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.(5-2-2008)
