Virgil Earnest Irvan (born January 13, 1959), occasionally referred to as Swervin' Irvan, is an American former professional stock car racing driver. A retired NASCAR competitor, he is perhaps best remembered for his comeback after a serious head injury suffered from a crash during practice at Michigan in 1994 that left him with only a 10% chance of survival. Irvan has been inducted into numerous halls of fame and was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998. After a series of injuries in the late 1990s, he retired from racing in 1999.

Ernie Irvan
Irvan in 1997
BornVirgil Earnest Irvan
(1959-01-13) January 13, 1959 (age 65)
Salinas, California, U.S.
Achievements1991 Daytona 500 Winner
1993 Winston 500 Winner
Led Winston Cup Series in poles in 1994
Awards1993 Super Ford Magazine Driver of the Year
1994 True Value Hard Charger
1994 Mike Rich Memorial Award
1994, 1995 Maxwell House Spirit Award
1995 Winston Cup Scene Top Story of the Year
1995 Arete Award for Courage in Sports (Professional Division)
1996 Mildred "Babe" Didrikson Zaharias Courage Award
1996 AP Parts Meet the Challenge Award
Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998)
Selected as a torchbearer for the 2002 Olympics
Stock Car Hall of Fame (2002)
Voted by MSNBC Top Ten Greatest Sport Comebacks of All Time (2002)
West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame[1] (2005)
Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023)
NASCAR Cup Series career
313 races run over 12 years
Best finish5th (1991)
First race1987 Wrangler Jeans Indigo 400 (Richmond)
Last race1999 Frontier @ the Glen (Watkins Glen)
First win1990 Busch 500 (Bristol)
Last win1997 Miller 400 (Michigan)
Wins Top tens Poles
15 124 22
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
57 races run over 8 years
Best finish28th (1991)
First race1986 All Pro 300 (Charlotte)
Last race1999 MBNA Platinum 200 (Dover)
First win1991 AC-Delco 200 (Rockingham)
Last win1992 Fram Filter 500K (Talladega)
Wins Top tens Poles
3 15 5
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career
12 races run over 5 years
Best finish45th (1995)
First race1995 Lowe's 150 (North Wilkesboro)
Last race1999 NAPA 250 (Martinsville)
Wins Top tens Poles
0 8 0

Early career

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Irvan began his racing career driving karts in California in 1968 at the age of nine.[1] He won the California Championship at the age of 15.[1] In 1974, Irvan finished second in the country in his class at the national kart championship races. In 1975, Irvan moved up to stock cars at the age of 16 at Stockton 99 Speedway and was victorious in his first race on asphalt in a semi-main event.[1] From then until 1981 Irvan raced every weekend at Madera and Stockton, California, winning numerous feature events.[1] He missed his high school graduation ceremony to race at Riverside, California. During this time, he lost his best friend, Tim Williamson, in a racing accident at Riverside, several months before he was slated to test in the Winston Cup.

Early Winston Cup

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In 1982, Irvan left California with $700 in his pocket and everything he owned loaded into his pickup truck and a homemade trailer, and he headed east to North Carolina.[1] Worried about running out of money, Irvan stopped in Las Vegas and managed to leave with an additional $200.

Irvan supported himself in Charlotte, North Carolina by welding grandstand seats at Charlotte Motor Speedway, unloading Ken Schrader's moving van, building racecars, and other odd jobs.[1] During that time, he won nine races driving in the late model series at Concord Speedway.[1] Driving a Firebird, Irvan won two races his first year and seven races the next year.

Irvan met car-builder Marc Reno and they became partners in their racing ventures.[1] Before long, Irvan made his Winston Cup debut, on September 13, 1987, at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway driving the No. 56 Chevrolet Monte Carlo. The car, built and prepared by Irvan and Reno, was sponsored by Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet. Irvan qualified 20th but was sidelined after 35 laps after the car's engine overheated. He finished 29th and won $860. Irvan was noticed by long-time owner and driver D.K. Ulrich and made three additional starts in Ulrich's No. 6 car, finishing 15th at Martinsville, 22nd at North Wilkesboro Speedway, and 19th at Riverside. In October, Irvan drove the No. 56, again sponsored by Dale Earnhardt, in his first Winston Cup start at Charlotte, starting 36th, leading lap 128, and finishing eighth.

