Nadeau critical after practice crash at RIR

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Winston Cup driver Jerry Nadeau was critically injured when he crashed in practice Friday at Richmond International Raceway.

	Jerry Nadeau Credit: Autostock

The 32-year-old driver from Danbury, Conn., did not appear to be moving when he was removed from his car strapped to a body board. He was being fed oxygen through a bag when he was placed in the ambulance.

NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said Nadeau was in critical condition at the Medical College of Virginia Hospitals.

He said the hospital was prevented from saying more while awaiting the arrival of the driver's wife, Jada, who was traveling from South Carolina after attending her grandfather's funeral. NASCAR sent a plane to pick her up.

Nadeau's wife arrived around 11 p.m. after enduring weather delays, and was en route to the hospital, Hunter said.

VIDEO CLIPS Nadeau crashes during practice at Richmond Play video

He said no further information about Nadeau's condition would be available until Saturday morning, and a hospital spokeswoman referred all inquiries to NASCAR officials.

Nadeau's Pontiac struck the outside wall on the three-quarter -mile oval during the final practice session for Saturday night's Pontiac Excitement 400. The car skidded, spun halfway around and slammed driver's side first into the wall between the first and second turns.

After several minutes, rescue crews cut part of the roof off the car, climbed inside and removed Nadeau. He was wearing a head and neck restraint device made mandatory last year in the wake of the death in 2001 of seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt.

Nadeau was taken by ambulance to the infield care center, then airlifted from the track as Henrico County police and fire officials ordered onlookers away from the helipad.

Keller to drive  RICHMOND, Va. - Jason Keller will drive for the injured Jerry Nadeau in Saturday's Pontiac Excitement 400, a spokesperson for Keller said after Friday night's Hardee's 250 NASCAR Busch Series race. Full Story

Earlier, Nadeau qualified 12th for the race.

He's in his sixth full season on NASCAR's top circuit. His only victory in 177 career starts came in the final race of 2000 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Nadeau was rookie of the year in the Skip Barber Eastern Series in 1991, and won nine races from 1993-95. He made his NASCAR debut in the Busch series in 1995.

He was an All-American Soap Box Derby racer before turning to go-karts in 1984. He won 10 races in World Karting Association and International Karting Foundation competition from 1984-90.

His best season in Winston Cup was 2001, when he posted four top-five and 10 top-10 finishes in 34 races as a Hendrick Motorsports teammate to four-time series champion Jeff Gordon.

Nadeau is in his first full season as a driver for MB2 Motorsports.