Irvan Still Out Of The Driver’s Seat And He’s Not Happy About It - Just Ask Him, If You Dare

Ernie Irvan, back at Indianapolis on Wednesday, was in no mood to answer the same old questions. As soon as the subject turned - as it always does - to his recovery from a near-fatal crash, Irvan got downright cranky.

“You guys have got to realize where I’m sitting,” he said after a media luncheon promoting Saturday’s second Brickyard 400, the richest race in NASCAR history. “It’s the same everywhere I go.”

He didn’t want to talk about his brush with death at Michigan last August, when his car apparently cut a tire during a practice session and slammed into a wall at 180 mph. He didn’t want to discuss his droopy left eye, which requires him to wear a special set of glasses to cope with a lingering case of double vision. He wouldn’t make any predictions about his timetable to race again.

“There’s no answer,” Irvan said gruffly. “The last three months I’ve been sitting here picking my nose and ain’t nothing changed.”

Brian Vandercook, the spokesman for Irvan’s racing team, has noticed a change in the injured driver’s personality over the past two weeks. Vandercook thinks Irvan’s testiness stems from an examination Monday that will go a long way toward determining his racing future.

Doctors will decide whether Irvan is completely recovered from a small aneurysm repaired at a California hospital after being discovered three months ago at the base of his brain.

“I’m sure he’s anxious to see what that means,” Vandercook said. “That’s a big deal. Are they going to say he should wait another three months? Or, are they going to say he can go to it? It’s kind of wearing on him.”

In the meantime, Irvan has served as a consultant to Robert Yates Racing, which currently has Dale Jarrett behind the wheel of the No. 28 Ford Thunderbird. Asked to describe his role with the team, Irvan replied, “Nothing. I’m basically the one they use to do interviews.”

The main reason Irvan was at Indy was to attend a NASCAR Super-Truck race at Indianapolis Raceway Park on Thursday night. He co-owns a truck driven by Joe Ruttman.