In 1988, Irvan made a bid for NASCAR Rookie of the Year, driving Ulrich's No. 2 Kroger Chevrolets and Pontiacs. Irvan competed in 25 of the 29 Winston Cup Series events, losing rookie-of-the-year honors to Ken Bouchard by three points (242–239) in the closest battle in Winston Cup history. Irvan's best finish of the year was 11th at Martinsville in September. He finished 26th in the final points standings with winnings for the year totaling $96,370. In 1989 Irvan started all 29 races in his first full year in the Winston Cup Series behind the wheel of Ulrich's U.S. Racing Pontiac. Irvan started 25th at Bristol in April and caught leader Mark Martin after 38 laps. Irvan went on to lead 56 laps before being sidelined in an accident on lap 167. Irvan's sixth-place finish at Martinsville in September gave him his best of four top-10 finishes for the year. Irvan finished 22nd in the final standings for the year with winnings totaling $155,239.

1990s success

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After sponsorship problems plagued Ulrich's team, Irvan left to race for Junie Donlavey, who had procured a sponsorship program with True Cure. True Cure failed to fulfill its financial obligations, and after three races, Irvan was told he could seek other opportunities. He moved over to Morgan-McClure Motorsports' (MMM) No. 4 Kodak-sponsored Oldsmobile, filling the vacancy left by Phil Parsons. After starting 30th in his first race for the new team (Atlanta in March), Irvan charged to the front and grabbed a third-place finish, the first Top 5 of his career. The next race, at Darlington Raceway, he became involved in controversy after being involved in an accident that nearly killed Neil Bonnett. Irvan then won his first Winston Cup pole position, at Bristol, in the spring. He won his first Winston Cup race, in the Busch 500 at Bristol, on August 25. Ernie wrapped up the season with three poles, one victory, six Top 5's, and 13 Top 10's; he also won $535,280 and finished ninth in the final point standings.

 
Irvan's car being unloaded from the transporter at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1993

In February 1991, Irvan drove the Morgan-McClure Chevrolet to victory in the Daytona 500, stock car racing's most prestigious and then most lucrative race. Four years earlier, Irvan watched the 500 on a borrowed black and white TV while washing cars, one of several jobs he worked to support both his family and his struggling career. Irvan's next victory came later in the season at Watkins Glen International Raceway. The race was marred by the death of popular veteran J. D. McDuffie. Irvan ended the year with two victories, three second-place and four fourth-place finishes among his eleven top-five and nineteen top-10 finishes in 29 starts. He finished the year fifth in Winston Cup driver standings and won $1,079,017. Irvan also picked up his first Busch Grand National Series win in the AC-Delco 200 at Rockingham. During this time, Irvan came under more controversy due to his aggressive driving style, earning him the nickname "Swervin' Irvan" by his fellow competitors. Irvan apologized to his fellow drivers in a televised speech at the driver's meeting before the 1991 Diehard 500 after speaking with Darrell Waltrip and Richard Petty about improving his image.[2]

Irvan's 1992 season was highlighted by three more victories - Sonoma in June; Daytona in July; and Talladega in July. He had three pole positions, nine Top 5's, and 11 Top 10's, $996,885 in winnings, and finished 11th in the final season points standing. He scored a pair of Busch Grand National wins at Watkins Glen and Talladega. He suffered a broken collarbone in an accident during a Busch Series race in March at Atlanta and twelve finishes of 24th or worse including seven he did not finish. On November 21, 1992, he married Kim Baker.

Moving to Robert Yates Racing

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Irvan continued his tenure with Morgan-McClure in 1993, adding poles at Dover in June and Daytona in July and a victory at Talladega in May. In total, while driving for Morgan-McClure, Irvan obtained nine poles, seven wins, and 51 Top 10 finishes in 105 starts. On July 12, 1993, Irvan experienced a significant personal loss when his friend, Davey Allison, died from injuries sustained in a helicopter crash outside of Talladega. Robert Yates, Allison's team owner, asked Irvan to replace him as the driver of the #28 Texaco-Havoline Ford at Robert Yates Racing. Morgan-McClure was unwilling to let Irvan out of his contract with the team, and a lawsuit ensued.

