SONOMA, Calif. - Infineon Raceway will honor the memory of the late Eric Medlen with a series of tributes at the upcoming FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals, July 27-29.

Medlen, who won the Funny Car title in the Sonoma Valley in 2006 and was a native of nearby Oakdale in San Joaquin County, called Infineon Raceway his home track. He succumbed in March to injuries sustained from an accident during a test session at Gainesville (Fla.). He was 33.

Medlen was a lover of ice cream, a well-known fact in the industry, and to honor his memory, Infineon Raceway will host the inaugural "Eric Medlen Ice Cream Social" after the final pair of Top Fuel dragsters rumbles down the drag strip during final eliminations on Sunday, July 29. All ice cream will be supplied by Dreyer's Ice Cream.

"In paying tribute to Eric, we really wanted to find an activity that would reflect his spirit of fun and also give fans a direct way to participate since he had such a tremendous following in Northern California. We think a giant ice cream social will be a terrific way to celebrate Eric's legacy," said Steve Page, president and general manager of Infineon Raceway.

Race fans will be invited onto the Infineon Raceway road course surface to take part in the Ice Cream Social and celebrate the life of Medlen. Race fans are also encouraged to make donations to the Infineon Raceway Eric Medlen Scholarship Fund. Buckets will be strategically placed on the track surface and the raceway will match the total collected up to $5,000. The scholarship will be awarded annually to an Infineon Raceway high school bracket drag racer.

Other events planned to honor Medlen include:

The raceway's annual "Nitro Night at the Fior Charity Dinner" will be renamed the "Eric Medlen Nitro Night at the Fior Charity Dinner." Medlen attended the inaugural event in 2006 at the Fior d'Italia Restaurant (http://www.fior.com/) in San Francisco. The event will be held on Thursday, July 26, at the Fior d'Italia, with all proceeds benefiting Speedway Children's Charities, the charitable arm of Infineon Raceway. A number of NHRA drivers will be in attendance, including Funny Car drivers Robert Hight, Ron Capps and Gary Scelzi and Top Fuel driver Cory McClenathan. Cost is $125, with cocktails at 6:30 p.m., followed by dinner and a full program at 7:30 p.m. Space is limited; call Denise Silver at 707-933-3950 or email at dsilver@infineonraceway.com.

An Eric Medlen photo tribute will be on display in the downstairs room of the Infineon Technologies Business Center all weekend. Race fans are invited (free) to take a look of some of Medlen's moments from past years at Infineon Raceway