A great deal of emphasis has been put on John Medlen’s faith and the inner strength he has drawn upon as a means of dealing with son Eric’s death. Bruce Litton shares the same spirit as Medlen – the Holy Spirit.

Litton, IHRA Top Fuel winner in San Antonio, openly professes his faith in public and private interviews. For him, it’s not just a lifestyle – it’s his life.

“God is the most important thing in my life,” Litton said. “He’s the most important thing in a lot of people’s lives. We all have to have something to fall back on. There’s always a better day ahead for all of us.”

Litton pointed out that his testimony requires no coaxing and just like Medlen, the Holy Spirit leads him to share.

“The more you learn about Christ, the more you want to share,” Litton said. “It’s an important part of my life. That’s my main focus in life.”

A great deal of emphasis has been put on John Medlen’s faith and the inner strength he has drawn upon as a means of dealing with son Eric’s death. Bruce Litton shares the same spirit as Medlen – the Holy Spirit.

Litton, IHRA Top Fuel winner in San Antonio, openly professes his faith in public and private interviews. For him, it’s not just a lifestyle – it’s his life.

“God is the most important thing in my life,” Litton said. “He’s the most important thing in a lot of people’s lives. We all have to have something to fall back on. There’s always a better day ahead for all of us.”

Litton pointed out that his testimony requires no coaxing and just like Medlen, the Holy Spirit leads him to share.

“The more you learn about Christ, the more you want to share,” Litton said. “It’s an important part of my life. That’s my main focus in life.”

Litton didn’t always walk such a path. His inspiration came from an older brother who died following an industrial accident.

Dennis Litton was nine years older than Bruce (who was the youngest of five) and as an older brother, he was a major influence. Dennis and Bruce loved speed; the eldest on four wheels and youngest on two.

“He and I were close,” Litton said. “Dennis took care of me. He let me do whatever I wanted to and kept an eye on me. We did a lot of stuff together and that made a big difference.”

One fateful day in 1985, Dennis was the victim of an errant pallet that fell from a forklift and crushed him. He didn’t die immediately, but the results of the accident left him knowing that his time was limited.

“He was a weightlifter and that was probably what prolonged his life,” Litton said. “He was in intensive care for 16 weeks. His recovery was like a rollercoaster. One day he would be up and the next day he would be down.

“As the time got closer for his passing, he accepted Christ,” Litton said. “I’m grateful that he had that opportunity. He passed away shortly after that. He never left the hospital.”

Litton was angry at life and even angrier with God for taking his brother.

“I was mad,” Litton said. “Dennis was only 38-years-old, was married and had a young son. He had a lot of stuff going for him and it was just taken away. It took me a long time to get over that.”

Litton then lost his dad to an illness shortly after losing Dennis. His father also made a change before death and that touched Bruce’s heart.

“They were at peace when they passed,” Litton said. “My wife [Carol] was a Christian and I guess I had grown up that way but I didn’t wholeheartedly believe. I found out that when you wholeheartedly believe – you change. I changed my life.

“I found out there were a lot of other things in life that were more important than me. I realized that what I do in this world amounts to a tiny grain of salt. Living this life is about helping people.”

Those around Litton have found the need to call on prayer for the Lucas Oil/Torco Race Fuels-sponsored driver because of devastating crashes. He was transported by helicopter following a 300-mile per hour crash in San Antonio during the 2003 event. Last September, he was injured in a violent accident in Epping, NH. Both times he returned to action during the ensuing event in Rockingham, NC.

Top Fuel racing was intended to be a safer venue for the former motorcycle drag racer Litton. His final serious accident on two-wheels cost him a thumb.

If Dennis were alive today, Litton is sure he’d be getting a word or two of advice from his sibling.

“Dennis was always involved in what I did,” Litton said. “I always loved the motorcycles and if I got a fast bike, he wanted to always ride it. He thought I was crazy.

“But I think after my last two crashes he would have counseled me on it being time to hang it up because I had so much going for me. He would have been supportive of me anyway.

‘I probably wouldn’t have listened to him. I valued his advice, but I usually did my own thing anyway.”