After the night race at Bristol in August, Irvan was released from his duties driving the #4 and took over the #28 at the Southern 500 at Darlington the next week, where he started 10th and finished fifth. Irvan's first victory with RYR came in his fourth start with the team when he won at Martinsville later that same month. Irvan dedicated his victory that day to Allison and then followed that victory two weeks later with one at Charlotte in which he led all but six laps. Irvan scored five front-row positions (including two poles) and two victories in his nine races that season with RYR. Irvan was ranked ninth in driver standings at the time of his departure from Morgan-McClure, but he rose to sixth in the final standings. At the 1994 Brickyard 400, Irvan was a factor and was leading with five laps to go when a tire puncture forced him to pit and lose a lap.

Head injury

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In August 1994, Irvan was a contender for the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Championship throughout the first 20 races of the season. Entering the GM Goodwrench Dealer 400 at Michigan on August 21, Irvan was in a close battle with Dale Earnhardt as the class of the field. They were matched on wins with three each, while Irvan led in top-five finishes and winnings and trailed Earnhardt by 27 points after having led the standings for most of the season.[1] Although only running 20 out of 31 races in the 1994 season, Irvan was ahead of all drivers in miles led.

His contention for the championship ended during a Saturday early-morning practice session at Michigan. Upon seeing how Irvan's car was handling on the track, Irvan's crew chief, Larry McReynolds, instructed Irvan to pit. Irvan decided to run one more lap and subsequently blew a tire.

The #28 careened into the concrete wall exiting turn two at 170 miles per hour (273 km/h). McReynolds, unaware that his driver had crashed, radioed to Irvan that the caution flag had just been displayed at the flag stand. One of the other members of the crew discovered that Irvan had crashed, and McReynolds and several others commandeered the pace car to take a ride over to the scene. Officials on the scene, however, refused to let them near the wreck due to the seriousness of the situation.

Track medical staff tended to Irvan, with a local trauma doctor offering assistance by performing an emergency tracheotomy to help him breathe. Irvan was then airlifted to Saint Joseph's Hospital in nearby Ann Arbor, Michigan, where he was diagnosed with a basilar skull fracture[3] and lung injuries and given only a 10% chance of surviving the night.[1] Irvan clung to life for the first two days. By early September, Irvan was listed in "fair" condition and was removed from ventilator support. A few weeks later, he was deemed well enough to be transferred to the Charlotte Institute of Rehabilitation in Charlotte. A few weeks following the transfer, Irvan appeared and addressed the fans at Charlotte Motor Speedway prior to the start of the Mello Yello 500.

Less than two months later, at the gala NASCAR Awards Banquet in New York, Irvan walked on stage at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel's Grand Ballroom to receive the True Value Hard Charger Award. Despite missing the final 11 races at the end of the season, Irvan still ranked among the top five for the most laps led. In addition, Irvan tied Geoff Bodine for the most poles won during the season.

Recovery and comeback

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Irvan entering his car at Charlotte Motor Speedway in 1996.

Throughout the first eight months of 1995, Irvan remained focused on returning to Winston Cup racing and did broadcast work for TNN while recovering. He went through rehabilitation and strength training to regain his physical strength. On September 16, NASCAR cleared Irvan for competition. His first attempt at qualifying for a race since his absence, the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Martinsville in late September, ended when the field was set by points standings after qualifying was rained out.

The following weekend's events at North Wilkesboro Speedway would see Irvan qualify on the outside pole for the Truck Series event. Six laps after the green flag was dropped, Irvan passed pole sitter Mike Skinner for the lead. Irvan led another 23 laps before mechanical problems sidelined him.

That, however, was not the story of the weekend. For the first time since his accident at Michigan, Irvan entered a Winston Cup race. Driving in the #88 Texaco Havoline Ford as teammate to Dale Jarrett, who had taken over for Irvan in the #28, Irvan made the race; starting in seventh position, he advanced to third by lap 47 and took the lead on lap 125. He held the lead for 31 laps and finished on the lead lap in sixth position. Irvan started at Phoenix International Raceway a few weeks later but could not stay in the race due to engine failure, but he did lead the most laps despite having to start last in the field due to a crash in practice. He started the season finale at Atlanta Motor Speedway and finished seventh.[1]

 
Irvan's car at Pocono in 1997.

