#01 Jerry Nadeau Accident and Progress News [NO rumors]
What is up with Jerry Nadeau? Pictures, posters and other keepsakes adorn a wall in Jerry Nadeau's office. Helmets, diecast cars and T-shirts sit on shelves, untouched except by dust. Among this montage of memories, two framed items stand out. One is a photo of Nadeau's car beside runner-up Dale Earnhardt's black #3 moments after Nadeau had won the 2000 season finale at Atlanta. Earnhardt's left hand juts out of his car, his index finger saluting Nadeau on his first and only NASCAR Winston Cup victory.
"That is the ultimate picture," Nadeau says with a widening grin. A head injury suffered five years ago today in a crash at Richmond International Raceway turned Nadeau's ultra-focused life into tumult. Racing defined Nadeau, and even today, he still struggles to accept that he'll never compete in NASCAR's top series again. See full story Roanoke Times by Dustin Long on my Article Links page.(5-2-2008) Comment here
Nadeau Joins EnduranceKarting.com Team for 24 Hours of Le Mans: Former NASCAR driver Jerry Nadeau has announced he will join EnduranceKarting.com for his second European 24 hour karting race in as many months. Nadeau will join one of three teams
representing America in the 24 Hours of Le Mans July 7-8, 2007. The four-time karting champion helped EnduranceKarting.coms Team USA to a 12th place finish earlier this month in the 24 Hours of Batahla, Portugal. EnduranceKarting.coms trio of teams will attempt to defend a podium finish in last years 24 Hours of Le Mans.(PR)(6-26-2007)
Jerry Nadeau Races Karts in Portugal: EnduranceKarting.com's summer Portugal sweep concluded with a podium finish and a spirited effort by a team that contained former NASCAR driver Jerry Nadeau. Team USA finished third in class in the 24 Hours of Evora May 24-25, and it finished 12 in the 24 Hours of Batalha June 2-3. The 24 Hours of Batalha was a double treat for Team USA, as it would drive the same full-bodied karts used in Brazils prestigious Granja Viana 500 Mil and it would boast the services of a former NASCAR winner. Mechanical problems forced the team to the 30th position of 30 karts, but the team was determined to make the most of its visit to the Portuguese track. Once the 24 hours were completed, Team USA had charged to the 12th position with a kart as fast as those of the leading drivers. Team USA was the highest-finishing international team, besting teams from France, Belgium and Italy. Nadeau enjoyed his return to the drivers seat. Not surprisingly, the former karting champion was among the fastest drivers on the track. Nadeau was joined by Schwartz, Kevin Bligan, Kyle Bonsignore, Dan Burke and Zack Skolnick on the U.S. team.(Endurance Karting PR)(6-16-2007)
Sad News - Gerard Nadeau: Gerard Joseph Nadeau 'Jerry', 62, died Monday, March 19, 2007 at his residence. Born December 16, 1944 in Madawaska, ME, he was the son of Aurele and Imelda Nadeau. He was a veteran serving in the US Army. Mr. Nadeau was preceded in death by brothers, Robert and Reno Nadeau. In addition to his parents, he is survived by his wife, Pauline Cyr Nadeau; daughter, Debbie Fink and husband, David, of Parrish, FL; son, Jerry Nadeau of Davidson, NC; brothers, Gilman Nadeau and wife, Huguette, of Waterbury, CT, John Nadeau and wife, Rachel, Philip Nadeau and wife, Mildred, Ronald Nadeau all of Madawaska, ME, Roger Nadeau of New Britain, CT, and Norman Nadeau of West Palm Beach, FL; sisters, Patricia Prue and husband, Lewis, of Fort Fairfield, ME, Nancy D'Allaire and husband, Jean-Pierre, of Fort Lauderdale, FL, Joan Medlin and husband, Wallace, of Maner, TN, Betty-Ann Caron and husband, Francois of Baker Lake, Canada, Rena-Mae Voisine and husband, Brian, of Fort Kent, ME; granddaughter, Pepere's Little Angel, Natalie Kate Nadeau. A funeral mass will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, March 23, at St. Therese Catholic Church. The family will receive friends Thursday from 6:00-9:00 pm at the funeral home. The family would like to give a special thanks to the staff of Community Home Care & Hospice of Cornelius, 9606 Bailey Road, Suite 230, Cornelius, NC 28031. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Victory Junction Camp, 4500 Adam's Way, Randleman, NC 27317 or Miry Brook Fire Department Company #13 Ladies Aux., Miry Brook Road, Danbury, CT 06810. Cavin-Cook Funeral Home, Mooresville, is serving the Nadeau family.(jerry-nadeau.com)(3-20-2007)
Jerry Nadeau's father, Gerald ill: former Cup drver [#01 US Army] Jerry Nadeau's dad, Gerard Nadeau, was recently diagnosed with a rare type of cancer: Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer. A caring bridge website has been set up and created for Jerry's father:
caringbridge.org/visit/gerardnadeau.(1-28-2007) Sad News: Jerry Nadeau passed away on Mar.19, 2007.
Nadeau to Instruct at Charlotte Endurance Karting Event: On Nov. 10, former NASCAR Cup Series driver Jerry Nadeau will instruct in Endurance Kartings Race School at Lowes Motor Speedway in Concord. Nadeau made 177 starts in NASCARs premier series, capturing one win, nine top-five finishes and 19 top-10 finishes. He drove for some of NASCAR's top teams including Petty Enterprises and Hendrick Motorsports. Before his NASCAR Cup Series career began in 1997, Nadeau excelled in other racing series. The Danbury, Conn., driver began racing go-karts at age four and finished second in a kart race on ice at St. Petersburg, Russia in 1992. He was the World Karting Association Gold Cup Champion for three years (1988 to 1990), and he captured the WKA Grand National title in 1991. Nadeaus other accolades include Skip Barber Eastern Series Rookie of the Year (1991) and the highest-finishing American (sixth) in the 1996 Formula Opel European Series circuit. "We are thrilled to have Jerry instruct for us at Charlotte," said Endurance Karting President Johan Schwartz. "He had a wealth of racing experience, so learning from someone with his talent will be a great experience for our students, and something they wont forget. Registration for the Race School begins at 7:30 a.m., Nov. 10. Nadeau and the other talented Endurance Karting instructors will teach students both in the classroom and on the track in an exciting learning environment. Only a few openings remain in the Race School, so interested drivers should register as soon as possible. To register for or learn more about the events in Charlotte or West Palm, call Endurance Karting toll-free at 1-866-RACE-NOW or visit www.EnduranceKarting.com.(PR)(10-12-2006)
Irvan & Nadeau back on the track at MIS: Ernie Irvan, Jerry Nadeau and Rusty Wallace are no longer NASCAR drivers, but they still took a lap around Michigan International Speedway on Thursday. Irvan and Nadeau, who both retired from racing after suffering traumatic brain injuries, were joined by Wallace, current NASCAR Nextel Cup drivers Greg Biffle and Scott Wimmer and former Irvan crew chief Larry McReynolds for the Leadership and Awareness to Promote Safety (LAPS) Walk around the speedway's two-mile oval. More than 600 supporters raised money through a pledge drive to participate and help raise awareness of traumatic brain injuries. "MIS has bent over backwards to try and make it where we can have (the walk) closer to race day," said Irvan, who started the event last year in conjunction with the Brain Injury Association of Michigan. Irvan suffered a brain injury in [August] 1994 at MIS but came back and won the 1997 Miller 400. Irvan retired from racing in 1999 after suffering a second brain injury at MIS. Nadeau suffered a career-ending brain injury in 2003 [at Richmond im May]. Irvan said it is important to wear seat belts in cars and helmets when riding motorcycles, bicycles or skateboards. "It's simple," Irvan said. "The cure is out there. All it is is prevention." McReynolds missed last year's inaugural event but made sure to participate this year. He was Irvan's crew chief during the 1994 accident at MIS, which happened during a practice run. "The caution came out and the spotter came on the radio and said, 'Larry, it's us,' " McReynolds said. "The worst thing in the world that can happen to a crew chief is when you ask the driver is he OK and you hear nothing on that radio. The way I see it, we're working on a great cause here and we're doing it with, in my book, the greatest group of fans in the world -- the NASCAR fans." For more information, visit www.lapswalk.org or www.race2safety.com.(Detroit Free Press)(8-18-2006)
Nadeau preparing for a possible comeback: Jerry Nadeau simply can't get racing out of his system. More than three years after a crash [May 2003] at Richmond nearly ended his life, he's looking to test an ARCA car. If that goes well, he'd like to enter a race either late this year or in 2007. Then again, Nadeau, 36, knows that might not be the best idea. The left side of his body will always be numb after suffering a severe head injury in his 2003 crash, and the next hard hit might be his last. He's trying to find his place in the sport, but left a role coaching David Gilliland to focus on his next step. Nadeau plans to test with MB2 Motorsports.(NASCAR Scene)(7-7-2006)
Nadeau talks to Speeds Wendy Venturini: Former NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver Jerry Nadeau, whose career came to an abrupt end when he crashed during a practice session for a race in Richmond in [May] 2003, suffering head, lung, shoulder and rib injuries, talked with Wendy Venturini for [last] Saturday's edition of NASCAR RaceDay on SPEED about his long recovery and his future:
VENTURINI: Jerry, does it seem like it has been three years since your accident?
NADEAU: Probably more ... it seems like an eternity. I have been stuck in
this phase for the last, like you said, three years. I've just kind of lost
track. You wonder sometimes if it is ever going to get better. But you know it
is ... I'm functioning. I can talk. I can walk. I just can't race.
VENTURINI: Do you have any limitations or side effects?
NADEAU: I think the biggest thing is the whole left side of my body is
still numb to this day. It has been like that for three years. Really, I
guess you can say, as sharp as I used to be.
VENTURINI: As you approach your third year of recovery, do the doctors feel that
you are going to continue to improve?
NADEAU: I don't think it's going to get that much better. I think ...what they
are trying to explain to me is that the first two years, two and a half years is
when you are as good as you are going to get. And anything after two and half
years is going to be small increments. You know, one day it's like a light
switch. Your light switch, right now, is off. One day it will turn back on.
Well, I am still kind of waiting for that light switch to turn back on.
VENTURINI: When you look at your daughter, Natalie, do you ever regret your
racing career?
NADEAU: Not at all. I don't regret anything that I did in racing. I mean,
that's why I am able to carry on with life and not have to worry so much about
going back to racing.
VENTURINI: Deep down in your heart, do you ever feel you will race in
NASCAR again?
NADEAU: Probably not. But you know, I'm 36 and it's like god why so young? What
do I do? I don't know. There are some days that I feel like I could go out and
at least test or do something. I don't know. That's hard to answer that one,
Wendy.
VENTURINI: Do you finally feel like you can look on the other side of it
and say, 'Yeah, I did overcome it all and I survived it'?
NADEAU: Yes and no. I was busy at the time (of the accident), I was making
money. I was doing everything that I had to do. People were happy and then all
of a sudden it was like, it all stopped. And I do regret some parts where I got
stuck in the trap in racing. I forgot about everything else. I surrounded myself
just around racing. And I just cleared everything around me. And then when the
wall happened, then I started realizing 'Wow, there's more than just racing,
there's life.'
