64 Facts About Jerry Nadeau

Jerry Nadeau started racing go-karts before moving up to car racing, driving in the 12 Hours of Sebring, the European Formula Ford Festival, and the Barber Dodge Pro Series.

Jerry Nadeau started racing part-time in NASCAR and finished sixth in the 1996 Formula Opel Euro Series.

Jerry Nadeau started full-time racing in 1998 and came third in that year's NASCAR Rookie of the Year award standings.

Jerry Nadeau earned his first Winston Cup victory at Atlanta Motor Speedway the following year.

Jerry Nadeau achieved his top NASCAR season in 2001 when he finished 17th in points, but his racing career ended in 2003 after he suffered serious injuries in a practice crash.

Jerry Nadeau attempted a comeback before moving on to mentor drivers.

Jerry Nadeau was born on September 9,1970, and grew up in Danbury, Connecticut.

Jerry Nadeau's parents were Gerald Joseph, a roofer, and veteran in the United States Army during the Vietnam War and Pauline Cyr Nadeau.

Jerry Nadeau was educated at Henry Abbott Technical High School and studied automotive technology.

Jerry Nadeau's family had connections to auto racing; Gerald raced modifieds at the Danbury Race Arena.

Jerry Nadeau was given a go-kart by his father when he was four and one-half years old.

Jerry Nadeau worked with his father in the construction industry to support his career.

Jerry Nadeau made me the hungriest guy on the race track.

In 1988, aged eighteen, Jerry Nadeau won his first World Karting Association Gold Cup championship.

Jerry Nadeau caught the eye of Skip Barber and a few other driving instructors that day.

Jerry Nadeau defended his karting title for the next two years.

Jerry Nadeau took eight victories and became the Rookie of the Year.

Jerry Nadeau drove alongside sports car driver Gene Felton for the Jill Prewitt team which entered the 1992 12 Hours of Sebring, but retired after forty-eight laps because of a differential problem.

Jerry Nadeau took part in karting events in St Petersburg, Russia, competing on an ice track, winning two out of eight races.

Jerry Nadeau later stated the experience helped him to develop the skill of not using his car's brakes on slippery surfaces.

Jerry Nadeau drove in the European Formula Ford Festival winning the qualifying race and coming second in the semi-finals behind Formula Ford champion Peter Duke.

Jerry Nadeau took five, top-four finishes in the Firestone Firehawk Series.

Jerry Nadeau improved in the Barber Pro Series in 1994 by finishing fifth in the championship with two victories.

Jerry Nadeau moved to North Carolina that year on the advice of public relations worker Tom Cotter, and was on a budget of $200.

Jerry Nadeau often went to Hendrick Motorsports to receive tips.

Jerry Nadeau failed to qualify for his first career NASCAR race, which took place at Richmond International Raceway.

Jerry Nadeau ran only two races in the Busch Series, finishing thirty-ninth in both races and did not qualify at Darlington.

Jerry Nadeau later declined a move into the Formula 3000 series, opting for a return to NASCAR.

Jerry Nadeau built his own cars for Automobile Racing Club of America and Busch Series events.

Jerry Nadeau made all five races, including a ninth-place qualification at New Hampshire International Speedway, but failed to finish higher than thirtieth and was let go at the end of his contract when the team's sponsor expressed no interest in retaining him.

Jerry Nadeau took part in one race in the Busch Series at Talladega Superspeedway but failed to qualify.

Jerry Nadeau started his rookie season in 1998 with Elliott-Marino Racing driving the No 13 Ford car, owned by Marino.

Melling and Jerry Nadeau used the second half of the season to develop a consistent program in preparation for the 1999 season.

Jerry Nadeau had no top 10 finishes, seven DNF's, an average finish of 24.2, and had two results in the top 20.

Jerry Nadeau finished 36th in the Winston Cup points standings for that season and was third in the NASCAR Rookie of the Year Award standings.

Jerry Nadeau entered his first and only race in the Craftsman Truck Series at Phoenix International Speedway finishing twenty-seventh.

In that year, Jerry Nadeau won his first NASCAR-sanctioned event in the Winston West Series at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

That year, Jerry Nadeau won his first NASCAR Winston Cup race in the season's final race at Atlanta Motor Speedway after passing Ward Burton seven laps from the end.

Jerry Nadeau became the first driver from Connecticut to win in the series.

Jerry Nadeau finished the 2000 season with five Top Ten finishes, nine DNF's, and an average finish of 23.1 in thirty-four events; Nadeau finished twentieth in the Winston Cup points standings for that season.

Jerry Nadeau nearly clinched victory in the penultimate race of the season at Atlanta, finishing fourth after running out of fuel midway through the final lap.

In thirty-six races, Jerry Nadeau achieved ten Top Ten finishes, eight DNF's, and an average finish of 21.1.

Jerry Nadeau finished seventeenth in the Winston Cup points standings that season.

Jerry Nadeau started the season by competing in eleven events for Hendrick Motorsports.

Jerry Nadeau had his only Top Ten finish of the year, taking eighth place at Bristol Motor Speedway.

Jerry Nadeau was hired by MBV Motorsports to fill in for the injured Johnny Benson Jr.

Jerry Nadeau subsequently drove one race for Michael Waltrip Racing at Chicagoland Speedway, finishing 37th after a steering problem.

Jerry Nadeau was advised by team owner Kyle Petty to rest, and Grissom replaced Nadeau for the rest of the season.

Jerry Nadeau had competed in twenty-eight out of thirty-six races, with one Top Ten finish at the Food City 500, seven DNF's, and an average finish of 27.4.

Jerry Nadeau finished thirty-seventh in the Winston Cup points standings for that season.

Jerry Nadeau partnered sports car driver Anthony Lazzaro with the Rand Racing team in the Rolex Sports Car Series to finish first in the SRPII class at Daytona International Speedway, and in the Busch Series, he finished twentieth at the fall Charlotte race.

On May 2,2003, during a practice session at Richmond International Raceway for the Pontiac Excitement 400, Jerry Nadeau was leading the practice session when he suddenly swerved to avoid a slowing car, spun in turn one and hit the wall, driver's side first, at high speed.

Jerry Nadeau was airlifted to a local hospital in critical condition, only given a six percent chance of surviving his injuries.

Jerry Nadeau suffered complete immobility of the left side of his body, a skull fracture, concussion, a collapsed lung, and several broken ribs.

In fall 2003, Jerry Nadeau began discussions with MB2 Motorsports boss Jay Frye about a long-term comeback.

Jerry Nadeau suffered a loss of stamina during this test.

Jerry Nadeau undertook physical therapy five times during the week.

Jerry Nadeau suffered from depression caused by the loss of his racing career.

MB2 Motorsports entered into a partnership to create a recovery driving program for Jerry Nadeau which included competing in the Nextel Cup, the Busch Series and ARCA events in 2004.

Jerry Nadeau worked with the Clay Andrews Racing Busch Series team as a mentor for rookie David Gilliland in 2006, who went on to win the Meijer 300 and earned a ride with Robert Yates Racing later that season.

Jerry Nadeau raced in the Old School Racing Champion's Tour in 2008.

In 2011, Jerry Nadeau became a mentor to Truck Series rookie Jeffrey Earnhardt, son of Kerry and grandson of Dale.

On December 11,1999, Jerry Nadeau married long-time girlfriend Jada Blanchard in the Bahamas.

One year after Jerry Nadeau suffered his accident, the couple divorced.