Irvan’s Improbable Comeback Complete With High Expectations

Ernie Irvan outlined his plans Tuesday to return to auto racing, hopeful he can once again succeed in the sport that nearly killed him.

“My whole life’s been pushing my luck. I’m just faithful that God’s looking over me,” Irvan said during a news conference at the racing complex of Robert Yates, the owner of his Winston Cup car.

Thirteen months and three days after his crash into a concrete wall prompted doctors to give him only a 10 percent chance of survival, Irvan will begin his comeback in NASCAR’s new SuperTruck series. He is entered in Saturday’s 150-lap truck race in Martinsville, Va.

“I have a goal, and the goal is to win the race,” said Irvan, who also is entered in the truck circuit’s event the following Saturday in North Wilkesboro, N.C.

On Sunday, Oct. 1, Irvan plans to return to stock car racing’s top series by competing in the 400-lap Winston Cup event at North Wilkesboro.

It will mark what Irvan hopes will be a successful end to a journey that began on the morning of Aug. 20, 1994, when his Ford Thunderbird slammed into a retaining wall at Michigan International Speedway during a practice run.

The head-on crash, which occurred at an estimated 165 mph, left Irvan with numerous serious injuries, including massive head and chest trauma. There initially was concern that Irvan might not survive, but once his condition stabilized, he began a recovery that proceeded at a rate that doctors kept describing as unprecedented.

“I went through a lot of hurdles that the doctors never thought I’d come across or would never be able to do,” Irvan said. “But I always could see the light at the end of the tunnel, and I guess that’s what’s kept me going.”

These days, Irvan, 36, is in what he calls the best shape of his life. His regular workouts include lifting weights and running 3 miles.

The lone obstacles between him and complete recovery are his droopy left eyelid and the double vision the eye creates. Doctors have told him they expect both problems to eventually subside. In the interim, Irvan plans to wear a patch over the eye while he’s driving.

Irvan has tested extensively over the summer in both SuperTrucks and Winston Cup cars on a variety of tracks at a variety of speeds, and NASCAR last week cleared him to resume competition.

“There’s probably not a guy in this garage who’s not pulling for Ernie to make this work,” said Ricky Rudd, who was among a large crowd of Winston Cup drivers taking part in a test session Tuesday afternoon at Charlotte Motor Speedway. “It says a little something about all of us. All of us could potentially be in his position. You could be on top one day and then have a severe head injury the next.

“But I think we’re all taking a wait-and-see attitude. I understand he’s tested well, and I think Ernie’s the kind of guy where, if he’s not comfortable with the whole setup with the eye patch and whatnot, then he’ll get out of it.”

Yates is convinced his driver is ready. He offered a recent test session as an example.

“There was no building up to it,” Yates said. “I mean, the first lap at North Wilkesboro, a week ago Monday, he goes out and turns the fastest lap anybody ran all day.”

Yates responded immediately and emphatically when asked about any concerns he might have about Irvan’s left eye.

“He nails corners perfectly,” Yates said, “so his depth perception looks excellent.”

Irvan, who has 12 victories and winnings of nearly $5.6 million since joining the Winston Cup circuit in 1987, joked about how his competitors might feel about sharing track space with a driver wearing a patch.

“Heck, those drivers didn’t feel comfortable with me before,” said Irvan, whose aggressive driving tactics during his early years earned him the nicknames of “Swervin’ Irvan” and “Gurney Ernie.”

After the two truck races and the Winston Cup event, Irvan and Yates plan to review the driver’s progress and decide on what events, if any, he will compete in over the rest of the 1995 season. Martinsville and North Wilkesboro are both short tracks that feature relatively slow speeds.