Jerry Nadeau

Tumbleweed

Tumbleweed

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All of the recent discussion about Jr’s head injuries and his missing races because of them got me thinking about Jerry Nadeau and wondering how he is doing. Obviously there is no comparison in the severity of Jerry’s injury and Jr’s injuries but I thought some here might be interested in how Jerry is doing today as well as in the subject of head injuries in NASCAR in general.

It sucks that Richmond didn't have safer barriers at the time (which would almost certainly have significantly diminished the severity of his accident) and it sucks that with all the millionaires and billionaires around today (even those in just the NASCAR community alone), it seems almost impossible for him to find any kind gainful employment today. At one time after his accident, there had been talk of him possibly coming back to race in NASCAR but unfortunately that has never been possible.

I'm glad he is still around however and able to talk about his life today!

http://www.popularspeed.com/nascar-then-and-now-jerry-nadeau/

http://autoweek.com/article/nascar-sprint-cup/fast-five-jerry-nadeau

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/04/s...s-have-little-help-with-concussions.html?_r=0

http://kenneynewscaster.blogspot.com/2015/08/jerry-nadeaus-career-ending-crash.html
 
Tumbleweed said:
All of the recent discussion about Jr’s head injuries and his missing races because of them got me thinking about Jerry Nadeau and wondering how he is doing. Obviously there is no comparison in the severity of Jerry’s injury and Jr’s injuries but I thought some here might be interested in how Jerry is doing today as well as in the subject of head injuries in NASCAR in general.

It sucks that Richmond didn't have safer barriers at the time (which would almost certainly have significantly diminished the severity of his accident) and it sucks that with all the millionaires and billionaires around today (even those in just the NASCAR community alone), it seems almost impossible for him to find any kind gainful employment today. At one time after his accident, there had been talk of him possibly coming back to race in NASCAR but unfortunately that has never been possible.

I'm glad he is still around however and able to talk about his life today!

http://www.popularspeed.com/nascar-then-and-now-jerry-nadeau/

http://autoweek.com/article/nascar-sprint-cup/fast-five-jerry-nadeau

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/04/s...s-have-little-help-with-concussions.html?_r=0

http://kenneynewscaster.blogspot.com/2015/08/jerry-nadeaus-career-ending-crash.html
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Thanks for the the post and all the links.
 
Connecticut local. Good thread, I was actually thinking of him a couple days ago. Horrible what happened...
 
cheesepuffs said:
Connecticut local. Good thread, I was actually thinking of him a couple days ago. Horrible what happened...
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It is a real shame someone within the racing community couldn't of found a position for him. In many cases after a death or an injury you are mobbed with people for 5-6 days and then they are all gone never to return. Seen it a thousand times.
 
Forgot about Nadeau. What the hell happened to Johnny Benson Jr.? I always liked that dude.
 
Ashstrodamus said:
Forgot about Nadeau. What the hell happened to Johnny Benson Jr.? I always liked that dude.
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The Truck Series happened to him. For some reason that series turns talented veterans into oblivion. Sprague, Musgrave, Skinner, Riggs, etc.
 
There's definitely precedent recently regarding head injuries. Steve Park has battled post-concussion issues for the last 15+ years.

I haven't seen or heard from Ernie Irvan in a long time. Hopefully he's doing well. Some of these guys probably live in the same hell as NFL players. It's just not as nearly as publicized.
 
I wonder if Dick Trickle was going through the same sort of thing before his suicide. Depression is a major symptom of CTE.
 
29-4 said:
I wonder if Dick Trickle was going through the same sort of thing before his suicide. Depression is a major symptom of CTE.
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Some of these guys have taken huge shots. I could easily see Trickle suffering from CTE issues.

Michael Waltrip had an accident at Talladega in '88 iirc where he was knocked out, came to, then wondered aimlessly across the track without realizing it before falling to his knees again. And that's just one accident early in his career...

Jody Ridley's accident at Daytona in '89 (filling in for Elliott) recorded via an onboard camera. That was a helluva hit too...

I honestly have no clue how more drivers weren't killed or seriously injured from the mid 80's through mid 90's. Those cars were on the razors edge every second and the safety features were sparse at best. The roll cage is what got praised over and over ....
 
KodiakRusty89 said:
There's definitely precedent recently regarding head injuries. Steve Park has battled post-concussion issues for the last 15+ years.

I haven't seen or heard from Ernie Irvan in a long time. Hopefully he's doing well. Some of these guys probably live in the same hell as NFL players. It's just not as nearly as publicized.
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I know Irvans son started a K&N race last year
 
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