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Welcome to the Cup Scene Daily for
Vol. III,No.VIXII FINAL EDITION
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Quote of the day: "If Jimmy Spencer was at my side, there aren't any drivers I'd hate to see coming my way."- Mike Skinner 7 DAY ARCHIVE SundayMonday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday INSIDE TODAY'S ISSUE: Junior on Junior NASCAR hostess takes two wheels to the track Kenseth's new store to feature racing memorabilia Newman says profanity not a problem Chevy Donates Monte Carlo SS Proceeds Idle Chatter:Skinner with the skinny Helping Hand Duno drives into auto racing history book Fast friends Junior's visit fulfills child's dream NASCAR Top 10: Las Vegas So Some Seats Were Empty! What's the Big Deal? Cup Scene readers speak out about the new point system
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Happy Birthday: Scott Cluka,Chuck Romeo With a combined four wins (two Cup and two Busch), seven top-five (three Cup and four Busch), and 10 top-10 (five Cup and five Busch) finishes along with one Busch pole, in just six races at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Jeff Burton is arguably one of the masters at the track.
When the No. 99 Pennzoil team takes to the track next weekend Burton and the team are hoping to do more than add to their Las Vegas win column, they are hoping to change their luck in 2004. In the first two races of the NEXTEL Cup season Burton has finished 42nd (Daytona) and 37th (Rockingham) but these results are not a good indication of how far the No. 99 team has come. "Our finishes most certainly do not reflect our effort," said Burton.
Burton and the No. 99 team encountered a mechanical failure that took them out of the Daytona 500 early on but only after they proved to be a solid contender for the win. The team finished a strong fifth in the 125 qualifying race and was running in the top-five before their problem during the race. Bad luck again plagued the team in Rockingham when they had a top-10 car and had moved through the field with race winner Matt Kenseth from 28th to 12th in 30 laps. During the second pit stop Burton ran into the back of teammate Kurt Busch when the field checked up exiting pit road. This put a hole in the radiator of the No. 99 SKF Ford and cost the team 18 laps due to repairs. Burton did return to the track and ran lap times faster than, and comparable to, the leaders but he would never regain the 18 laps. "The No. 99 team has had an unfortunate string of bad luck." Burton continued, "I'm not making excuses but it's a fact. We have not had poor cars, we have not had bad pit stops, we have not had problems due to mistakes by the driver or the crew chief, we have just encountered unfortunate circumstances. The No. 99 team had great pit stops at Rockingham and we were still competitive with the leaders, we were just 18 laps down. In Daytona we were a top-five car no question. This was the most relaxed Speedweeks I've had in a long time. We ran well the entire 10 days and we were having fun but again mechanical things break and sometimes you don't have control over that." When Burton and the No. 99 Roush Racing team return to action in Las Vegas they are hoping to meet "lady luck" and turn their season around. With their hard work and determination it's a sure bet it will happen. "Paul (Andrews, crew chief) and the team have worked hard to get where we are today and that has not gone un-noticed. The dedication, perseverance and tenacity of this team is awesome. We have a great group of people in place in the shop and at the track and I know we are a championship contending team. We are here to win races and that's exactly what we are going to do and we're not going to be told any different. The things that have happened are done and over with. We need to learn from those things and move on and show everyone that we mean business. I have no doubt that we will be in victory lane this year and move into the top 10 in points, that's been our goal from the beginning and that's the direction we are heading."
Nadeau's journey prompts pension debate
Last May, Jerry Nadeau was one of the most talented up-and-coming drivers on NASCAR's top circuit. Today, after almost dying in a crash at Richmond, he is at the center of a debate over formulating a disability and pension plan for drivers.
NASCAR officials say they have discussed such a plan, but contend there are too many complicated factors, including who would be covered and how length of service would factor into the process. That hasn't stopped the discussion among owners and drivers, who understand that it only takes one second at 180 mph to end careers and alter lifestyles. That's what happened to the 33-year-old Nadeau at Richmond International Raceway last May. "Richmond was so perfect," he said. "It was a brand new car, fast in practice, and we had qualified 12th. We were the fastest car in Happy Hour." Nadeau said earlier in the day he cut some of the roll-bar padding off his car. That might have contributed to the serious head injuries he suffered during a practice session when the left side of his car slammed into the wall at about 100 mph. "You should have at least three inches of foam, and I cut it that day so I could lean my head more," he said. "If I had the foam, I can't say if I'd be better, but it would have helped if I had more cushion." Nadeau spent five weeks in a hospital, then went into outpatient therapy five days a week for another seven weeks. His speech is somewhat measured today, but otherwise he appears normal. Nadeau says that's not the case. "My driving is totally the same; no problem there," he said. "But everything else is not the same. It's more mentally than physically. My vision is good, but my whole left side is a lot slower, and I don't sense [things] like I used to. My left eye is a little slower than my right eye, and I can sense it. I have a tingly feeling 24 hours a day on my left side." There have been other changes. Nadeau sold his home in the NASCAR mecca of Mooresville, N.C., and moved to a less costly -- but still very nice -- house in Davidson. "The house was an expensive big house, but I could afford it when I was racing," he said. "Now that I'm not racing, I have to take a different approach to the way I live the rest of my life. I'm going to live in Davidson and be like a normal person." He is living off disability payments from an insurance policy most top NASCAR drivers purchase each year. "My insurance gives me so much a month, but I can't retire on it," he said. That's where a NASCAR pension plan would help. Nadeau's experience is almost identical to the situation Bobby Allison was in after a career-ending crash at Pocono in 1988. "For the risks we take, and what we give to the sport, it would be received really well if there was something you could get back," driver Bill Elliott said. Others disagree. Dale Jarrett said a plan is not needed. "There's no reason the race team should have to pay me if I'm not doing the job for them," he said. "I know that's different than the NBA or the NFL, but our situation is different because we're sponsor-driven, and the team has to be out there performing. Somebody has to be in that car, and if I'm not out there doing it, I shouldn't be paid for it." Said Mark Martin: "It would cost somebody a lot of money." Tom Beard, who was a part owner of Nadeau's team, said racing needs the plan for all participants, including crew members, and the cost should be spread throughout the sport. "The tracks, everybody should contribute," he said. "Other professional sports have it, and racing should too." Nadeau is reluctant to join the discussion. He said he's fine, pension plan or no plan. "My insurance basically covers me," he said. Nadeau still talks about racing again one day, but he also is preparing in case that day never comes. "If I don't get to race, then I can do some TV commentary, once my voice gets better, and stay involved," he said. He admits that life without racing is not all bad. He said he found the bright side in the midst of countless hospital stays and rehabilitation. "The last nine months I've really thought about my life," Nadeau said. "There is life besides racing. I have a beautiful wife, a beautiful daughter, and if I don't get to race again, at least I can say I did it. "My whole life, all I thought about was racing. I've been racing since I was 4 years old. I never went to a prom, never did anything fun, just race. "I got married, had a child and really didn't get to understand what my wife was really like, or my child. My car doesn't give me support or say, 'Hey, you're doing good.' My wife does."
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