For the 1996 season, Irvan moved back into the #28 Ford as Jarrett, his substitute, became his full-time teammate in the #88.

Irvan's comeback season started well when he qualified on the front row for the season opening Daytona 500 beside Dale Earnhardt. During Speedweeks, Irvan captured a victory in the 125-mile qualifying race for the Daytona 500. As the season progressed, Irvan won the pole position for the spring race at Talladega, then scored victories at New Hampshire and Richmond. On his way to a top-10 finish in the Winston Cup points standings, he collected 12 top-five and 16 top-10 finishes, led 15 of the 31 events, and earned a career-best $1,670,113.

Irvan returned for the 1997 season and notched his 15th career win. The victory came in June at Michigan Speedway, the track that nearly claimed his life three years earlier. Irvan ran up five top-five finishes, 13 top-10s and two pole positions and earned $1,614,281. This would be also be Ernie Irvan's final season with Robert Yates. Irvan would be involved in an altercation in Charlotte during Easter weekend where he refused to dance with a female patron and escalated into a fight in the parking lot. In May, Irvan arrived late to a reception dinner thanking Texaco for 10 years of support.[4] At the end of the year, Irvan was let go by Robert Yates Racing and replaced by rookie driver Kenny Irwin, Jr.

Last years in NASCAR and retirement

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Irvan poses with fans while signing autographs

In 1998, Irvan joined MB2 Motorsports to drive the No. 36 Skittles Pontiac. During the year he scored 11 top-10 finishes with three pole positions despite missing the final three races while recovering from injuries suffered at Talladega in October. Irvan finished the season 19th in the Winston Cup points standings, earning $1,476,141. His highlight of 1998 was the birth of his son, Jared, on February 9. Irvan continued driving the No. 36 for MB2 in 1999, but with a different sponsor. M&M Mars (parent corporation of Skittles) decided to emblazon the popular M&Ms characters on the car.

On August 20, exactly five years after his near fatal accident there, Irvan crashed at Michigan while driving his own No. 84 Irvan-Simo Federated Auto Parts Pontiac in a practice session for the Busch Series race. Irvan was again airlifted from the track and was diagnosed with a mild head injury and a bruised lung as a result of the accident.

Two weeks later, on September 3, 1999, surrounded by his wife and two children, Irvan announced his retirement from driving at a tearful press conference in Darlington, South Carolina. While he would fully recover before the end of the 1999 season, the reasoning for his retirement was to prevent future incidents while he had a family to support.

Irvan finished his Winston Cup career as a driver with 15 victories, 22 poles, 68 top-fives, 124 top-10s and over 11 million dollars in career earnings.[1]

After retirement from NASCAR

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Just before his final years in NASCAR, Irvan briefly co-owned a NASCAR Truck Series team in partnership with Mark Simo and No Fear. The team's first driver was Joe Ruttman, who finished second in points in 1995. The team's next and most famous driver was sports-car racer Boris Said, who drove the #44 Irvan-Simo Racing truck sponsored by Federated Auto Parts. Said's only win was at Sonoma in 1998. The team also fielded a part-time Cup effort with Said in 1999, where Said qualified 2nd at Watkins Glen, led 9 laps, but retired with a blown engine.

Afterwards, Irvan announced he was planning to start a Cup team with Mark Simo with sponsorship from Federated Auto Parts, but it never materialized.

After a fire in his house destroyed all of his trophies in March 2000, NASCAR presented Irvan with replicas of the lost trophies.[5]

As of 2007, he is the crew chief on his son Jared's quarter midget.[5] In 2012, Jared won the Quarter Midget Racing Championship and is leading the USAC Ignite Midget Eastern Region championship, and a late model car has been ordered for Jared's planned move into late models. Jared also plans to run the 2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season.

Irvan attended five NASCAR races in 2006, promoting a foundation that he formed called Race2safety as an advocate for head-injury awareness.[5] The foundation promotes awareness and prevention of head injuries, especially among children.[1]

Irvan attended the 50th annual Daytona 500 and was one of the 24 grand marshals giving the command to start the engines.

The Irvan family used to live in Wadmalaw Island, South Carolina, near Charleston, where they owned El Cardenal Farm and organized the Equestrian Club of Charleston. According to Irvan on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s Dirty Mo Media podcast in September 2020, he and his wife currently live in Ocala, Florida.