I can't make anything come back from that accident. All I try to do is make it
better ... I try to make my life a little better. I used to be so intense with
racing and now I'm just going with the flow. It's not as fun, but it's not as
difficult either. I mean it was pretty difficult in racing. You are always
intense and you always have things you have to do, and now I'm just going with
the flow.(Speed Channel)(5-9-2006)
Also, the Jerry Nadeua site is back up and running at jerry-nadeau.com
Nadeau Signs with Clay Andrews Racing: Jerry Nadeau is making his return to NASCAR racing. Nadeau will be a consultant for the newly-formed #84 Clay Andrews Racing and driver David Gilliland in the NASCAR Busch Series. Nadeau begins immediately as the team prepares for their 2006 season debut at the California Speedway in the Stater Bros. 300. "I've been waiting for the right opportunity to make a return to the sport I love," said Nadeau. "I feel that this is it. Clay (Andrews) and general manager, Rich Gautreau, have put together a winning team in a very short time. I really want to help this team grow. This is also a great chance to work with a very promising driver," explained Nadeau. "David (Gilliland) is a very mature driver with a lot of talent. Hopefully I can give him that extra guidance to run up front." Nadeau is a seven year veteran of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series with over 170 Cup starts. He was a consistent threat before a practice crash in May of 2003 put a halt to his driving career. Nadeau has one win, 19 top-ten and nine top-five
finishes in his Nextel Cup career. The experience and wisdom of Nadeau will make an immediate impact on Raybestos rookie candidate Gilliland. "This is pretty special for me," said Gilliland. "I'm going to be a rookie this season, but I think a person of Jerry's talents can really accelerate the learning curve. He is a winner, and has proven that in and out of a race car. I'm really looking forward to working with him." Clay Andrews Racing is looking to build a reputation as one of the fastest-growing teams in the Busch Series. They have acquired a 28,000sq ft. state-of-the-art race shop in Statesville, N.C., and owner, Clay Andrews, has already appointed winning personnel. Motorsports professional Rich Gautreau is the general manager and veteran crew chief Billy Wilburn will help lead Gilliland in 2006. The team plans to run a partial schedule in 2006 while securing sponsorship for the long-term future.(MCG PR)(2-17-2006)
Nadeau coaching drivers, wnats to race again: Jerry Nadeau returned to California Speedway on Monday and Tuesday, but in a far different role than his last visit in 2003, his last race run before the accident at Richmond. Instead of racing around the Fontana track like he did for seven years, Nadeau was serving as a driving coach for Adrian Fernandez, the open-wheel standout who will compete in the Busch race Sept. 3. The biggest question is trying to determine whether racing will ever play a role in his life. He has the desire - "I wish we had a second car here so that I could race against Adrian." - but questions remain whether he is physically fit to compete." Nadeau readily admits he lives with a constant tingling feeling on the left side of his body, the direct result of the hit to the right side of the brain.
"It's like when your arm or leg falls asleep," Nadeau said in trying to explain the sensation. "It's there all the time. If I really focus on something, I can barely feel it. When I work out, I feel it even more as the brain works to try and connect those nerves. I'm getting better. I'm not a 100 percent. I would say about 70." Nadeau is working for car owner Rick Hendrick, coaching the Busch Series drivers. In addition to Fernandez, Nadeau has worked with Hendrick drivers Boston Reid and Blake Feese. The 35-year-old Nadeau said he plans to approach Hendrick about a possible test later this year in the Busch car. "The perfect scenario would be to test this year and then some Busch or Cup races next year," he said. Advising or instructing drivers isn't one of the career goals. Nadeau knows his limitations. "I can't engage in long talks or conversations," he said. "My speech isn't that good. The brain doesn't think as good as it used to." Racing remains a big part of Nadeau's like, but if he can't get back behind the wheel, he will look at other opportunities.(full story and quotes at Inland Valley Daily Bulletin)(8-18-2005)
No more NASCAR racing for Nadeau: Doctors told Jerry Nadeau a few weeks ago to find something else to do besides driving a race car. But that cold reality doesn't preclude looking for work at a racetrack, and a new opportunity brought Nadeau back to New Hampshire International Speedway. "I'd say my career is pretty much over," Nadeau said yesterday, sitting inside the hauler of the #01 U.S. Army Chevrolet he drove until May 2, 2003 at Richmond International Raceway. "My whole life I've been racing, so all I know how to do is that. My goal now is to be in the business of racing." Nadeau might have discovered an industry niche this weekend. The Danbury, Conn., native returned to his home track to serve as a driver coach for Boston Reid, a 23-year-old prospect with Hendrick Motorsports in the Busch Series. "I enjoy doing that," Nadeau, 34, said. "I'm not like another driver afraid to give out secrets because I may never do it again. When you come to the track and don't do anything, it's boring because I used to race all the time. So when I'm doing something, it's good." It was the first trip to a NASCAR race since Daytona for Nadeau, whose left side still tingles "24 hours a day." It's a lingering effect from smacking the wall on the driver's side during Cup practice at RIR. Nadeau said healing from a head injury normally takes about 2½ years. While he has improved to walking and talking without difficulty, recent tests confirmed he isn't close to 100 percent. "I should have been dead, but I didn't die, so I'm alive and can't do what I used to do," he said. "It took me two years to figure it out."(Richmond Times Dispatch)(7-16-2005)
will Jerry Nadeau ever race again? What's he been up to lately? from a Q&A on NASCAR.com, Marty Smith answers: Quite honestly, it doesn't look as though Nadeau will ever return to the Cup Series ranks. I spoke with him Wednesday and he said the doctors continue to urge him not to return to racing. "Right now they can't sign me off to go back racing, but I'm not giving up on it," Nadeau said. "If something comes up that attracts me that I could do something else, I'll do it. But right now I'm just trying to stay fit. I'd love to find something to do, just don't know what to do. My whole life has been racing and that was taken away from." Nadeau asked me [Smith] to send a message to his fans. "I want to tell my fans, it's an unfortunate accident, and it's hard to come back from a coma right into racing. It's a more serious injury than I thought. I figured it'd heal the first year. But it's more than a year process. It's a long term injury."(NASCAR.com, Marty Smith)(6-15-2005)
Some News about Jerry Nadeau: injured driver Jerry Nadeau had planned to be at Richmond International Raceway last night to watch the Chevy American Revolution 400. His plans changed because a death in his family earlier in the week took him away from his Davidson, N.C., home and he felt like he needed to get caught up on things when he returned. So he took some time on the phone to talk about the wreck at RIR two years ago this month that almost took his life and perhaps will take his career. Nadeau won the pole that day, driving for MB2 Motorsports. In a practice session after qualifying, he hit the wall hard between Turns 1 and 2 and had to be airlifted out of the racetrack.
He was in a coma for three weeks, in a hospital for three months. The recovery has been slow and is not yet complete. Nadeau knows he may never drive competitively again, but he's not ready to give up hope. He hopes that some tests to be run Wednesday will show that progress has been made and that he will be able to return one day. "I'm still young and energized and ready to go," Nadeau, 34, said. "If the tests go good next week and everything looks good, I'm going to bug Jay [Frye, MB2 owner] and try to do a test and see where I'm at and hopefully get in a car in the next couple of months and maybe go do a test. The doctors have said it takes a good two years. My left side is still numb. I can't change that. It is going to remain numb for a while. I feel like I'm thinking better, talking better, just doing better overall."
A NASCAR spokesman said yesterday that the sanctioning organization needs only clearance from a doctor to allow Nadeau to race again. Without that, he won't race. Nadeau knows that even with clearance, he's taking a chance if he does race again. "I have an insurance policy and [doctors] said I was better off taking the insurance policy and doing something else," he said. "You know what? I don't know what else to do. All I know how to do is race. I figure I might as well give it a shot." Since being injured, he said, he's stayed busy enough. He's taught some sessions in driving schools and may want to turn to that full time if he can't race. He's traveled to make appearances. "I was in Kentucky two weeks ago . . . we made a movie of my life and I show that to the fans and then I'll come out and talk about my life," Nadeau said. "I came to Charlotte with 100 dollars in my pocket and I made it to the Nextel Cup circuit. We haven't done the tests in nine months with an MRI and we're going to do one Wednesday and kind of compare. Hopefully there is some bright light and things will look good. Who knows?"(Richmond Times Dispatch)(5-15-2005)
Nadeau not coming back as a driver? From a Winston Salem Journal story with quotes by former Cup driver Ernie Irvan, who survived two bad wrecks with head injuries: "Jerry [Nadeau] is going to be a part of my foundation [Race2safety -race2safety.com], because he's a head-injury survivor too. Jerry was just racing go-karts with us, and Jerry whipped our butts. Jerry is definitely gotten a lot better. I don't know if he'll ever get back racing. He said he won't."(Winston Salem Journal)(5-7-2005)
Nadeau talks about the future UPDATE: More than 18 months after the crash that nearly took his life, Jerry Nadeau told MRN Radio/Sirius Speedway host Dave Moody that he is not sure he will ever return to the cockpit. "I can't find the fire I used to have," said Nadeau, "and I'm getting sick of waiting for that light switch to turn on in my brain. My doctors say it could take another year for me to get everything back that I'm going to get, and while I feel like I'm getting better every day, I'm starting to face the fact that I might not be able to race for a living anymore.
"I bumped my head pretty good in that wreck, and the doctors say if it happens again, I might not wake up this time. I'm not sure I want to take that chance. I have an 18-month old daughter now, and the last year and a half has given me a healthy dose of the big picture. When I laid in that hospital bed in a coma for three weeks, my race car never came to visit me. My family was there, and my friends. I know how it hurt them to watch me those three weeks, and I'm not sure I want to take a chance on putting them through that ever again.
"I haven't made a decision yet, and I'm still acting like I'm coming back. I go to the gym every other day, I practice on the simulator...the whole deal. But a part of me is starting to feel like, `if it hasn't happened yet, it's not going to happen. Maybe it's time to move on.' I'm not getting any younger, and with the way this sport is going, I'm not sure the opportunities will be there for me in another year.
