Nadeau on the Pace In Brands Hatch Testing

Oct 21, 1993 (by David Aronson)
Dartford, England  – Despite an off-track excursion and mechanical problems, Valvoline Team USA Scholarship winner Jerry Nadeau quickly established himself as a leading contender in the Kent-engined section of this weekend’s Formula Ford Festival & World Cup at Brands Hatch.

Nadeau was immediately on the pace in Tuesday’s first day of pre-race testing at Brands Hatch with a beast lap of 48.1s. After improving to a 48.0s on Wednesday, Jerry hooked a curb at Surtees and went off, damaging a rear corner.

The car was repaired for Thursday morning, whereupon Nadeau reeled off a series of laps in the low 48s to put himself firmly among the fastest Kent runners. Following two driveshaft failures in the afternoon, the Lanan Racing crew discovered a defective part in the replacement driveshafts and fitted new ones in preparation for Friday’s crucial qualifying session.

“Even from the test sessions you can tell how special the Festival is,” said Nadeau. “I’d say 95 percent of the drivers here are going flat out to win. The circuit is fantastic, really demanding, and I’ve learned a lot by following various people around  – and then trying to pass them!

“It’s too bad I lost it on Wednesday, but I’m confident we’ve got the car back in shape for qualifying,” Jerry continued. “John Bright’s really helped get the handling dialed in. We changed some of the gearing overnight and Ted Wenz freshened the motor today, so I think I’ve got what I need to pass people in a racing situation.

“Qualifying will be intense but I’m comfortable with going for a time early in the session. I’m aiming to do myself as big a favor as possible by getting a good grid position for my heat race.”

The 100-plus Kent runners will compete in six heats on Saturday, with the top nine finishers in each race progressing to the semi-final rounds on Sunday. Twenty-eight drivers will qualify for Sunday afternoon’s Grand Final over 20 laps of the 1.2-mile Brands Hatch “Indy” circuit.

Nadeau’s Team USA Scholarship entry is proudly supported by Valvoline Oil Company, Ford SVO, TrueChoice, Skip Barber Racing, TWR USA, John Dowming, Derek Daly, Aurora Bearings, Marcovicci Wenz Engineering, Primus Racing and Lanan Racing.