Monday May 11 Blog

This past weekend my father, Robert and I attended the Petersen Automotive Museum’s 15th Anniversary Gala honoring our good friend and sponsor Tom McKernan who is the CEO of the Automobile Club of Southern California. We dressed up for the “California Dreaming” theme as the gala included dinner, an auction and a concert starring Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys!

We had a great time with Tom, his wife Judy and daughter Megan and their friends and co workers. The McKernan’s are a really great family, and also a fellow racing family, as Megan races a Super Comp dragster! We are very proud to be sponsored by the Auto Club and since they are always supporting us at the races and cheering us on it was great to get to cheer Tom on this time around as it was his night. There was music and dancing and Tom and my father both coaxed me out on to the dance floor a couple times even though I’m not the best dancer! We had a great time and enjoyed the celebration.

At one point during the night something really neat happened. It could be a coincidence but I don’t believe so and I wanted to share this story. As I was watching all of the guests dancing out on the dance floor and the band performing a lady walked by who looked just like Eric Medlen’s mom Mimi, a very close friend of mine. At that instant I thought of Eric and how he would love to have been there as this was right up his alley…dancing, great music, and spending time with fellow car fanatics. Right as I thought this Brian Wilson started singing Johnny Be Good which immediately took me down memory lane. Years ago at the Chicago 2000 event my father won the race and at the time Eric, my crew chief Guido, and Robert were all crew members on dad’s car. It was quite a celebration in the winner’s circle and Eric jumped up on to the stage with the Blues Brothers that were performing, grabbed the microphone and dedicated the next song to his boss, John Force. He then started singing “Johnny Be Good!” It is a great memory and I have some hilarious photos from that day. It’s one of many entertaining memories I have of Eric.

I do think things happen for a reason and that was too big of a coincidence that Brian Wilson would start singing that song at the same moment I was thinking how Eric would have enjoyed being at this event. I think it means that he is here with us in spirit, and happy to remind us that through the ups and downs that are life there will always be those great moments with friends like our evening with the McKernans, and that day in the winner’s circle with dad’s race team and Eric years ago and that is what it’s all about!