"I would love to find a way to work with young racers, maybe as part of NASCAR's Drive for Diversity Program," said Nadeau. "I would love to spot for someone, or work as a pit reporter. I have also enjoyed speaking to groups about what I went through in racing; both the good and the bad. I feel like I still have something to offer, whether I ever drive again or not."(MRN Radio/Sirius Speedway)(12-29-2004) UPDATE: Since it's now unlikely he'll ever fully recover from his May 2003 wreck at Richmond, injured Nextel Cup driver Jerry Nadeau is trying to find another way to stay involved in the sport. Last week he met with NASCAR's Jim Hunter and Don Hawke about finding work within their organization. Nadeau followed that up by talking with the sanctioning body's president Mike Helton while in Winston-Salem Saturday for the Fitness 500 to benefit the Brenner Children's Hospital. "I don't have a very positive outlook on my future in racing. I don't feel like I'm getting much better so I've gotta figure out what am I gonna do with the rest of my life. I've gotta make payments on my house and building . You know you make good money in racing but the sad thing about it is I wasn't in it long enough to make a whole bunch.".(PRN's Garage Pass Radio Show)(1-11-2005)
Jerry Nadeau - 'I wished it was me out there': Jerry Nadeau sat on his couch in Charlotte, N.C., and watched the wild final 10 laps, the only laps that mattered in Sunday's Banquet 400 at Kansas Speedway. Emotions attacked him from all sides. He felt a thrill watching Joe Nemechek pull away in that familiar black #01 U.S. Army Chevrolet, the one Jerry Nadeau had driven before the accident. He felt nervous as Ricky Rudd raced in from behind, gaining too fast, pulling up right alongside Nemechek. “Go!” he said to the TV. He felt utter joy when Nemechek pulled away one last time and beat Rudd to the finish line. Then Nemechek spun his tires, did a clockwise lap around the track and jumped out of the car into a spray of champagne and cheers. Nadeau clapped at home. When it all ended, Jerry Nadeau felt an emotion harder to describe. “Of course I wished it was me out there,” he said. “I mean, all I ever wanted was to be a race-car driver.”(more at the Kansas City Star)(10-11-2004)
Nadeau on hold until May 2005..at least UPDATE: Former MB2 Motorsports driver Jerry Nadeau met with team G.M. Jay Frye last week to discuss his Cup future. Initially, Nadeau was going to run an A-B-C (ARCA-Busch-Cup) program in 2005, but Frye says doctors want to wait until May -- two years after Nadeau's crash at Richmond -- to determine Nadeau's condition. If Nadeau checks out OK, he could run ARCA and Busch races in 2006.(FoxSports/Sporting News)(9-13-2004) UPDATE: been told that Jerry Nadeau is not on hold until May, which will mark the two-year anniversary of his accident in Richmond. Doctors have said that Nadeau could fully recover from his head injury before then and start a recovery driving program in the ABC series -- ARCA, Busch and Cup. However, if Nadeau does not fully heal, doctors have said they would need to wait approximately two years from the time of sustaining the injury before having a clearer understanding on a recovery prognosis.(9-14-2004)
What's Up With Jerry Nadeau: Although driver Jerry Nadeau is making progress in his recovery from a severe head injury, his return to racing remains indefinite. The MBV team recently announced that Joe Nemechek, who has been filling in since May 2003, would return to drive the #01 car [U.S. Army Chevy] next season. The team is committed to putting Nadeau, 33, back in a car, but not until it and his doctors think he's ready. "He's not ready to do that yet, which doesn't really mean anything," says general manager Jay Frye. "It doesn't mean that he's not recovering or it's a setback." Nadeau's lap times at a short track test in December were good, but he tired as the day went on. Nadeau since has hired a personal trainer and bought a computer racing simulator. He also is an instructor for high-speed go-karting schools and a spotter for a Busch Series team. As for his return to actual racing, Frye says next year is more likely. Nadeau recently wanted to test at Lowe's Motor Speedway, one of NASCAR's fastest tracks, outside Charlotte. The team and his doctors said no. Still, Frye says doctors are encouraged by Nadeau's progress. By the two-year anniversary of his accident, they'll likely have a clear picture of how fully he'll recover.(USA Today)(8-11-2004)
Nemechek extends at MB2; Update on Nadeau: MB2 Motorsports announced that it has extended Joe Nemechek’s contract through the 2005 season to drive the #01 U.S. Army/USG Chevrolet in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Nemechek, who is coming off two consecutive top-10 finishes, including an eighth-place result in the recent Nextel Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway, joined MB2 Motorsports with four races remaining in 2003. “In a short time together, Joe and the team have developed a great working chemistry," said Jay Frye, general manager of MB2 Motorsports. “This team continues to turn out solid performances and has the ingredients to reach a new level of success. As a driver, Joe has done an excellent job piloting the 01 car and has been equally outstanding as a spokesperson and representative for our sponsors. We are excited about what we feel is in store for the future of this team.” Frye also announced that a recovery driving program continues to be in place for Jerry Nadeau, who drove the #01 car before suffering a head injury in an accident on May 2, 2003 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. Nadeau, 33, is still recovering from the injury and has no immediate timetable for a return to competition. “I want to thank MB2 and all of our sponsors,” said Nemechek. “This Army/USG team has plenty of talent and we are jelling as a unit. We had a streak of bad luck recently, but we hung in there and never lost our focus and confidence in each other. We’ve had great cars at all different types of tracks and I can’t wait for the second half of the season. I look forward to working with the U.S. Army,” Nemechek continued. “It’s a privilege and honor to be associated with this institution. We support our troops and they support us. I want nothing more than to have success on the track and make our soldiers proud of their 01 Army race team.”(MB2 Motorsports PR)(7-20-004)
Nadeau back in racing...spotting: Jerry Nadeau, spotted for fellow Connecticut native Todd Szegedy [#7] in yesterday's Busch Series race at Chicagoland. Nadeau still is recovering from the head injury he suffered May 2, 2003 at Richmond.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(7-11-2004)
Jerry Nadeau Returns to Connecticut with Endurance Karting: NASCAR driver and Danbury [CT] native Jerry Nadeau returns to his home state June 18 and 19 for the EnduranceKarting.com events at Lime Rock Park. Nadeau will serve as an instructor in the June 18 racing school, which is limited to 20 participants. On Saturday, June 19, Nadeau will be on one of 28 teams competing in an eight-hour go-kart endurance race. Nadeau says: "I really enjoyed instruction and working with people and coming back to Lime Rock is going to be so much fun." Pre-registration is required for the race and the school. "I have raced with EnduranceKarting.com three times at the kart track at Lowe's Motor Speedway [in Charlotte]," Nadeau said. "Last time, I teamed up with Ernie Irvan and my dad, who had not raced in years. We had a great time, racing together and against racing enthusiasts." Nadeau was seriously injured in a May 2003 crash at Richmond International Raceway. He has since undergone extensive rehabilitation
and has progressed remarkably. He keeps his racing skills in practice through go-karts and racing-themed video games, in hopes of returning to the Nextel Cup Series in 2005. The Lime Rock race also marks a homecoming to go-kart racing for Nadeau. He began racing go-karts at age four, winning three consecutive World Karting Association Gold Cup Championships (1988 to 1990). He won the WKA Grand National Championship and the Skip Barber Eastern Series Rookie-of-the-Year title in the same year (1991). In 1996, he competed in the Formula Opel European Series and finished sixth, the highest-ever finish by an American. Nadeau began racing in the prestigious Nextel Cup Series in 1997, posting one win at Atlanta Motor Speedway (November 2000) in 177 starts. Throughout his rehabilitation process, Nadeau has enjoyed spending time with his wife Jada and one-year-old daughter Natalie.
EnduranceKarting.com travels the country holding "Arrive and Race" events for the avid race fans to try the spirit of racing. For more
information on the Lime Rock races, or EnduranceKarting's other events in Portugal, North Carolina, Indiana, Las Vegas or Florida, visit
www.EnduranceKarting.com or call toll-free 1-866-722-3669.(Endurance Karting PR)(6-3-2004)
Nadeau to be at Richmond: Though Jerry Nadeau [driver of the #01 Chevy who was injured a year ago at RIR] continues to recover from head injuries sustained in a practice accident at RIR, he doesn't shelter any bad feelings about the Richmond facility. In fact, he is planning to attend the weekend race, his first visit to a Nextel Cup event in 2004. "I only have good things to say about the Richmond track and the community," said Nadeau. "After all, the track emergency workers and the hospital staff at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center saved my life. I'm really looking forward to being with the team. Hopefully I can bring Joe [Nemechek] and the guys some luck. Joe is doing a great job in the Army car despite all of the bad breaks he's had recently.(MB2 Motorsports PR in part)(5-11-2004)
News about Jerry Nadeau: Jerry Nadeau has dedicated himself to racing since he was a toddler, so sitting out a year with a head injury is "probably the worst thing in the world" to him. Still, common sense and recent history tell Nadeau that he shouldn't rush himself back into the car. Nadeau sustained a serious head injury in an accident at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway on May 2 of last year. People close to Nadeau notice improvement in his speech and demeanor every week. But he still can't feel the left side of his body and his vision isn't as clear as it was before the crash. "I figure I'm about 75% there," Nadeau says. "I obviously rattled my cage quite a bit, and I'm just waiting for all the marbles to shake out." For the moment, Nadeau is getting his racing fix through a sophisticated computer simulator; he's pretty sure he has raced online against Dale Earnhardt Jr., a noted computer racing fiend who races under an alias. Nadeau also worked as an instructor at a go-kart racing school last weekend. And he's working out with a trainer three days a week. "I don't think there's any doubt he's coming back," says Jay Frye, general manager of MBV Motorsports, the team Nadeau was racing for at the time of the wreck. "The question is when." MBV put Nadeau in a car for a test session in December, with mixed results, and probably will have him test again in the next few months. If that goes well, the next step for Nadeau likely will come not in Cup, but in ARCA or another lower-tier racing series. Fortunately for Nadeau, he doesn't feel financial pressure to return right away. "I guess I was smart," he says. "I had a good insurance plan before I even got into Winston (now Nextel) Cup. When I got hurt, my insurance plan took over, and it allowed me to sit back and heal." Still, Nadeau isn't quite sure what he'll do if racing doesn't work out. "It's not like I have a business or could start a job and know what the hell I was doing," he says. "It's frustrating not to have a (college) degree in something — I've been doing this since age 4, and the only thing I have a degree in is racing."(USA Today)(5-4-2004)
Nadeau Still Healing: Jerry Nadeau still is healing from a head injury sustained in a May 2 wreck at Richmond International Raceway and hasn't set a timetable for returning. "Hopefully, I'll be able to get in a car this year," he said yesterday. "In the last nine months, I've realized there is life besides racing. If I don't race again, at least I can say that I did it."(Richmond Times Dispatch and see another column at the Winston Salem Journal)(1-20-2004)
Jerry Nadeau Talks about a Special Holiday and Ongoing Recovery: [yeah it is long, but not much news and I found it interesting and important]
NASCAR driver Jerry Nadeau, who suffered a serious head injury in a racing accident May 2 at Richmond International Raceway, continues to make progress. In a question and answer session below, the 33-year-old Danbury, Conn. native talks about his onging recovery and how blessed he feels to be home for the holidays. Nadeau's accident/recovery timeline follows the Q&A. Q. How special will this holiday season be for the Nadeau family?
A. There's no doubt that I have been blessed to be here, I don't know how else to say it. I had a very serious accident and was lucky to survive. I don't remember anything about the accident, I was out cold. But from what I have heard, there was a lot of concern that I wasn't going to make it. This is going to be a very special holiday for us with it being my daughter's (Natalie Kate, 10 months-old) first Christmas. And I am here to enjoy these precious moments of life. Some people might say I had a very unfortunate year, but I look at it so much differently. We had a healthy daughter come into our lives and I survived a serious accident. That's anything but unfortunate and I feel extremely blessed.
My good friend (IRL racer) Tony Renna didn't make it. We raced together as teammates in England in the Formula Opal Series. I am so sad about his loss and feel for his parents and fiance. I was glad that my dad (Girard) and I were able to go to Florida to visit Tony's parents after his accident. His parents were very supportive of him and unfortunately the Good Lord has a list up there and his name was up. He was a good person and I will miss him. Q. How has your recovery been going?
A. As fast as I can go. The good news is that I can do what normal people do everyday, I just can't race. I know I have a brain injury that I have to let heal and I am not rushing it. My left-side is not coming in as fast as I thought it would. I have feeling, but it just doesn't work right. It's like when your arm falls asleep with a tingly feeling. For me, it's like that 24 hours a day. The doctors say that it should go away, but the problem is they don't know how long it will take. I have accepted that I'm not fully recovered right now, but I am making progress everyday and I will get there. I know I will. Q. What have you been doing to keep busy?
A. As much as I can. But I do get bored pretty quickly. I have a shop near my house and built a little dirt track there and we play around with dirt bikes and mini bikes. I also have been making a number of appearances and was honored to be asked again to go to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington D.C. (Dec. 12) to visit the wounded soldiers. The visits I had there really make you sit back and truly feel how precious life is. I hope I have been as helpful to the soldiers as they have been to me. I am so proud of all of our troops for what they do and the sacrifices they make. Q. At one time you were planning to be back competing in Daytona for the 500. How hard was it to accept that you weren't going to be ready?
A. It was more of a relief because I was praying every night for somebody to zap me so I could get better. The guys and Jay Frye (MB2 Motorsports general manager) were encouraging me, but deep inside I couldn't see myself being ready and it was frustrating. I wasn't upset that Joe (Nemechek) was going to drive the U.S. Army car in 2004, I was more relieved than anything else. You can only do so much to get better. I try to sleep as much as I can to get more rest for my head and do whatever I can to get better. The doctors say I am doing perfect and feel that I will regain at least 95 percent. But what they (the doctors) can't tell me is how long it will take. I'm going to take it slow, hopefully do a few races in ARCA, Busch and Cup next year and see how I do. If I feel great, then I am going to bust my butt to make sure I am perfectly right for 2005. I can only do so much. Q. How much pressure are you putting on yourself to get ready for 2005?
A. None. I am not going to rush or force this recovery program. There is no magic formula for a brain injury. The goal right now is to make sure the U.S. Army car is going to be fast for Joe next year. I am proud that Joe will be driving the Army car -- he's a great guy The Army has been superb to me. They're such wonderful people to be associated with. The Army's motto is never to leave a fallen comrade behind and that's exactly the way they've treated me. I am proud and honored to be part of the Army team. Q. What have you learned throughout this ordeal?
A. I've learned plenty about myself. My view on life is a whole lot different. I want to tell everybody who has children to spend more time with them, play with them and be part of their lives. You never know when your day will come. I feel extremely blessed that I can be with my wife (Jada) and see our daughter grow up. Q. For the first time since the accident you got back into a stock car and conducted a test session at Concord Motor Speedway (Dec. 9). How did you assess your performance?
