Nadeau returns to racetrack sporting sling

HAMPTON, Ga. -- NASCAR Winston Cup driver Jerry Nadeau was at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Friday, his right arm in a sling one week after an accident in a go-kart ended his season.

	Jerry Nadeau won in Atlanta in 2000. Credit: Autostock

"It was just a friendly go-kart race, just having a good time," Nadeau said. "Unfortunately I caught a berm on the inside of the racetrack and tipped the go-kart over.

"It landed on my shoulder -- I tore some ligaments out of my shoulder and the steering wheel came back and hit me in the chest and cracked two ribs. I'm in the healing process right now," he continued.

"I raced go-karts for 14 years and never had a problem. You never know when it's your time."

Before his injury knocked him out of the seat, Nadeau -- who won this week's Winston Cup race in 2000 -- was in position to finish the final five races in Petty Enterprises' No. 44 Georgia Pacific Dodge. On Friday, PE's CEO and lead driver Kyle Petty credited a test session at Atlanta by Nadeau with the three-car team's good performance in the single rain-shortened practice.

Petty unveiled the new paint scheme he will race on his No. 45 Georgia Pacific Dodge next season, and offered some insight into Nadeau's replacement for this weekend, Ted Musgrave, as well as unsigned No. 43 Cheerios Dodge driver John Andretti.

"We basically came back with a variation on some of the stuff he (Nadeau) tested," Petty said. "All of our cars have been good. John went to the top of the board real quick. Ted went to the top of the board and then it rained.

	Richard and Kyle Petty show off the new No. 45 Dodge for 2003. Credit: Autostock

"After it rained, I got a lap on the racetrack and they didn't get a lap on the racetrack. That's basically why they're not up there. They were better than I was."

Musgrave, who was 17th on the practice sheet to Petty's seventh, may run some more races with Petty as the final two NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races are in conjunction with Busch and Winston Cup.

"We've got to talk with (Ultra Motorsports owner) Jimmy Smith about Musgrave," Petty said. "He can't run next week because the trucks are in California, and they had planned to run a couple of races with the No. 07 Sirius Dodge.

"Whether (Ultra teammate Jason) Leffler or Ted does it, Jimmy has worked with us real well, so we're going to have to talk to him about that. We need somebody to just stabilize that car. I think that's what we looked at when we looked at Jerry -- It was Jerry's car for the rest of the year."

"Then Jerry got hurt. We could try three or four drivers before the end of the year, but that doesn't do anything for us. We may try one or two drivers and let Ted drive a couple of races or we might let Ted drive two or three and then try one other driver. We've got to do something at Rockingham (next weekend)."

Andretti's contract runs out at the end of the season and Petty said the only thing he needed to do was put together a contract and get Andretti's signature.

JERRY NADEAU  •  Driver Page  •  2002 Stats  •  Driver vs. Driver

"We've agreed to everything with John," Petty said. "We just haven't sat down and put it on paper. That's the same place we're at. I tested two days this week -- John is going to test two days next week. His kids were out of school two or three days this week.

"Every time you turn around, there's other things going on and we just haven't sat down. We've all committed to each other. We just haven't done it."

For his part, Nadeau said he had nothing to report on his deal for 2003, although garage scuttlebutt has him driving the MB2 Motorsports Pontiac, renumbered from No. 36 to No. 01 and carrying sponsorship from the U.S. Army.

"I don't have anything (signed) yet, but a lot of things are real close," Nadeau said. "I should know something in the next week or so (and) I hope it's Winston Cup."