Jerry Nadeau is still not about to give up on making some sort of comeback to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Out of the sport since a terrifying wreck during practice at Richmond International Raceway during the 2003 season, Nadeau recently said that he’d like to make a return to NASCAR in some fashion during a recent interview with www.SceneDaily.com.
“I’m still trying to figure out what’s next for me,” Nadeau told SceneDaily.com. “I’m just a racer, I love to race and if I can come back in some capacity, I’ll do that.”
Nadeau told the racing Web site that he’s been medically cleared to resume racing even though he still suffers from persistent numbing to the left side of his body as a result of the injuries he sustained in the Richmond wreck, adding that the numbness is “just something that I have to live with.”
“But I’m fine. I can race and I still do my (racing) simulator all the time,” Nadeau said.
For his career, Nadeau has 177 starts for a number of teams, most recently with MB2 Motorsports, behind the wheel of the No. 01 Army Pontiac Grand Prix during the 2003 season. He tallied his lone career win in the final race of the 2000 season at Atlanta Motor Speedway while driving for Hendricks Motorsports.
Recently, Nadeau, 37, has been involved with NASCAR as a consultant for NASCAR up-and-comer David Gilliland, but hasn’t received any offers to race.
Nadeau’s career came to an abrupt end during the 2003 Richmond wreck when he came into Turn 1 high and slammed sideways into the outside retaining wall. According to news reports at the time, Nadeau suffered head, lung and rib injuries, including a fractured skull. He had to be placed in an induced coma as well.
OUTSIDE LOOKING IN
It may still be very early on in the Sprint Cup season, but three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson is finding out that picking up an unprecedented fourth-straight Cup title may be a littler harder than in years past.
Johnson is currently outside the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup top 12 with just 457 points on the year and is 18 points behind 12th-place sitter David Reutimann.
OK, so we are only a handful of races into the season, and Johnson is known to be quite the finisher down the stretch, but seeing Johnson outside the top 12 at all is quite the accomplishment for the rest of NASCAR’s senior series.
Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with 634 points, while Clint Bowyer (43 points back), Kurt Busch (46), Carl Edwards (87) and Matt Kenseth (99) round out the top five.
Tony Stewart is sixth (113), while Kyle Busch (120), Kevin Harvick (511), Kasey Kahne (120) and Greg Biffle (154) round out the top 10. Brian Vickers is currently in 11th place on the points list with 477 total points.
Other drivers of note with striking distance of Reutimann include veterans and last year’s Chase participants Denny Hamlin (14th place, 456) and Jeff Burton (15th, 437).
A MONSTER OF AN EVENT
Current Sprint Cup Series championship points leader Gordon will appear in the Monster Mile Club at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del., prior to the start of the May 31 race. Admission to the Monster Mile Club is $99, and interested fans may contact the Dover ticket office at 1.800.441.RACE to order tickets or obtain further information.
ON TAP
The Sprint Cup returns to Bristol, Tenn., for this weekend’s Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway (1:30 p.m., FOX). Qualifying will take place, beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Friday and can be seen on SPEED TV.
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2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Points Standings
Rank…Driver…Points…Behind
1.…Jeff Gordon…634…---
2.…Clint Bowyer…591…43
3.…Kurt Busch…588…46
4.…Carl Edwards…547…87
5.…Matt Kenseth…546…99
6.…Tony Stewart…521…113
7.…Kyle Busch…514…120
8.…Kevin Harvick…511…123
9.…Kasey Kahne…484…150
10.…Greg Biffle…480…154
11.…Brian Vickers…477…157
12.…David Reutimann…475…159
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