A. I wasn't totally back, but probably 80-85 percent. What's important is the test session gave me a baseline to know where I am at and what I have to do. I was hoping to do better, but I set some very high goals when I got there. Concord is a hard track, but overall I thought it went okay, considering I haven't been in a racecar for seven months. Concord is the type of track if you make a little mistake you can destroy the car. I didn't want to take any chances and probably didn't push it as hard as I could have. However, I learned a lot about myself and how far I have come since the accident. I know I have a problem and it's going to take time. I'm not going to put any pressure on myself or have a targeted date to return. This is going to take time and I'm not going to rush it. We'll probably test again next month at a different track.
Q. It seemed like you stopped coming to races during the end of the 2003 season. Any reason for staying away?
A. Everybody knows I'm a racer and I have been doing this since I was four-years-old when I started in go-karts. It's really hard for me to go to a race track and just watch. I'm a racer, not a spectator. I still have that same motto, I am not interested in being a banker or to put shingles on houses. I want to race, it's as simple as that. Q. How much has the fan support meant to you?
A. The fans, NASCAR and everybody have been absolutely great. One night I was listening to Benny Parson's radio show and somebody called and asked, "How is Jerry Nadeau doing." I said to myself, "Oh my God they're still thinking of me.' The same thing happened on Dave Despain's Wind Tunnel show, fans calling in and asking about me. When I hear that fans are still interested, it really gives me a big lift. It pumps me up and makes me more ready to come back. I just want to thank everyone for their continuing support. It is so overwhelming. Nadeau's Accident, Recovery Timeline May 2 (Friday) Crashes driver's-side first into outside wall between Turns 1 and 2 during practice at Richmond International Raceway. Airlifted to Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond where he is listed in critical condition with a moderate to severe head injury, partially collapsed left lung, fractured left scapula (shoulder blade) and left-side rib-cage injuries. May 5 (Monday) Condition upgraded from critical to serious but stable. May 8 (Thursday) Condition upgraded from serious but stable to fair. Moves out of the intensive care unit to private room. Doctors say vital signs are normal and continues to show improvement. May 13 (Tuesday) Team general manager Jay Frye is guest on NASCAR/Winston teleconference and says Nadeau continues to be in a semiconscious state and is in the transitional stage of regaining full consciousness. May 22 (Thursday) Regains full consciousness and starts to speak. Makes surprise telephone calls to Frye and crew chief Ryan Pemberton. May 26 (Monday) Discharged from Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center and transferred via MedCenter Air to Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation where he continues physical, occupational and speech therapy. June 6 (Friday) Discharged as inpatient at Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation. Continues therapy as an outpatient five days a week. July 18 (Friday) Attended first race and conducted first news conference since accident, at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon. July 25 (Friday) Completed physical and occupational therapy at CIR. Sept. 5 (Friday) Returned to Richmond during NASCAR Winston Cup weekend. Paid emotional visit at VCU Medical Center to say thank you to the medical staff. Nov. 9 (Saturday) Teams with his dad (Girard) and former NASCAR great Ernie Irvan in World Karting Endurance race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte. The threesome finished first in their racing category. Dec. 10 (Wednesday) First time back in stock car since accident. Test session conducted at Concord Motor Speedway.(U.S. Army Racing PR)(12-22-2003)
Nemechek and Nadeau visit Walter Reed AMC: At 14, Reggie Showers lost both of his legs in an electrical accident. More than two decades later, he’s living his dream of being a professional stock bike rider. Showers, 39, wore his 2003 Pro Stock Bike Champion jacket for a Dec. 12 visit to Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he delivered messages of hope and inspiration to Soldiers recovering from injuries suffered while serving in Iraq. The visit also included NASCAR drivers Jerry Nadeau and Joe Nemechek; NHRA drag racer Tony “The Sarge” Schumacher; and NHRA Pro Stock Bike riders Angelle Savoie and Antron Brown – all of who drive or ride for Army-sponsored teams. Showers rides for Prosthetic Design.
Staff Sgt. Maurice Craft, an Avenger crew member with B Battery, 3/4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, was riding on Highway 5 in Baghdad Nov. 24 when an improvised explosive device hit the vehicle he was riding in. He remembers telling the driver to pull him out, and the searing pain cursing through his legs. Closing his eyes seemed to make the pain go away, but he worried that he wouldn’t wake up again. Craft’s left leg was amputated at the knee and a titanium rod is keeping his right leg connected to his hip, which was shattered in the attack. He is determined not to allow his injuries to hold him back; Showers’ visit only strengthened his resolve.
Spc. Lance Gieselmann echoed Craft’s appreciation. Gieselmann, of the 367th Armored Regiment of the 4th Infantry Division, was in an M1-A2 tank when it rolled over a remote-controlled roadside bomb Oct. 28 About 55 miles north of Baghdad. The explosion killed two of his friends and blew the turret and track off the tank, Gieselmann said. His left leg was amputated above the knee and back broken.
Showers encouraged the Soldiers to do plenty of research on the various types of prosthetics on the market. He uses two sets of prosthetic legs – one for racing, and the other for walking. Gieselmann said he was also inspired by Nadeau, who suffered a head injury from a crash during a May practice run. Nadeau was at the hospital visiting Soldiers just a few days before the accident.
“I’m working on getting better so I can get back to racing,’’ said Nadeau, whose place on the Army team is being filled by Nemechek. He hopes to be back in a racecar by May or June, starting out in bush races. “I’m just waiting for my head to heal.”
As appreciative as the Soldiers were for the visit, the drivers and riders were equally grateful for their service and sacrifices. The visit brought back a piece of Savoie’s past. She was a registered nurse before turning professional stock bike rider. “It’s inspiring to meet them,’’ Savoie said. “I think about how the fans put us on a pedestal, like we’re heroes. But these guys are the heroes. It makes me feel a lot more humble.” Nemechek, too, was impressed with the Soldiers, especially Sgt. Gerald Santos, a flight engineer for the 106th Aviation who survived the Nov. 2 Chinook crash that killed 17 Soldiers on their way to 15 days of rest and recuperation. “It’s pretty incredible what they do, what they go through,’’ said Nemechek. “I look at the things that have happened to me, the times I’ve been hurt, and it’s nothing compared to what they go through. They’re tough.”(ARNEWS)(12-19-2003)
Nadeau, Frye Speak On Recovery Program; Nadeau Not Expected Back Cup Racing Until 2005: Catchfence.com's Marty Tyler speaks with injury recovering Cup Series driver Jerry Nadeau and MB2 Motorsports General Manager Jay Frye, concerning Nadeau/MB2 Motorsports' recovery program and his return to Cup racing that isn't expected to happen until 2005. See full story at Catchfence.com.(11-10-2003)
Nadeau Back Racing this Sat - in a Kart UPDATE teaming with Ernie: Jerry Nadeau will be back behind the wheel in a race Saturday, but not in a 3,500-pound stock car. Nadeau, a NASCAR Winston Cup driver, will be racing a 175-pound kart at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, NC. For Nadeau, who was critically injured in May during practice at Richmond, Va., it's an important step in his comeback. Only a few months ago, he could barely walk, still had difficulty talking and was happy to be alive. "I used to be the wildest guy on the go-kart track," said Nadeau, 33. "But when I recently got into a kart, I was so afraid somebody would hit me. I was scared stiff of getting whacked." Nadeau, a former World Karting Association champion, had every reason to be nervous. He had spent two weeks in a coma after his huge wreck, suffering a closed-head injury, not to mention a partially collapsed left lung, fractured shoulder blade and busted rib cage. In the hours after the crash, Nadeau was touch and go.
"I've been battling pretty hard since the accident," said Nadeau, who drove the No. 01 U.S. Army Pontiac for MB2 Motorsports. "Thank God I've been able to do stuff with my young daughter, Natalie Kate, and my wife, Jada. You just can't put a Band-Aid over this thing and go back. It takes time to heal."
Nadeau has no intention of climbing back into a race car until he's good and ready. Veteran Joe Nemechek will drive Nadeau's Pontiac in the last two races of the season, including Sunday at Rockingham, N.C., and is contracted to run a full season in the Army entry next year. If Nadeau feels comfortable, he might - and he stresses might - drive in an ARCA or Busch Grand National race around April or May.(Full story at Mercury News via Detroit Free Press)(11-7-2003) UPDATE: The 33-year-old Winston Cup driver will compete in a 3-hour, go-kart endurance event at Lowe's Motor Speedway outside Charlotte. Nadeau will participate as part of a three-man team that also includes his father Gerard and Ernie Irvan, another former driver whose NASCAR career was interrupted by a head injury. Nadeau suffered a moderate to severe head injury when his Pontiac crashed during practice on May 2. While he has driven Legends cars on a track with other drivers, today's go-kart event will be his first real race of any type since the accident. "It's very encouraging that he's able to do this," Jay Frye, general manager of Nadeau's MB2 Motorsports Winston Cup team, said Friday at North Carolina Speedway. "It's competition, so that's good. It will test his stamina, so that's good. He's very excited about it, so that's good. You could see a little hop in his step this week."(Charleston Post and Courier)(11-8-2003)
Team Nadeau makes donation:The Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center has received a donation from Team Nadeau in honor of Jerry Nadeau's 33rd birthday. The donation specifically has been earmarked for the Neurotrauma Research Program at the Harold F. Young Neurosurgical Center. The NASCAR Winston Cup driver was admitted to the VCU Medical Center May 2 after a crash at the Richmond International Raceway. Nadeau sustained a head injury, fractured shoulder blade and lung and rib injuries, and was treated in the Neuroscience Intensive Care Unit and Rehabilitation Center of the VCU Medical Center until his release May 26.
"Team Nadeau is very proud to support the VCU Medical Center's Neurotrauma Research Program by giving this donation in honor of Jerry Nadeau's 33rd birthday," said Nichole Burke, Team Nadeau coordinator. "Team Nadeau will be forever thankful to the wonderful doctors and nurses who treated and cared for Jerry after his accident. VCU played a crucial role in Jerry's life this year and we, his fans, are just trying to do what can to show our gratitude."
VCU Medical Center officials acknowledged the generosity of the fans at Team Nadeau and expressed their gratitude. "Their gift will go to help others, like Jerry, who have experienced major neurological problems as the result of a head injury," said Dr. Harold F Young,
chairman of Neurosurgery. "It is through private gifts like this one from Team Nadeau that we can undertake new clinical research projects that will benefit not only professional race car drivers, but the general public as well."
Team Nadeau has requested that the amount of the gift remain confidential. Burke said Team Nadeau hopes to make the donation an
annual event.(VCU News Release)(9-16-2003)
Nadeau Story and Pics: Almost four months after he was admitted to the hospital following a violent collision with a concrete wall, NASCAR Winston Cup driver Jerry Nadeau returned to the VCU Medical Center to say thank you to the many doctors, nurses, respiratory therapists and other staff members who helped care for him. "Being back here brings back a lot of memories - some of them aren't too clear...but it's nice to come back and say hello to everybody and say thanks," Nadeau said. See the full story with images at VCU News Site.(9-12-2003)
Nadeau back at RIR: Jerry Nadeau spent the past two days in and around Richmond International Raceway shaking hands and rushing to photo ops rather than making laps. He might have felt out of his element, but he still felt like himself four months after surviving a Turn 1 crash that left him in critical condition with a moderate to severe head injury. "I'm the same smart-[aleck] guy as I was before," he said. "Last week, I took all my guys to a [go-kart track], and we all got kicked off. Probably a month ago, I was afraid to get hit because of my injury. Last week, I was the roughest guy there. I feel like I'm getting better."(more at the Richmond Times Dispatch)(9-7-2003)
Nadeau to be at Richmond to support #01 Team: Crew chief Ryan Pemberton doesn't harbor any ill feelings or negative thoughts. Yet, he does feel he has some unfinished business to attend to at Richmond International Raceway, site of Saturday night's Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR Winston Cup race. The last time Pemberton was in Richmond, tuning and overseeing the performance of the No. 01 U.S. Army Pontiac, he saw a promising weekend turn to anguish. With Jerry Nadeau behind the wheel of the U.S. Army car at the Richmond spring race, the team posted a solid qualifying effort of 12th and was running in the top three in the ensuing practice session. It was all clicking for Pemberton and Nadeau. But as the practice session went on, misfortune struck the U.S. Army team when Nadeau slammed into the wall driver-side first between the first and second turns. He was airlifted to Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond where he was listed in critical condition with head, lung and rib injuries.
