthusiasm was contagious. The whole atmosphere of the bus changed. He had everyone talking and laughing. This was common whenever Eric came around. I know that race fans loved seeing Eric, and I know I especially looked forward to driver appearances when I knew Eric was going to be there.

So we continue on with heavy hearts, and I continue on, trying to be more a little more like Eric by being a better friend and cherishing the people who I am surrounded by. I will really enjoy Wednesday night when the entire KB Racing top fuel and pro stock team will be together in Las Vegas for the Mel Larson Night of Champions at the Bellagio. Our team owner, Ken Black is being honored by Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Speedway Children’s Charities. Ken’s family will be there. My Grandpa will be there, members of Kalitta Motorsports, and the Technicoat Cowboys are attending. I’m very proud and very thankful to be able to say these are all my teammates and they are also like family.

I will get to be with a lot of my family this weekend at the race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Some of them are making the trek all the way down from Northern California to be in Las Vegas this weekend. I’m looking forward to spending time with them.

I’ll check back in real soon. Sorry it has taken me so long to write but I wanted this blog to be about Eric and I was having trouble finding the right words. I still don’t think I expressed all that I was trying to say but hopefully you get the idea. I have a new camera too so I should have some good photos for you within the next couple of days.