Valvoline Team USA Takes the Silver at Nations Cup VII

Nov 3, 1996 (Melanie Cannon, Cotter Communications)
Donington, England – Valvoline Team USA challenged back from adversity to capture the silver medal in Nations Cup VII at Donington Park circuit today.
The second-place finish is the highest ever for an American team in the Nations Cup.

Jerry Nadeau, a Danbury, Conn., native proved his driving talent as he passed 12 cars during the 20-lap race to finish in eighth place, which, combined with teammate Tony Renna’s strong fourth-place finish, moved the U.S. team from fifth place to second overall.

“I’ve always been known to come from the back of the field,” said Nadeau, who started 20th after bad luck in the first of two races that make up the Nations Cup. “We had a flat tire after an accident on the first lap of the first race, so I had to work hard to prove how strong this American team is.”

Renna, from Deland, Fla., started and finished fourth in his John Village Automotive-prepped Formula Opel.

“Jerry drove an awesome race,” said Renna. “His job was to pass as many cars as possible. My job was to be consistent, and everything got better and better as the race went on.”

The U.S. team was classified behind the two-car team of Germany. Other teams competing included Brazil, Great Britain, Portugal and Russia.

“This was an incredibly exciting race,” said Dan Partel, managing director of the European Formula Drivers Association (EFDA), the coordinators of the Nations Cup. “There were many lead changes, come-from-behind finishes and everything else you can imagine.”

“This just proves that you can’t ever count out the Americans,” said Nadeau. “When you have two drivers who are willing to work hard, you can accomplish anything. This is a great tribute to our team and the support we have from the U.S.”

The Team USA Scholarship is made possible by support from Valvoline, IndyCar, Tasman Motorsports Group, Klein Tools, LCI International, Miller Genuine Draft, Bridgestone-Firestone, PacWest Racing Group, Motorola, Flamecrusher, Car & Driver, RACER and TrueChoice.

Photo: EFDA chief Dan Partel (right) looks on proudly as fellow Americans Renna and Nadeau wear their silver medals