"That was a very difficult time," said Pemberton. "My best friend and driver was laid up in the hospital and you could sense it wasn't good. None of us wanted to be at the track, but we had a job to do. We had to get the backup car out and go find a driver. We not only had to find a driver who was willing to fill in, but one who was about the same size as Jerry. Jason Keller (Busch Series driver) agreed and he did a good job for us considering the circumstances." Pemberton is hoping that he and the team's current substitute driver, Mike Skinner, will also click with a successful combination for the .75-mile oval. "Frankly, I'd like to duplicate everything in Richmond except Jerry's last lap," said Pemberton. "We had had a good qualifying run and Jerry was running real fast in race trim. We never got the chance to really show our hand. Hopefully, we'll have just as good of a combination for Mike. This will be his fifth race for us and he has done a good job." Offering support to Pemberton and Skinner in Richmond will be Nadeau, who is recovering from the injuries he sustained on May 2. "I am going to Richmond to thank a lot of people and give my support to the team," said the 32-year-old Nadeau. "There are so many people that I want to personally thank - the doctors and staff at the hospital, the emergency workers and the medical staff at the infield care center. Regarding the team, I think they're going to do well in Richmond. We had a fast car in May and I feel it will be just as good this weekend."(US Army PR)(9-4-2003)
Nadeau to get checked out, could test soon: Jerry Nadeau goes back to the doctor next week and if he gets clearance he could be approved for testing at Concord and Kentucky. 'We'd put him in a late model at Concord, and give him own team and let him go over there any time he wants to,' general manager Jay Frye says.(Winston Salem Journal)(9-1-2003)
Jerry Nadeau Update and MORE: Jerry Nadeau says it's "a pretty realistic goal" that he'll make his return at next year's Daytona 500. Team officials had talked about Nadeau possibly racing again at the end of the season, but Nadeau is not sure that schedule will work as he continues to recover from injuries suffered in a crash at Richmond in May. "I was looking at timetable-wise Atlanta because Atlanta is such a good place and I've won there," Nadeau said of the Oct.26 race. "But, you really never know."(Roanoke Times)(8-2-2003) UPDATE: Jerry Nadeau is considering making a return to Richmond for the Cup race Sept. 6. He won't be behind the wheel of the #01 U.S. Army Pontiac. He'd prefer that he was - even though his last trip around the 0.75-mile track was harrowing. "I'll probably go to Richmond," Nadeau said. "But it'd probably be better if I would go back to drive rather than watch. That's what I do for a living is drive. If I go back where the horse bucked me off, it would make it a better time to get back. I need to make the horse pay for my injuries." He is uncertain of his return to the car but is targeting next year's Daytona 500 as a goal. He raced a go-kart three times last week. Nadeau made his second appearance as a spectator at a track [at Indy] this weekend after rejoining his team as at New Hampshire International Speedway two weeks ago. He said he is improving steadily. "I can't tell visibly that I'm better," he said. "People that see me once a week can see a difference."(Richmond Times Dispatch)(8-4-2003)
The Jerry Nadeau Press Conference New Hampshire International Speedway 7-18-2003:
Jerry Nadeau sounded alert, spoke well and answered the questions well and with good humor, he has already tested and ran a Go Kart racing his Dad for 45 minutes on Friday, he is also reading. Dr. Petty spoke a little more detailed on his injury, his future testing, more at Go Karting and at Kentucky in the near future. Nadeau said his biggest challenge was handling his patience and thinks the SAFER barriers are a good thing, but doesn't know if they would had helped him. Nadeau plans to try to come to the track each week.(XM Satellite- NASCAR Radio - Subscription Required) Some More: Nadeau said he planes on coming back, thanked his wife and doctors, said he has full support of his wife and that she understands his want and need to race. As for a timetable, none has been set yet, it is too early to do so, but plans to get in a Go Kart [did last week], then Concord, NC and then maybe Kentucky. Nadeau said he can't feel all the left side of his body yet, but can do everything. Nadeau has spoken to Ricky Craven but not to Steve Park [although Park has left messages]. Craven wanted tips for Sonoma a few weeks back. When asked if he was excited to be back at the track, Nadeau asked if he should Jump up and Down and Scream. Dr. Petty said is Nadeau has progressed well and the only test to decided if he would be able to come back is testing at the track in the future. Nadeau said he doesn't remember the wreck but watched it the other day with NASCAR's Gary Nelson and said he wasn't sure what caused the wreck, and also said his helmet/head did not hit the was at Richmond as has been speculated. Asked what he has learned thru this ordeal, he said that he has a hard head [laughs all around] and that he has become a better person, to his wife, daughter and everyone. Dr Petty was asked to compare Ernie Irvan's injury [1994 at MIS] which he declined to answer. Petty said there were three area of leisons [sp?] on Nadeau's brain, two are now hard to identify [meaning almost gone] and the third is slowly getting smaller [going away] and is what is probably causing the numbness on his left side. MB2's Jay Frye spoke and joked about Nadeau's karting [which he had planned to talk about with Nadeau over the weekend], also said the ride was his when Nadeau is ready.(thanks to XM Satellite- NASCAR Radio for the coverage, was great to hear Nadeau's voice - Subscription Required). Will post transcript links when/if they are found.(7-18-2003)
And from a GM Racing Communications Press Release - Saturday, July 18th, 2003 - thanks Ron
GM RACING WINSTON CUP NOTES & QUOTES; JERRY NADEAU PRESS CONFERENCE NEW HAMPSHIRE INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY; JULY 18, 2003; PAGE 1
Loudon, NH, July 18, 2003 “ Jerry Nadeau, driver of the No. 01 U.S. Army/USG Pontiac Grand Prix, returned to a NASCAR Winston Cup speedway for the first time since May 2, when he was injured in a crash during practice for the Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond International Speedway in Virginia. Nadeau was joined by MB2 Motorsports General Manager Jay Frye and Dr. Jerry Petty, the neurosurgeon overseeing Nadeau's rehabilitation from the brain injury he sustained 11 weeks ago at Richmond.
questions in CAPS, all JERRY NADEAU answers except where noted:
IT'S GREAT TO SEE YOU BACK, AND HOW ARE YOU DOING? "I'm doing great. I didn't get much sleep last night, but I'm doing great."
GO THROUGH THE PAST 11 WEEKS AND TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT WHAT HAS GONE ON. "I'm working with great doctors and great therapists. It used to be five days a week I would go to physical therapy and stuff, and then we brought it down to three days a week. I've been spending time with my wife Jada and my kid."
ARE YOU PLANNING TO RETURN TO THE COCKPIT AND WHAT IS THE TIMETABLE FOR THAT? "I do plan to come back. Timetable-wise, I think it's really a matter of time. I can't tell you it's going to happen next week or the week after. A doctor can't schedule or plan when you can come back. Once I feel good. We've already talked about starting out in go-karts and going to some tracks, then taking one of the cars from the shop and going to Concord (N.C.) Motorsport Park. Last week, I ran the go-kart and it felt like I never left."
WHAT HAS IT BEEN LIKE FOR YOU IN THE HOSPITAL, COMMUNICATING AND SO FORTH? "It's been pretty good. Obviously, it's been frustrating to know that you can't move around. The damage I've done to my brain¦I can't really feel the left side of my body, but it's all there. I can do the same things I used to do before. The doctors have been great. My wife has really been the strong bone of this whole thing and she's all for me getting back in the car. She knows the dangers and she understands how much I really do love racing, so I have all her support in coming back and being better."
CAN YOU DESCRIBE THE RANGE OF EMOTIONS YOU'RE FEELING RIGHT NOW, COMING BACK TO THE TRACK AND SEEING EVERYONE? "Do you want me to jump up and scream? It's been exciting. I'm glad to come back here at New Hampshire. This was the second Cup race I did after Michigan in 1997, and I had three wins here in an open-wheel car. So it's exciting to come back here at New Hampshire. It's more exciting to come back because of the team. I have a great team behind me. The U.S. Army, USG Sheetrock, they've been so supportive the last two months. If I was with any other team, they would have drop-kicked me, threw me to the curb and said ˜he's done.' But I have a great team manager in Jay Frye, he's sticking by me, and it's just a matter of time. I've got to wait. I'll know when I'm ready, and I think Jay knows that. It's more of a mind thing. Physically, I'm fine. I've just got to wait for the brain to heal and I'll be back."
DOES BEING HERE COMPEL YOU TO TRY TO COME BACK QUICKER THAN YOU WOULD OTHERWISE? "It does. I'm ecstatic to get behind the wheel of a car. I think Jay understands that. If I was any other person, I probably would have retired or done something else in life, but this is all I've ever done in life. I've been given a second chance and I'm excited and I'm willing to go through the hard road to get back."
WAS THERE EVER A TIME DURING THE LAST 11 WEEKS THAT YOU THOUGHT MAYBE YOU NEED TO STOP RACING OR YOUR WIFE ENCOURAGED YOU NOT TO COME BACK? "My wife, no. There have been times that I've thought about it, but like I said, it was brief. When I knew I could move my arms and legs, and when I got back in that go-kart, which was last week, I knew right then and there I was going to come back. I felt good enough to drive a kart. There have been thoughts, but this is all I've ever done my whole life."
HAVE YOU TALKED WITH RICKY CRAVEN, WHO OVERCAME A HEAD INJURY? "I spoke to Ricky. He asked me to give him some tips on Sears Point (Infineon Raceway), and I don't know if that helped or not. He's been a good guy. Obviously, there are no brain injuries the same, every one is different. We talked about it, and he understands what I'm going through, because he went through the same situation. He's a good guy to lean on and get some help from. There are some times when you get frustrated and it's like, ˜God, I wish it would hurry up.' When I first got to the hospital at Charlotte, they prescribed a drug called Neurontin, and basically it's supposed to give you better feeling in your left side. I took it and I was figuring that I would take it and it would be like that [snapped his fingers]. I would just snap my fingers, take it and I would be fine. It's more of a long road. You can't just take something and think that you're going to feel better. I know that's not going to happen. You have to teach your brain basically what you used to do. It's like training a dog. You have to tell them to go potty here or go potty there. I'm just going through all the procedures of trying to get myself better."
WHAT HAPPENED IN THE CAR AND WHAT HAS NASCAR SAID TO YOU ABOUT MAKING THE CAR SAFER? "I don't know what happened in the wreck. I watched the video the other day with Gary Nelson. I really couldn't tell what happened. All I know is the car just stepped out. Whether I got in the marbles or not, the car took off, spun out and slapped the wall on the driver's side. It's hard to tell what happened to me, whether I slid up out of the seat and went to the left side. I think what happened was that it hit so hard, the g-forces snapped my head to the left side. My helmet did not hit the wall."
JAY FRYE, TEAM MANAGER, MB2 MOTORSPORTS: "We were very good in that practice. We qualified 12th and we were third in the practice when the accident happened. It appeared that he was making real high, very nice arcs in the corner and the car just came around. One of the things that happened that we talked about was that a lot of drivers have a natural reaction to mash the gas when you're going backward to keep the car off the wall. Well, it seemed like it accelerated going backwards,
so that might have made the impact even harder. Instead of having a four-wheel slide, we had a two-wheel slide with the rear wheels and that could have made for a faster impact."
NADEAU: DO YOU HAVE ANY MEMORY OF MAY 2, AND WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST MEMORY AFTER THE ACCIDENT? "I remember getting up and taking a shower on May 2. We had a good day. I remember qualifying, I remember practicing and qualifying. There are bits and pieces that I remember, but I don't remember the whole day. I was basically out for two weeks after the wreck and then when I started coming around, realizing what happened became more realistic. I knew the doctors were around, I saw my wife and my parents were there. I knew that it was a tough situation."
WHAT DID YOU LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF AFTER COMING THROUGH THIS ORDEAL? "I have a hard head! I have become a better person, mainly to my wife and my kid. You don't realize how precious life is until something like this happens. My wife and my kid are my No. 1 goal right now, spending time with them. The last month has been great. My wife let me go this weekend, and I think she's pretty excited, mainly for me, to get back to the track. It gives her some time off. Other than that, that's about it."
