NASCAR WCUP: Jerry Nadeau/Melling Racing California Preview
29 April 1999
Jerry Nadeau/Melling RacingRace Performance Profile
California 500 presented by NAPA -- California Speedway
May 2, 1999
Track Specs:
Track Length: 2.0 miles
Banking: 14 degrees in the turns
Race Length: 500 miles / 250 laps
1999 Stats and Facts:
Nadeau posted the best finish of his NASCAR Winston Cup career -- eighth -- in the DieHard 500 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway last week. Nadeau's best qualifying effort this year was April 15 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway where he posted the fourth-fastest speed. Nadeau's No. 9 Melling Racing Ford will feature a special paint scheme from Cartoon Network's sister company, TBS Superstation, for the California 500. The car highlights TBS's favorite Friday night show, Dinner & A Movie, which features hosts Paul Gilmartin and Annabell Gurwitch creating delicious meals while showing a popular movie.
1998 Stats and Facts:
Nadeau finished 26th in the NASCAR Winston Cup race last year at California Speedway after qualifying 33rd.
Nadeau's highest finish in 1998 was 15th at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International.
Nadeau's best qualifying position was at Sears Point (Sonoma, Calif.) Raceway, where he started second.
Nadeau's Thoughts on California Speedway:
"Last week's finish at Talladega was good for the team's morale. We can't wait to get to California for this week's race. This is actually my first race at California Speedway with Melling Racing, since I joined the team halfway through the 1998 season. But the track is very similar to Michigan -- it's a good track and it's very fast. We'll take what we learned last August at Michigan and see what we can use this weekend.
"The TBS Dinner & A Movie paint scheme is really awesome, too. Sometimes I have to think about which car I'm going to when I head down the grid to strap in. But I really like watching the reaction from fans and other teams when we roll out these cool new designs."
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