Team owner John Force confirmed with Attitude’s CompetitionPlus.com that John Medlen resigned his position at John Force Racing on Friday.

“It’s hard to talk about because I love John Medlen and I feel like he loves me,” said Force, who is competing at this weekend’s NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. “John Medlen made a choice yesterday to leave this camp. I never thought that he would. Whoever gets John Medlen, they don’t know what they’ve got. I’m not just talking the technology and stuff.

“John Medlen is the man who gives you more than a day’s worth of work. He lives it. He’s sacrificed more than anyone. John and his son saved my life. I didn’t want to lose him and I tried hard to keep him. John Medlen had his reasons.”

Medlen said it was just time for a change.

Team owner John Force confirmed with Attitude’s CompetitionPlus.com that John Medlen resigned his position at John Force Racing on Friday.

“It’s hard to talk about because I love John Medlen and I feel like he loves me,” said Force, who is competing at this weekend’s NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla. “John Medlen made a choice yesterday to leave this camp. I never thought that he would. Whoever gets John Medlen, they don’t know what they’ve got. I’m not just talking the technology and stuff.

“John Medlen is the man who gives you more than a day’s worth of work. He lives it. He’s sacrificed more than anyone. John and his son saved my life. I didn’t want to lose him and I tried hard to keep him. John Medlen had his reasons.”

Medlen said it was just time for a change.

“It is a season of change and just sometimes the season changes and the weather changes and you have to just go sometimes where you feel you need to go,” Medlen said.

The direction for Medlen is to Don Schumacher Racing where he will serve as co-crew chief with Tommy Delago on the Matt Hagan-driven Diehard Funny Car.

Medlen said he has no regrets about leaving JFR, although he did point out leaving the team was a tough decision to make.

“I spent a wonderful 15 years over there with some phenomenal people,” Medlen explained. “I have a great opportunity and it was time to move on. This was an extremely tough decision to make. I just took a long hard look and the future and sometimes you have to make the hard decisions. I’m not a person who looks back.”

“If I ever did anything wrong to John Medlen … wronged him in any way … I apologize,” Force said. “I love him dearly and clearly it was his choice to leave. I chose to respect that because I respect him.”

Force insists there are no hard feelings.

“He’s still my friend and I will hug him, regardless of who he is with,” Force said. “I will tell them they have got a good man.”

Though Medlen was under contract with JFR, Force said he will not keep his former team member from accepting another role on an opposing team.

“My contracts say that I have my rights that they signed certain things,” Force explained. “I don’t play that game. John Medlen, what he gave us … he gave us what he knew … we gave him what the brain trust knew. I’m gonna wish him well.”

As for the Eric Medlen Project, the safety initiative launched by JFR in August 2007, Force has said he will continue the program with the blessings of Medlen.

“Whatever they want to do,” said Medlen. “But you know, Eric Medlen Project doesn’t live in a building or a piece of equipment. It lives in my heart and the desire to make these cars safer is in one individual, and that will go with me wherever I go. The Eric Medlen Project will be right square in the middle of everything we do.

“But just like in cancer research, there are centers all over the world. You have multiple entities working together for one common goal. One common goal is to keep the drivers safe. Having more than one will be even better.”