HAVE YOU BEEN SURPRISED BY THE OUTPOURING OF SUPPORT FOR YOU DURING THIS TIME? "It's been awesome. The NASCAR fans, the race teams, the sponsors have been super. I remember going to Walter Reed Hospital and seeing the kids who got hurt in Iraq, and that's like an inspiration. It's like, ˜man, I can get better. I know I can get better.' It's been awesome. The U.S. Army and USG Sheetrock have been awesome. It's been really good. Everybody's really stepped in and been supportive."
WHAT TYPE OF PHYSICAL REHAB HAVE YOU BEEN DOING BESIDES DRIVING THE KARTS AND WHAT ABOUT YOUR ENDURANCE? "Yesterday, we did a 45-minute session in go-karts and I was the only one that lasted, so I think my endurance is pretty good. You have physical therapy and occupational therapy, which is where they work on your upper body. There's mind therapy, speech therapy. It's not just about talking. It's about things that can make you think. It's like card games, stuff that makes you think. There are a lot of things in therapy that really help. I'll read a newspaper and then they'll ask me, ˜what did you read? What is the topic?' There's a lot of good things that come out of that."
WHEN YOU REGAINED CONSCIOUSNESS, IT SEEMED LIKE YOUR PACE OF RECOVERY REALLY ACCELERATED. DOES IT SEEM THAT WAY TO YOU? "Yeah. I think my wife was really glad that I went this weekend. I think it was really quick. I've been so anxious ever since I woke up in the hospital to get back on my feet and do what I used to do. It doesn't surprise me that I've been able to go as far as I have. It does surprise me how patient my wife and family are. They've been very patient throughout this whole thing. I'm so impatient. I thought I'd be perfect. I thought I'd be able to walk again and run. It's more of a lengthy process. I had to learn how to walk and go from there."
HAVE YOU SPOKEN WITH STEVE PARK AND HAS HE GIVEN YOU ANY HELP IN WHAT YOU MIGHT EXPECT AHEAD? "No, I haven't talked to Steve, but I know he has called. He's been a big inspiration, him and Ricky Craven. There are no two brain injuries alike. He got T-boned at Darlington and I hit on the left side at Richmond. I have not seen or talked to him yet."
CAN YOU TALK ABOUT WHAT HAS BEEN THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE FOR YOU AND WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT RICHMOND GETTING THE SAFER BARRIER? "Really, it's been patience. I couldn't understand why it was taking me so long to get everything back. It's a long process, and I've learned to have more patience since the accident. As far as the SAFER barrier, I think it's a good thing, a good step for the track to do that. Would I be better if there was a SAFER Barrier there then, I can't tell you that. Whatever NASCAR is doing and whatever the tracks are doing is going to be a plus for the drivers."
IS THIS GOING TO BE A REGULAR THING, YOU COMING BACK TO THE TRACKS THE NEXT FEW WEEKS? "I hope so. The team is really why I'm here. I remember calling Ryan [crew chief Ryan Pemberton] at Charlotte. They were about to run the 600 and I wished them good luck. He was pretty ecstatic. The team has been really excited since I've been awake and alert. They keep me more motivated than anything else. I plan on coming to most of the races with the team to give them my support."
HOW IS YOUR VISION SINCE THE ACCIDENT? "Am I cross-eyed? We've done vision tests and it's been good. I feel like I'm cross-eyed, but I'm not. My mind is playing some tricks, and it's just a matter of making it better and that's what I'm waiting for."
YOU SAID YOU DIDN'T SLEEP WELL LAST NIGHT. WAS IT BECAUSE OF COMING HERE, AND WHAT WAS IT LIKE COMING THROUGH THE TUNNEL HERE? "It might have been because my dad was snoring, I don't know. I'm so used to sleeping in my bus at the track that it was pretty hard to sleep last night. I might have gotten a couple of hours, but I'm here."
TELL US ABOUT THE JERRY NADEAU 100. "I have a good friend who owns a go-kart track about 20 minutes from here, Sugar Hill Speedway, and I've sponsored a race the last three years. It's a fun go-kart track and it's a fun race to watch."
YOU TALKED ABOUT YOUR WIFE BEING BEHIND YOU ALL THE WAY. HAS THERE BEEN ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT YOU'VE ALL BEEN THROUGH AS A FAMILY? "She's had it tough. Her grandfather passed away two days before my wreck. She was very close to her grandfather, and that was tough. She got the phone call to come down to Richmond, they flew up there and picked her up. I can't imagine what she went through. She is one tough cookie, and I have to say that she's been the strong bone of both of us throughout this whole process."
JAY FRYE: WHAT HAS BEEN THE RECEPTION IN THE GARAGE AREA? "We had a few things to do this morning and we really just got here. There have been a few people that have seen him, and they were excited. A lot of people were anticipating knowing that he was coming today, so it will be fun once we walk out of here to go see everybody."
DR. JERRY PETTY: WHAT TYPES OF TEST HAVE YOU ADMINISTERED FOR JERRY IN HIS RECOVERY? "The testing that Jerry is already doing with the rehab people will continue to affect what tests are done until he's ready to be tested manually on his driving skills. The battery of tests he'll go through, he'll start with neuro-psychological testing to see about recall, memory and that type of thing, which he should do well with. The type of injury Jerry has is one that caused him more in the way of numbness or tingling. It's not numbness in the sense that he can't feel you touch him or if you put something in his hand, he recognizes what it is. It's just that he can feel it much better than he can demonstrate it. Once the lesion in his brain gets better, we'll start the manual type of testing. The type of tests for Jerry, a driver who has to be in a race car, there is no test that I know outside of that that's going to tell you that somebody's capable of going 180 miles per hour with 42 other cars. He's made tremendous progress. When Jerry asked me to come up here, I called the doctor who is supervising his therapy, and he was definitely positive."
CAN YOU FURTHER DESCRIBE THE LESIONS ON JERRY'S BRAIN? "I think that Jerry has three areas of bruising. On all our scans, two of them are very hard to identify right now. The one that is causing the persistent funny feelings on his left side is still present, but it's getting smaller and this type of lesion should continue to heal."
JAY FRYE: THE INCLINATION IS FOR A DRIVER TO GET BACK IN THE CAR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. ARE YOU THE CHECK AND BALANCE FOR THIS TEAM TO DECIDE HOW THAT TAKES PLACE? "I think it will be a group decision. The go-karting part that he talked about, that was something we were talking about having him start in a couple of weeks. He went out on his own and started doing it last week. He was racing his dad, and that might have been the reason he was the only one that lasted. I'm glad to hear he's reading, that's good. There are a lot of things going on that he didn't do before, so that's good. We're going to take it very slow. Once he graduates from go-karts, we're going to give him a little team so that he can go to Concord any day he wants, just wear the tires out on the car, whatever it takes. Once he graduates from that we'll take him to Kentucky. There's no timetable, no hurry. This is his team, this is his car. We're going to take it slow. We'll all know. The go-karting, the lap times he was running were very similar to the ones he did before, if not faster, so that's obviously a good sign. We're very proud of him. He's worked extremely hard, and a lot of the reason that we are here today is because of his motivation and how driven he is to get back and get better. We're very proud of all he's done."
Jerry Nadeau Richmond Accident - last update 7-12-2003:
Nadeau wrecks in practice - Critically Injured UPDATES: #01-Jerry Nadeau wrecked during the 2nd afternoon practice, backing into the wall and hitting hard with the drivers side. Nadeau was airlifted to Medical College of Virginia. NASCAR has said the doctor reported there is a chance Nadeau has a serious injury. The team is preparing a backup car and supposedly Jason Keller will practice the car in Happy Hour.(FX's coverage of Happy Hour)
AND Jerry Nadeau was cut from his #01 Pontiac after an accident in Friday's Winston Cup practice about 5:30pm/et. His condition was unknown as he was taken to the infield care center at Richmond International Raceway. Medical personnel placed a neck brace on the injured driver when he was removed from the car.(ThatsRacin.com)
AND from the AP via the Sporting News: Jerry Nadeau was injured, possibly seriously, when he crashed in practice Friday at Richmond. Nadeau, 32, did not appear to be moving when he was removed from his car strapped to a body board. Nadeau was being fed oxygen through a bag when he was pulled from the car and placed in the ambulance. NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said Nadeau had been taken to the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals in Richmond with what doctors told them was "the potential for serious injuries," but "that's all we know right now." He did not know if Nadeau was conscious when taken from the car. Nadeau's Pontiac struck the outside wall on the three-quarter mile oval during the final practice session for Saturday night's Pontiac Excitement 400. The car skidded, spun halfway around and slammed driver's side first into the wall between the first and second turns. After several minutes, rescue crews cut part of the top off the car, climbed inside with him and removed Nadeau. He was taken by ambulance to the track's infield care center, then loaded airlifted from the track as Henrico County police and fire officials ordered onlookers away from the helipad. Earlier, Nadeau qualified 12th for the race.
UPDATE 5/2 9:00pm/et an update during FX's coverage of the Busch Series race, reports that Nadeau is in critical condition and ungoing further tests.