 
Ernie Irvan with one of his Morgan-McClure Motorsports race winning cars at a Historic Stock Car Racing Series event.

Irvan and his family were featured on NASCAR Now on its "Wayback Wednesday" segment. It featured him and his wife on their ranch in South Carolina.

Irvan was (and still is) recognized on Sirius Satellite Radio's "The Howard Stern Show" by Ronnie "the Limo Driver" Mund, who mentioned Irvan as his favorite NASCAR driver; the drop of Mund saying Irvan's name is still played on the show today and has been featured in multiple prank calls by Sal "the Stock Broker" Governale and Richard "Supertwink" Christy.[6]

In June 2016, Irvan was inducted into the Sonoma Raceway Wall of Fame.[7] He currently helps out his son Jared in his racing career and spends time with his family on their farm.[8][9]

Career highlights

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Winston Cup victories (15 career wins)

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Busch Series victories (three career wins)

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Motorsports career results

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NASCAR

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(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Winston Cup Series

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NASCAR Winston Cup Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 NWCC Pts Ref
1987 Reno Enterprises 56 Chevy DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR NWS BRI MAR TAL CLT DOV POC RSD MCH DAY POC TAL GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH
29
DOV CLT
8
CAR 53rd 324 [10]
U.S. Racing 6 Chevy MAR
15
NWS
22
RSD
19
ATL
1988 2 DAY
DNQ
RCH CAR
25
ATL
18
DAR
22
BRI
26
TAL
32
CLT
22
DOV
26
RSD
31
POC
37
MCH
15
DAY
25
POC
22
TAL
32
DAR
20
DOV
13
26th 2319 [11]
Pontiac NWS
24
MAR GLN
29
MCH
33
BRI
15
RCH
28
MAR
11
CLT NWS
26
CAR
15
PHO
22
ATL
18
1989 DAY
41
CAR
23
ATL
12
RCH
9
DAR
24
BRI
29
NWS
10
MAR
19
TAL
25
CLT
15
DOV
17
SON
23
POC
26
MCH
18
DAY
23
POC
26
TAL
20
GLN
24
MCH
25
BRI
15
DAR
24
RCH
26
DOV
33
MAR
6
CLT
33
NWS
8
CAR
16
PHO
33
ATL
11
22nd 2919 [12]
1990 Donlavey Racing 90 Ford DAY
13
RCH
22
CAR
29
9th 3593 [13]
Morgan-McClure Motorsports 4 Olds ATL
3
DAR
32
BRI
16
NWS
16
MAR
15
TAL
4
CLT
5
DOV
7
SON
7
POC
17
MCH
2
DAY
33
POC
26
MAR
11
NWS
6
Chevy TAL
6
GLN
28
MCH
35
BRI
1
DAR
2
RCH
12
DOV
26
CLT
27
CAR
9
PHO
9
ATL
7
1991 DAY
1
RCH
27
CAR
6
ATL
14
DAR
7
BRI
2
NWS
10
MAR
15
TAL
32
CLT
7
DOV
4
SON
4
POC
6
MCH
5
DAY
5*
POC
7*
TAL
33
GLN
1*
MCH
7
BRI
18
DAR
2
RCH
4
DOV
28
MAR
4
NWS
33
CLT
30
CAR
31
PHO
6
ATL
2
5th 3925 [14]
1992 DAY
28
CAR
11
RCH
15
ATL
25
DAR
26
BRI
24
NWS
13
MAR
25
TAL
5
CLT
2
DOV
4
SON
1
POC
19
MCH
30
