Memory of late friend fuels J.R. Todd to Top Fuel win in Sonoma
Moments before the finals Sunday afternoon at Sonoma Raceway, Mimi Medlen gave J.R. Todd an illustration of her late son, NHRA drag racer Eric Medlen.
A capacity Toyota NHRA Sonoma Nationals crowd saw Todd beat Richie Crampton with a 3.745-second elapsed time at 324 mph.
The Lawrenceburg, Ind., native toiled through a lengthy rut, weighed entering the 9-to-5 grind, switched racing teams and resuscitated his career.
In what came to be known as the narrowest race in NHRA history, Todd crossed the finish line less than one-ten-thousandth of a second after teammate Doug Kalitta.
After recording a 3.746-second elapsed time to beat reigning Sonoma champion Antron Brown in the quarterfinals, Todd smoked his tires in the semis.
“It was nice to finally get the trophy and get the monkey off our back,” said Todd, who handed Crampton his first loss in eight career finals appearances.
The Funny Car driver’s memory lives with an annual dinner held on the eve of the Sonoma Nationals.
After final eliminations, fans and racers are invited to the Eric Medlen Ice Cream Social.
In a Funny Car final pitting the sport’s two winningest drivers, Force beat Ron Capps with a 3.948-second elapsed time.