AND Just after 9:00pm/et, Hunter returned to the track's media center to say the driver was in critical condition and that was all he could say until Nadeau's wife, Jada, arrived at the hospital. Jada Nadeau had been attending her grandfather's funeral in Spartanburg, SC, on Friday and was not at the track when the wreck happened just after 5:00pm/et. Severe thunderstorms in the Carolinas were hampering her attempts to reach Richmond.(ThatsRacin.com)(5-2-2003)
UPDATE 5/2 11:30pm/et NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said Nadeau was in critical condition at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals. He said the hospital was prevented from saying more while awaiting the arrival of the driver's wife, Jada, who was traveling from South Carolina after attending her grandfather's funeral. NASCAR sent a plane to pick her up. Nadeau's wife arrived around 11 p.m. after enduring weather delays, and was en route to the hospital, Hunter said. He said no further information about Nadeau's condition would be available until Saturday morning, and a hospital spokeswoman referred all inquiries to NASCAR officials.(NASCAR.com)(5-2-2003)
UPDATE 5/2 11:55pm/et: Nadeau, 32, was transported in a helicopter to the Medical College of Virginia hospital in downtown Richmond. Jim Hunter, a NASCAR spokesman, said Nadeau was in critical condition about four hours after the accident, but wouldn't provide any more details. A source close to the family said Nadeau sustained a concussion and broken ribs in the accident. The source said the doctors were going to induce a coma so that they could better treat Nadeau's injuries. Officials at the hospital refused to comment.(Mercury News/Daily Press)(5-2-2003)
UPDATE 5/3 2:30pm/et: Jerry Nadeau remained in critical condition Saturday, one day after crashing hard into a wall during Winston Cup practice at Richmond. Specifics about the 32-year-old Nadeau's injuries were still not available. NASCAR was working with officials from the hospital, Nadeau's family and team hoping to provide an update on the driver's condition later Saturday, NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said.(CNNSI/AP)(5-3-2003)
UPDATE 5/3 3:10pm/et: Jerry Nadeau Medical Update: United States Army driver Jerry Nadeau remains in critical condition at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond. Nadeau, who crashed during Saturday afternoon's Winston Cup practice session at Richmond International Raceway, continues to be treated for head, lung and rib injuries.(US ARMY Racing PR)(5-3-2003)
UPDATE 5/3 - 5:40pm/et: Jerry Nadeau remained in critical and stable condition at Medical College of Virginia Hospital Saturday, 18 hours after a hard crash in final practice at Richmond International Raceway left him with multiple injuries. Sources say, however, that Nadeau is responding to stimuli, even in the coma medically induced to prevent swelling of the brain. "That's the most encouraging thing we've heard," said a Pontiac official who had spoken with #36 team officials. NASCAR vp/communications Jim Hunter read a statement from U.S. Army Racing, which said "Nadeau remains in critical condition. Nadeau continues to be treated for head, lung and rib injuries." Asked about the "stable" designation, Hunter said he did not know that. Nadeau's car was impounded by NASCAR and reportedly was being held for examination in a maintenance building outside the track.(Speed Channel)(5-3-2003)
UPDATE 5/4 - 11:15am/et:this contridicts everything I have hear and posted but.....Winston Cup driver and Danbury [CT] native Jerry Nadeau remained in critical condition Saturday and was reportedly in an induced coma following his crash Friday at Richmond International Raceway in Virginia. According to a source close to Nadeau, the driver sustained a skull fracture and the prognosis as of Saturday afternoon was not good for Nadeau. The source also said a chaplain had been at the hospital most of the day. Nadeau's wife, Jada, arrived late Friday night and his parents reportedly were traveling from Danbury.(Hartford Courant)(5-4-2003)
UPDATE 5/4 - 3:45pm/et: Jerry Nadeau got a hospital visit from Kyle Petty, Jeff Burton and NASCAR great Bobby Allison on Sunday. Nadeau remained in critical condition Sunday, two days after his car slammed into a wall during practice at Richmond International Raceway. The drivers visited Nadeau the morning after the Pontiac Excitement 400, which was won by Joe Nemechek. Nadeau's parents, sister and wife also were at Medical College of Virginia Hospitals. Nadeau has a partially collapsed lung and unspecified rib and head injuries. His condition remained unchanged from Saturday. "We're in a wait-and-see pattern," U.S. Army team spokesman David Ferroni said. "Everything is the same." The 32-year-old driver had good vital signs and was sedated while being put through a series of tests, MB2-MBV Motorsports general manager Jay Frye said Saturday. Nadeau had not spoken since the accident, but acknowledged the presence of visitors by squeezing their hands, Frye said. The team still has not given any details about the extent of Nadeau's injuries, and Ferroni said he had no new information Sunday. Before Saturday night's race, Frye said the team hoped it would know more by Sunday morning, when the results of new tests were known. Frye said team members and Nadeau's wife, Jada, were encouraged after seeing him.(CNNSI/AP)(5-4-2003)
UPDATE 5/5 9:00am/et: Message from Jerry Nadeau's family:
"Our family has been overwhelmed by the support we have received from fans, friends and people in the racing community. Our hearts have been touched by the thoughts, prayers and acts of kindness that have been sent our way. We have gathered strength and inspiration from your support and know we are not alone. When a family goes through a crisis such as this one, you truly discover how much love there is in the world. Thank you for your generosity of spirit as we continue to pray for Jerry's recovery. We also want to express a sincere thank you to the medical and support staff at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. They have been wonderful and have guided us through this ordeal with compassion and the utmost professionalism."(ThatsRacin.com)(5-5-2003)
UPDATE 5/5/ 4:00pm/et: Doctors at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center have upgraded Jerry Nadeau's condition from critical to serious but stable. Nadeau, driver of the #01 U.S. Army Pontiac, suffered head, lung and rib injuries when his car hit the wall in Friday's (May 2) NASCAR Winston Cup practice at Richmond International Raceway. Doctors said Nadeau's head injury does not include a skull fracture and his improvement is right on course for the injuries he sustained.(US Army Racing PR)(5-5-2003)
UPDATE 5/5/ 6:00pm/et: Fox Sports Net's Totally NASCAR reports that Nadeau's injuries are NOT life threatening.(5-5-2003)
UPDATE 5/6 6:15pm/et: Jerry Nadeau's condition continues to be guarded in serious but stable condition at VCU Medical Center in Richmond. Nadeau suffered head, lung and rib injuries when his car hit the wall in Friday's Winston Cup practice at Richmond. Doctors said Nadeau's head injury does not include a skull fracture, and his improvement is on track for the injuries he sustained.(Fox Sports Net's Totally NASCAR)(5-6-2003)
UPDATE 5-8 2:30pm/et: Jerry Nadeau was upgraded to fair condition Thursday by doctors at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. He was previously listed as serious, but stable. Nadeau has been moved out of the intensive care unit into a private room. Doctors say his vital signs are normal and he continues to show improvement. Nadeau suffered head, lung and rib injures in an accident during practice last Friday at Richmond International Raceway.(US Army Racing PR)(5-8-2003)
The Nadeau family has requested get-well wishes be directed to the team's race shop address at:
MB2 Motorsports
U.S. Army Racing
7065 Zephyr Place N.W.
Concord, NC 28027.
GREAT ARTICLE - from the News-Times: Just days ago, Pauline Nadeau held her son’s hand and waited for the only sign that mattered. A second later — as long as it took Jerry Nadeau to crash May 2 at Richmond International Raceway — the Winston Cup driver from Danbury squeezed his mother’s hand. Pauline Nadeau didn’t plan to spend this Mother’s Day at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. But after feeling Jerry’s hand inside her own last week, she wouldn’t have it any other way. Pauline Nadeau had her son back. See the full story at: Pauline Nadeau stands close by her injured son by Brian Coonz.(5-12-2003)
UPDATE 5-12 6:00pm/et: Fox Sports Net's Totally NASCAR reports that Nadeau is still listed in fair condition.(5-12-2003)
UPDATE 5-13 1:00am/et: A team spokesman for Jerry Nadeau said the Winston Cup driver remained in fair condition yesterday in a private room at Virginia Commonwealth University's Medical College of Virginia Hospitals. Nadeau is recovering from unspecified head, rib and lung injuries sustained in a May 2 crash during practice at Richmond International Raceway. It's uncertain how long the 32-year-old, who was listed in critical condition for three days after the wreck, will remain in Richmond.(Richmond Times Dispatch)(5-13-2003)
UPDATE 5-13 9:00am/et: NASCAR driver Jerry Nadeau remains in fair condition at the Medical College of Virginia, 11 days after sustaining severe injuries during a May 2 crash at Richmond International Raceway. He was in critical condition for several days, then upgraded to serious but stable last week and upgraded to fair late last week. He's been in a private room for a week, but there's no indication when he'll be moved closer to his home near Charlotte. A friend who recently visited MCV said the 32-year-old driver is being well cared for and is responding to external stimuli. He occasionally opens his eyes for a brief time, but has not regained consciousness.(Daily Press) AND As part of today's NASCAR Winston Cup teleconference, Jay Frye, general manager of MB2/MBV Motorsports, will give a medical update and answer questions about U.S. Army driver Jerry Nadeau. Frye is scheduled to be on at approximately 11:30am/et.(PR)(5-13-2003)
UPDATE 5-13 4:30pm/et: Jerry Nadeau remains in fair condition but has yet to respond verbally as he continues to recover from head, rib and lung injuries suffered in a May 2 wreck during practice at Richmond. "Jerry is currently semi-conscious and has not yet been able to communicate verbally. He is responsive and is able to process information," said Jay Frye, general manager of MB2 Motorsports, which owns Nadeau's #01 U.S.Army Pontiacs. Frye said the responses from Nadeau are more in line with "hand squeezes and facial expressions." In addition to his other injuries, Frye said Nadeau also had a fractured left shoulder blade. Frye said Nadeau, 32, would soon begin a rehabilitation program, first at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center where he is now, and then later to a location in North Carolina. "The doctors are very encouraged by where he is today. His recovery is ongoing and it appears he is on course," Frye said. "When I've seen him the last four, five times, he looks good. He looks like Jerry. There is some frustration because you would like to have him respond to you. He is, but just not verbally." Frye said Nadeau was no longer being sedated and doctors describe Nadeau as being in "a transitional stage of regaining consciousness." Frye did not elaborate on Nadeau's head injury, which he said doctors described as "moderate to severe." Frye said Nadeau's family remains upbeat about his recovery. "Every day they see signs of him getting better and that's their motivation," he said. "As he gets better obviously it encourages them, keeps them determined and motivated."(ThatsRacin.com)(5-13-2003)
some published news: [Jerry] Nadeau, one of the bright new stars on the stock-car tour, has been only semi-conscious and is still unable to talk or communicate except with a squeeze of the hand. Doctors are keeping a tight lid on medical information about Nadeau, and NASCAR officials too are keeping quiet about what they have learned in their accident investigation. All that secrecy has led to rampant speculation in the Winston Cup garage about Nadeau, about whether he will ever race again, about how long his recovery might take. And there are more safety questions being leveled at NASCAR: Will the sanctioning body ever release any crash data on the Nadeau wreck or just try to keep it covered up? Will the sanctioning body improve its crash data recording system by adding more sophisticated sensors, like the IRL-approved G-force head sensor that would seem ripe to become a standard item in NASCAR helmets?(Winston Salem Journal)(5-20-2003)
UPDATE 5-22 12:30pm/et: Jerry Nadeau has regained full consciousness and is verbally communicating as he continues his rehabilitation at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond, VA. Nadeau, 32, suffered a moderate to severe head injury, a fractured left scapula (shoulder blade) and injuries to the left-side lung and ribs in a May 2 accident during practice at Richmond International Raceway. Doctors at VCU Medical Center said Nadeau has shown rapid progress this week and is undergoing a rehabilitation program that includes physical, recreational, occupational and speech therapy. Doctors also said Nadeau is medically stable and is not in a situation where it is necessary to classify his general condition. Jay Frye, general manager of MB2 Motorsports, visited Nadeau on Tuesday (May 20) and was amazed with the progress of the #01 U.S. Army/MB2 driver. "The difference since the last time I saw Jerry was incredible," said Frye. "He is more responsive, more alert and following commands with more consistency. It was an emotional and wonderful feeling when he made the first move to shake my hand. Yesterday he was hugging and kissing his daughter (Natalie Kate, three-months-old) and had pizza for dinner. It is really remarkable to see how far he has progressed in a short time."(US Army Racing PR)(5-22-2003)
UPDATE 5-23 1:30am/et: Nadeau, however, continues to undergo rehabilitation at VCU/MCV, including physical, recreational, occupational and speech therapy." There is no timetable for his release from the hospital, or for his transfer to a facility nearer his home. Team spokesman Dave Ferroni said such a move will happen when doctors determine it would do him more good than staying where he is.
It appears, however, that the crisis has passed and that fears of the worst can be left behind. Nadeau apparently still has a way to go to full recovery, but he is well on the way. Ferroni said he could not speak to reports that the data recorder on Nadeau's car showed a g-spike of 140 or higher, which is well above what is considered lethal. The recorder measures absolute force on itself, and it is difficult to say, in any such case, what forces were transmitted to the driver, or to any part of the driver, or at what vectors.(Speed Channel)(5-23-2003)
UPDATE 5-26: Jerry Nadeau continues to recover from injuries suffered in a practice crash for the May 3 race at Richmond. He has been at the Medical College of Virginia since that Friday afternoon, recovering from internal and head injuries. He recently regained consciousness and began talking with his family and members of his #01 U.S. Army Pontiac team. Sources close to Nadeau say he'll likely be moved within the next week or so from MCV to a rehab facility closer to his home near Charlotte, NC.(Daily Press)(5-26-2003)
UPDATE 5-27 12:30pm/et: #01 U.S. Army/MB2 NASCAR driver Jerry Nadeau was discharged Monday (May 26) from Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond, Va. and was transferred to North Carolina where he will continue his recovery at the Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation. At the time of discharge, doctors at VCU Medical Center said Nadeau was improving daily and is on an excellent recovery path. Nadeau's rehabilitation will continue to consist of physical, recreational, occupational and speech therapy.
Upon discharge, Nadeau's wife, Jada, said, "We are thankful and very appreciative for the excellent medical care that Jerry received at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center. It is a facility of the highest standard and everyone affiliated with the hospital was compassionate, professional and truly wonderful to work with. We look forward to returning to North Carolina as Jerry continues his recovery. He is doing great and we know that we are going to another excellent facility at the Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation. I join Jerry and all of the Nadeau family in extending a sincere thank you to the fans and everyone in the racing community for the heartwarming support that we have received. Your thoughts and prayers are being answered and it is so difficult to put into words how much this has meant to the family."
