Nadeau is 'best man' for weekend wedding bells

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- With as many as 15 couples ready to "tie the knot" Saturday morning at Bristol Motor Speedway, Georgia-Pacific Dodge driver Jerry Nadeau just couldn't let that pass.

The Danbury, Conn., native and his sponsor, Georgia-Pacific, will play a major role in the weddings. Nadeau is serving as honorary best man for each couple, while Georgia-Pacific is supplying the first wedding gifts through a gift package.

"Hey, it's a pretty special time for these people. Getting married on the start-finish line of a race track might be a little bit different but it is still starting off a lifetime together. That's pretty special," Nadeau said. The weddings begin at 11 a.m. ET Saturday, a scant nine hours before the start of that evening's Sharpie 500 NASCAR Winston Cup stock car race.

Speedway officials did set some prerequisites. All participants must fulfill all license requirements and meet with Sullivan County deputy clerk Sue Jones, who will officiate over all proceedings. They must all have tickets to Saturday's Sharpie 500 as well.

"We didn't want to encourage people to get married, divorced and remarried each year just so they could get tickets to the Sharpie 500 night race," said Bristol Motor Speedway president and general manager Jeff Byrd.

"The folks at Georgia-Pacific and I just wanted to do something that might make the day even more special for these couples," Nadeau said. "Obviously, this is something they are going to remember the rest of their lives.

"It might end up being something I remember the rest of my life too. I'm looking forward to it."