Local Look: Richmond

Event: Chevy American Revolution 400

Local papers covering: Richmond Times-Dispatch, Roanoke Times

Nadeau has reached weird plateau

The deal: Mike Harris of the Richmond Times-Dispatch says a year after a scary practice crash at Richmond International Raceway, Jerry Nadeau has reached a plateau in his recovery. He's fine by all outward appearances. He knows he's not.

	Jerry Nadeau

All he can do is continue his frustrating wait, to see if he gets all his faculties back, to see if he gets to where he can feel safe behind the wheel of a race car in close quarters with 42 other race cars.

"I hear it all the time, all the time," Nadeau said. "People come up to me and say, 'What's wrong? You look fine. Why aren't you in the car?' Nobody has a clue what it feels like to have a brain injury. It's almost like half your brain is there and half of it is gone. I damaged the right side of my brain, which affects the left side of your body. It's almost like the whole left side is numb."

Why we care: What Nadeau calls "the accident" occurred May 2, 2003 -- less than three months after daughter Natalie was born -- at Richmond International Raceway, during a practice session for a race the next day. Nadeau's car spun between the first and second turns and slammed into the wall. He was airlifted out of the track, a severe head injury the leader of a long list of accident-related problems.

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This Richmond race will have a different look

The deal: Dustin Long of the Roanoke Times says Richmond International Raceway's repaved track surface will create faster speeds and maybe a different type of race than seen recently at the .75-mile track.

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Ward Burton's track record of 127.389 mph (21.195 seconds) is expected to fall during Friday's Nextel Cup qualifying session. Saturday's Chevy American Revolution 400, though, might be more about pit decisions and pit stops than what happens on the track.

Why we care: Repaved tracks often mean single-file racing until enough cars run a different line around the track and develop a second groove. Sometimes a second groove develops during a race weekend, allowing for the side-by-side racing Richmond fans are accustomed to seeing, but not always. If a second groove isn't developed this weekend, it should be in September when the Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck series, along with the IROC series, compete there.

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Rudd pondering international racing after NASCAR

The deal: Nate Ryan of the Richmond Times-Dispatch says Ricky Rudd is signed through the 2005 Nextel Cup season to drive the No. 21 Ford for Wood Brothers Racing.

	Ricky Rudd

When the contract is up, catching Rudd in a race car could be a tough ticket - as in a round-trip plane ticket to France or Australia.

"I'd like to run LeMans one time," the Chesapeake native told the paper, referring to the world-famous 24 Hours of LeMans endurance race. "It's something I've always thought about doing when I was a kid. That race has got a lot of history, and I just want to check it out.

"There's also an Australian circuit with good road racing. When I do decide to step aside, I'd like to run a couple of races a year. There are plenty of opportunities out there."

Why we care: Rudd, 47, hasn't set a date for leaving NASCAR's premier series, but he and several of his peers are in the twilight of their careers. Saturday's Chevy American Revolution 400 could mark one of the last handful of races at Richmond International Raceway for many of the sport's greatest drivers.

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Waltrip questions Stewart's driving style

The deal: Dustin Long of the Roanoke Times says Darrell Waltrip has been there, done that and seen it as a champion NASCAR driver and analyst for FOX's coverage. One thing he says he's hated to see is the controversial driving of Tony Stewart.

	Tony Stewart

"He's just self-destructing all around him," Waltrip said of Stewart. "He's got a gun and it's loaded and he doesn't mind using it. That's a shame.

Waltrip told the paper that Stewart's driving is reminiscent of Dale Earnhardt.

"Earnhardt used to rough people up a little bit, just to kind of say, 'Hey, don't mess with me,'" Waltrip said. "It's a way of sending people messages but the problem [Stewart] has, not only has he got drivers mad at him, but he's got crews mad at him."

Why we care: Stewart, a two-time Richmond winner, has been criticized for his physical driving tactics this season. Despite the recent controversy, Stewart is eighth in the season standings, 169 points behind leader Dale Earnhardt Jr.

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