Nadeau, 32, was admitted to the VCU Medical Center May 2, after an accident during a practice session at Richmond International Raceway. He suffered a moderate to severe head injury, a fractured left scapula (shoulder blade) and lung and rib injuries. Nadeau was transported from Richmond to Charlotte by MedCenter Air, provided by Carolinas Medical Center.(U.S. Army Racing PR)(5-27-2003)
UPDATE 5/29 8:00am/et: Jerry Nadeau was transferred Monday, May 26, from the Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center to the Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation (CIR). His discharge from the acute care setting where he was hospitalized following his injury on May 2, indicates that his medical progress has been sufficiently positive for him to begin an intensive program of rehabilitation. "Jerry's recovery to date has been very encouraging," said David Wiercisiewski (pronounced Wur-sa-SHEF-ski), M.D., a specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at CIR. While his evaluation is continuing, Jerry has already begun a comprehensive program that includes physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech therapy. Dr. Wiercisiewski says this will continue on an inpatient basis for an undetermined amount of time, but within a matter of weeks will be able to be done on an outpatient basis. Jerry is upbeat and anxious to begin the work of rehabilitation. He and his family are also glad to be back in the Charlotte area where they make their home. The Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation is a 133 bed facility specializing in rehabilitation of patients who have suffered traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury or stroke, as well as other physically debilitating medical conditions. It is a facility of Carolinas HealthCare System. Carolinas HealthCare System is a not-for-profit, self-supporting public organization. Carolinas HealthCare offers a wide variety of health and human services to residents of both North and South Carolina. Carolinas HealthCare System is the largest healthcare system in the Carolinas, and one of the largest public systems in the nation.. CHS owns, leases and manages hospitals, nursing homes, physician practices, home health agencies, radiation therapy facilities, physical therapy facilities, and other healthcare related operations, comprising more than 4,900 licensed beds and approximately 23,000 employees.(PR)(5-29-2003)
UPDATE 5/31 10:00am/et: MB2 Motorsports General Manager Jay Frye said Jerry Nadeau has adapted well since being moved from VCU Medical Center to a rehabilitation center in Charlotte, N.C., on Monday. Nadeau is healing from a head injury suffered in a Turn 1 crash at Richmond International Raceway during Winston Cup practice May 2. Frye said Nadeau could visit a Winston Cup track in the near future, but there is no timetable for a full recovery. "He's working real hard at it," Frye said. "He's way ahead of schedule right now."(Richmond Times Dispatch)(5-31-2003)
UPDATE 6/2 1:00am/et: Jerry Nadeau continues to make spectacular progress in his recovery from a serious head injury in a crash at Richmond May 2. On Saturday, Nadeau was in the swimming pool at the Charlotte rehab hospital where he's been for several days. 'He's doing phenomenal,' says Jay Frye, Nadeau's team manager, who has visited his driver two or three times a week since the accident. 'It's really remarkable the recovery he's made, as quickly as he's making it. His speech is clear, and so is his thinking. He's calling us almost every day to talk about things. Saturday he went swimming, which was a huge hurdle. That's the next step. Every day he's making a stride to the next step. There is no timetable for his return or anything like that. We're just very optimistic about how his recovery is going. His therapy is working, and they're working him very hard. He's doing physical, recreational, occupational and speech, and he is very motivated. I was there Tuesday -- it was really neat to see him so eager. His next therapy was at 1 o'clock, and it was 1:05 and he was at the door anxious to get with it. I asked him about going home and doing it on an outpatient basis, but he said, 'It's working' just like this." 'The only thing they're worried about is he might reach a plateau for a while and become frustrated.'(Winston Salem Journal)(6-2-2003)
UPDATE 6/5 11:00am/et: Tony "The Sarge" Schumacher's cell phone has been quite active the past few days following his win last weekend at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals. While family and friends have been the primary well-wishers, he also received a call he did not anticipate -- from his U.S. Army Racing NASCAR teammate and friend, Jerry Nadeau. Nadeau, who is recovering from injuries sustained in a crash more than a month ago at Richmond, watched Schumacher pilot his United States Army Top Fuel dragster to victory on television and just had to offer congratulations. "It was a pleasant surprise to hear from Jerry,' said Schumacher. "He sounded good. I thought it was nice that he took time out from his rehabilitation to call me. It really was awesome that we connected. I've been wanting to call him or his wife, Jada, for the longest time, but I felt like they needed their space. We spoke for about 10 minutes, He was real upbeat. I
wished him well with his recovery and told him I looked forward to hooking up with him real soon." Schumacher and Nadeau became fast friends shortly after the latter was named to drive the #01 U.S. Army Racing/MB2 Motorsports Pontiac in NASCAR's Winston Cup Series. The pair spent a week together traveling around Afghanistan and Kuwait visiting the troops.(US Army PR)(6-5-2003)
UPDATE 6/6 1:20pm/et: Jerry Nadeau was discharged today (Friday) as an inpatient from the Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation (CIR). He will continue his recovery as an outpatient at CIR with a current rehabilitation schedule of five days per week. "Jerry will continue with a similar course of treatment, including physical, occupational and speech therapy," said Dr. David Wiercisiewski (Wur-cha-SHEF-ski), a specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation at CIR. "He has worked very hard since he arrived here and his progress has been significant. Jerry, his family, and I are all very encouraged by what he has accomplished." Nadeau, 32, suffered a moderate to severe head injury, a fractured left scapula (shoulder blade) and injuries to the left-side lung and ribs in a May 2 accident during a Winston Cup practice at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. He was hospitalized at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center until his transfer to CIR May 26. "This is another hurdle in the remarkable progress Jerry has made since his accident," said Jay Frye, general manager of MB2 Motorsports. "In my visits with Jerry it is very evident that he is determined to make a full recovery." The Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation is a 133 bed facility specializing in rehabilitation of patients who have suffered traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury or stroke, as well as other physically debilitating medical conditions. It is a facility of Carolinas HealthCare System. Carolinas HealthCare System is a not-for-profit, self-supporting public organization. Carolinas HealthCare offers a wide variety of health and human services to residents of both North and South Carolina. Carolinas HealthCare System is the largest healthcare system in the Carolinas, and one of the largest public systems in the nation.. CHS owns, leases and manages hospitals, nursing homes, physician practices, home health agencies, radiation therapy facilities, physical therapy facilities, and other healthcare related operations, comprising more than 4,900 licensed beds and approximately 23,000 employees.(US Army PR)(6-6-2003)
UPDATE 6/7 1:30pm/et: Mike Wallace, filling in for the injured Jerry Nadeau in the #01 Pontiacs, said Nadeau made an unexpected visit to the MB2 Motorsports team's shop on Friday. Nadeau was released as an inpatient from the Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation Friday. He will continue therapy at the center on an outpatient basis. "Just as we came out to qualify (Friday), we heard that he had stopped by the MB2 shops and talked to some of the guys, and that some of the guys from here talked to him," Wallace said. "I'm really happy for Jerry and his family, and it sounds like he's on a quick road to recovery. In the meantime, we'll just fill in and keep the seat warm for him."(ThatsRacin.com)(6-7-2003)
THANK YOU from NADEAU 6/18 3:30pm/et: It's been almost two months since my accident and even though I feel like I'm in the early stages of my recovery, I'm ready and anxious to say a simple thank you from the bottom of my heart. It's a humbling experience to know that people have been praying for me and I want them all to know their prayers were answered. I can't say enough about the overwhelming support from fans, sponsors, NASCAR and the entire racing community.
It's hard to know where to begin - starting with the emergency workers who rescued me from the car to the EMTs in the ambulance, the infield medical center and the helicopter. They all acted so quickly to get me the help I needed. The doctors and staff at Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center in Richmond were just awesome.
And now, here in Charlotte, I am being "coached" through the rehabilitation process by a great group of people at the Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation.
I am very grateful to be part of an exceptional race team. It's taken plenty of hard work to go on without me and want to thank every crew member and the front office staff for their support. They're the greatest.
I've never been more proud of my sponsor, the U.S. Army, and how they stood by me through the tough days. You know, I had the privilege of visiting some of the injured soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center two days before the accident. It meant a lot when they sent me a special greeting from the people I met there.
Of course, when it comes right down to it, family is what pulls you through a crisis, and my entire family has been there every step of the way. But I've saved the "best for last" in thanking my wife, Jada. She has amazing strength and you can imagine how difficult this has been for her, particularly with our baby daughter Natalie Kate.
I am going to take this recovery process day-by-day and I'm not going to rush back. I'll know when the time is right. Until then, I'm going to keep working hard to rebuild my body. I want to come back stronger than ever. I look forward to answering questions from the media in the future and we'll let you know the details when they have been determined.
I'm sure I've left out someone, but I want everyone to know how much I appreciate their support and encouragement - thank you to everyone who has helped, prayed and offered support through this ordeal. I feel incredibly blessed.(US Army PR)(6-18-2003)
Pemberton Says Nadeau May Be Back Soon: Ryan Pemberton says that injured driver Jerry Nadeau is coming by the shop everyday, calls at every practice and qualifying session and is getting ansy to get back into the #01 U.S. Army Pontiac. Pemberton said he wouldn't be surprised to see Nadeau back at the track very soon.(Totally NASCAR via Insider Racing News)(6-25-2003)
Latest on Jerry Nadeau UPDATE: Jerry Nadeau, who suffered head, lung, shoulder and rib injuries in a wreck during practice May 2 at Richmond, is likely to make his first public appearance at a race track in the next couple weeks. MB2 Motorsports general manager Jay Frye said Friday it was "very possible" Nadeau would make an appearance at next weekend's race at Loudon, NH. He would almost certainly make a visit by the July 27 race at Pocono. New Hampshire would be a logical choice since it is the closest Winston Cup venue to Nadeau's hometown of Danbury, Conn. Nadeau spent several weeks following the accident in a hospital in Richmond, Va., and at the Charlotte (N.C.) Rehabilitation Institute. Recently, he has been undergoing outpatient therapy at the institute.(ThatsRacin.com)(7-11-2003) UPDATE - Racing Program Planned: Frye said the team will develop a testing program to prepare Nadeau for his racing return. That would start with Nadeau driving a go-kart for a few weeks, then move to a full-body car at a short track. That process would take four to six weeks before he moved into Cup car.(Roanoke Times)(7-12-2003)
Nadeau at Loudon this weekend: The United States Army NASCAR team will have a special visitor at this weekend's New England 300 here at New Hampshire International Speedway. The visitor, whose appearance will most likely offer an added inspiration to the team, will be Jerry Nadeau, driver of the black and gold #01 U.S. Army Pontiac. The 32-year-old Danbury, Conn. native is currently on a recovery path from a May 2 accident at Richmond International Raceway where he sustained head, lung, shoulder and rib injuries. Nadeau's appearance at Loudon will be his first race since the accident. "We're all proud of Jerry," said crew chief Ryan Pemberton. "He has worked so hard in therapy to get to the level where he can attend a race. His presence will definitely give us a big lift." Mike Wallace, who has been the team's substitute driver during Nadeau's recovery, shares Pemberton's feelings. "First of all it shows that Jerry's recovery is getting better," said Wallace. "His presence will not only be good for the team, but it will be good for him. People want to see him and wish him the best and I am sure he has missed seeing everyone. Hopefully, Jerry's visit. will turn our luck around." Wallace is referring to the last two races in Daytona and Chicago where the 01 Pontiac. got collected in each as a result of a multi-car crash. "It's bound to turn in our favor," said Wallace, the middle of three racing brothers. "I look forward to New Hampshire - the track has been repaved and from what I have heard it has plenty of grip. That's good news. We're going to go after it and show that this U.S. Army team is better than the results of the last two weeks." The New Hampshire race begins the second half of the 36-race Winston Cup points schedule. "I think we've experienced every kind of emotion possible during the first half of the season," said Pemberton. "The excitement of the U.S. Army sponsorship, a new team, good, bad and unlucky races results, Jerry's accident, Jerry's recovery and working with different drivers in Jason Keller, Mike Wallace and Boris Said. It hasn't been dull."(US Army Racing PR)(7-16-2003)
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TEAM NADEAU has put together ribbons to show our love & support for Jerry and the whole Nadeau family at this difficult time. We hope that EVERYONE will wear one with pride, at the race track, at home/work, or anywhere you want to show your support for Jerry.
Due to the circumstances, ribbons are being offered completely FREE of charge at this time - however if you can make a small donation to help cover the costs, it is greatly appreciated (anything collected over & above the cost of ribbons would be put towards the upcoming Team Nadeau newsletter). We only ask that you send a self addressed stamped envelope to cover the postage (we will be checking the P.O. Box regularly this week and sending ribbons out daily).
Send your SASE to:
Team Nadeau
Attn: Support Ribbon
PO Box 1063
Windham NH 03087
