RETRACTION

“In yesterday’s Burk’s Blast, I speculated that Eric Medlen had a chassis failure that caused his accident during testing at Gainesville. I now know without question that the team’s Murf McKinney chassis DID NOT fail prior to the tire failing. Further, I talked personally with Goodyear’s spokesman who told me that the tire was in Akron still being examined by their scientists and engineers to determine exactly why the tire failed.

“A spokesman from John Force Racing told DRO, ‘We have only begun evaluation and no summary has been made and testing is not completed.’ We regret any grief the statement may have caused JFR or McKinney Chassis.”  -- Jeff Burk, Editor[3/30/2007]

MEDLEN ‘SHAKEN’ TO DEATH

In an interview on Sirius Satellite Radio NASCAR channel 128’s “Driver’s Seat” today (March 30) Dr. John Melvin, a Biomedical Research Scientist who has recently retired from

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General Motors and who developed a crash data recorder for Indy cars that measured acceleration data from crashes, said that he had examined the remains of Eric Medlen’s chassis along with members of the NHRA including Graham Light, and told interviewer John Kernan that probably Eric Medlen was “shaken” to death.

Graham Light, NHRA Sr. VP Racing Operations, passed that information along at the drivers meeting at Houston Raceway Park today. Dr. Melvin further stated in the interview that a lab at Wayne State University that specializes in investigating these kinds of crashes will be studying this crash starting next month.[3/30/2007]

A REAL JUNGLE JIM NOSTALGIA FUNNY CAR!

We had the chance to watch a couple of old Texas fuel racers, Bobby Rex and J.E. Kristek, warm up the newly finished ’70 model Camaro that was recently restored for Henry Gutierrez by chassis man Greg Hubbell and painter Raymond Lund. Rex and Kristek warmed the car in the pits at San Antonio until they ran out of fuel and Bar-B-Que!

The car’s authenticity was verified by none other than “Jungle Bobby” Doerrer, who actually worked on the car. Look for the car to be at the NHRA Reunions at Bakersfield and Columbus and any other track that will allow Rex and Kristek to burn rubber and nitro.  (Jeff Burk photos) [3/30/2007]