Racing paths of Nadeau, Park eerily similar

Throughout their Winston Cup careers, Jerry Nadeau and Steve Park have had a lot in common.

Both ventured South, entering NASCAR as aspiring young drivers from the North -- Nadeau from Danbury, Conn., Park from East Northport, N.Y. Since arriving, both have shown great promise in NASCAR's elite Winston Cup Series. Both have won races -- Park twice and Nadeau once -- but neither has yet to break into the upper echelon of Winston Cup stars. Both have had success with powerful multicar teams, Park winning twice with Dale Earnhardt Inc. and Nadeau winning with Hendrick Motorsports.

And now, they have both felt the bitter disappointment of being released from those teams.

Jerry Nadeau is tended to by paramedics after crashing his car during a practice run in Richmond.(AP)

Nadeau was released from Hendrick last season, ending a bittersweet two-year relationship. Though he won at the end of the 2000 season, he never found the consistency Hendrick was looking for, and the team released him after 11 races last season.

Park has been on a similar roller coaster ride at DEI. He won in 2000 and 2001 and finished 11th in points in 2000. But after struggling the past two seasons, Park was released on Tuesday, ending his six-year tenure at DEI.

Let's hope the comparisons between Park and Nadeau end there. The footnote to Park's story is that he was seriously injured in a crash at Darlington in September 2001. He missed the final 12 races of the season and did not return until four races into 2002.

Even then, there were questions as to whether Park could return to form after suffering a serious head injury that required a lengthy recovery. Ironically, his last race with DEI -- which ended in a crash -- came a day after Nadeau suffered a similar injury in a crash at Richmond.

Park insists his injuries have healed and have had no impact on his performance, and so far there is no evidence to the contrary. What is clear, though, is that Park has struggled mightily in the past two years. He scored just two top-10 finishes in 32 races last season and finished 30th or worse 13 times, many due to wrecks.

This year has been even worse. In 11 races, Park has finished in the top 20 just twice, plummeting to 32nd in points. He has finished 39th, 40th and 43rd in three of his last five races, all due to wrecks.

At California Speedway three weeks ago, Park won the pole, then wrecked on the first lap. Last week at Richmond, he made it just 44 laps before smacking the wall.

Adding to the pressure has been constant rumors and speculation that he would soon be released, reports Park has vigorously denied, sometimes angrily.

After finally being released Tuesday, Park is no doubt relieved to have that chapter of his career behind him and looking forward to starting over with another team.

It's difficult -- and unfair -- to blame Park's struggles on his injury. No one knows that but him. But his struggles have all occurred since his 2001 accident, leading many to wonder and putting his former team in a bad spot.

Let's hope Nadeau doesn't suffer the same fate.

Listed in critical condition over the weekend, he has been upgraded to serious but stable. At this point, the hope is that Nadeau recovers enough to lead a healthy, normal life. Racing, at this point, doesn't matter.

If he is able to return to racing and his MB2 Motorsports team, that would be a bonus. If he does, let's hope he doesn't encounter the same problems Park has had. Though it's hard to prove that Park's injury led to his on-track struggles, the stigma is there. For two years, he's heard whispers that's he not the same driver anymore and that, in turn, has created a high level of scrutiny.

And he until he turns his career around and becomes a consistently competitive driver again, he will always face the stigma that he never fully recovered from the head injury.

Nadeau -- nor any driver -- should have to endure such pressure. Ricky Craven knows the feeling. He suffered the same stigma after suffering from post-concussion syndrome in 1998. After voluntarily sitting out 12 races to heal, Craven was quickly dismissed after he returned to Hendrick Motorsports.

Craven then spent the next year turning his career around and proving that he still had what it takes to be competitive.

Cal Wells and PPI Motorsports took a chance on Craven in 2001 and he rewarded them with a victory that season and another one this year.

As Park continues his Winston Cup career -- possibly with Richard Childress Racing -- let's hope he turns things around as Craven did and flashes the winning form he demonstrated before his injury. And if Nadeau comes back, let's hope he doesn't have to endure the trials Park and Craven had to go through.