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), past news on Nadeau on my #01-Nadeau page.(1-11-2005)