DAY
1*
POC
37
TAL
1
GLN
3*
MCH
4
BRI
28
DAR
25
RCH
11
DOV
11
MAR
27
NWS
6
CLT
6
CAR
2
PHO
34
ATL
29
11th 3580 [15]
1993 DAY
37
CAR
3
RCH
11
ATL
2
DAR
22
BRI
23
NWS
11
MAR
32
TAL
1
SON
2
CLT
5
DOV
32
POC
34
MCH
3
DAY
7
NHA
15
POC
31
TAL
2
GLN
15
MCH
32
BRI
26
6th 3834 [16]
Yates Racing 28 Ford DAR
5
RCH
36
DOV
26
MAR
1*
NWS
3
CLT
1*
CAR
6
PHO
2
ATL
12
1994 DAY
2*
CAR
5
RCH
1*
ATL
1*
DAR
6
BRI
33
NWS
3*
MAR
2
TAL
2*
SON
1*
CLT
5
DOV
2*
POC
7
MCH
18
DAY
2*
NHA
30*
POC
37
TAL
3*
IND
17
GLN
2
MCH
Wth
BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS CLT CAR PHO ATL 22nd 3026 [17]
1995 88 DAY CAR RCH ATL DAR BRI NWS MAR TAL SON CLT DOV POC MCH DAY NHA POC TAL IND GLN MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR NWS
6
CLT CAR
DNQ
PHO
40*
ATL
7
48th 354 [18]
1996 28 DAY
35
CAR
14
RCH
38
ATL
4
DAR
33
BRI
16
NWS
6
MAR
2
TAL
31
SON
42
CLT
9
DOV
4
POC
39
MCH
5
DAY
5
NHA
1
POC
4
TAL
4
IND
2
GLN
35
MCH
4
BRI
36
DAR
7
RCH
1
DOV
36
MAR
12
NWS
36
CLT
37
CAR
4
PHO
7
ATL
36
10th 3632 [19]
1997 DAY
20
CAR
9
RCH
36
ATL
2
DAR
21
TEX
36
BRI
39
MAR
31
SON
8
TAL
10
CLT
13*
DOV
30
POC
29
MCH
1
CAL
37
DAY
9
NHA
8
POC
40
IND
10*
GLN
21
MCH
4
BRI
41
DAR
33
RCH
23
NHA
2
DOV
9
MAR
10
CLT
18
TAL
5
CAR
28
PHO
18
ATL
12
14th 3534 [20]
1998 MB2 Motorsports 36 Pontiac DAY
6
CAR
19
LVS
30
ATL
15
DAR
36
BRI
20
TEX
43
MAR
9
TAL
6
CAL
13
CLT
11
DOV
9
RCH
29
MCH
14
POC
34
SON
36
NHA
20
POC
9
IND
6
GLN
33
MCH
6*
BRI
22
NHA
28
DAR
6
RCH
14
DOV
8
MAR
8
CLT
31
TAL
37
DAY
8
PHO CAR ATL 19th 3262 [21]
1999 DAY
14
CAR
29
LVS
6
ATL
7
DAR
24
TEX
37
BRI
43
MAR
22
TAL
40
CAL
35
RCH
33
CLT
36
DOV
35
MCH
7
POC
8
SON
30
DAY
9
NHA
21
POC
11
IND
24
GLN
41
MCH BRI DAR RCH NHA DOV MAR CLT TAL CAR PHO HOM ATL 40th 1915 [22]
- Withdrew after getting injured in practice
Daytona 500
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Year Team Manufacturer Start Finish
1988 U.S. Racing Chevrolet DNQ
1989 Pontiac 33 41
1990 Donlavey Racing Ford 18 13
1991 Morgan-McClure Motorsports Chevy 2 1
1992 7 28
1993 8 37
1994 Yates Racing Ford 3 2
1996 Yates Racing Ford 2 35
1997 5 20
1998 MB2 Motorsports Pontiac 10 6
1999 31 14

Busch Series

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NASCAR Busch Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 NBGNC Pts Ref
1986 Reno Enterprises 09 Pontiac DAY CAR HCY MAR BRI DAR SBO LGY JFC DOV CLT SBO HCY ROU IRP SBO RAL OXF SBO HCY LGY ROU BRI DAR RCH DOV MAR ROU CLT
27
CAR
35
MAR 68th 140 [23]
1990 Rodney Franklin 58 Pontiac DAY
7
RCH CAR
5
MAR HCY DAR BRI LAN SBO NZH HCY 42nd 742 [24]
Henderson Motorsports 75 Olds CLT
40
DOV
26
ROU VOL MYB OXF NHA SBO DUB IRP
2
ROU BRI
27
DAR
34
RCH DOV MAR CLT NHA CAR MAR
1991 Ernie Irvan Racing 10 Chevy DAY
41
RCH CAR
37
MAR VOL HCY
27
DAR
27
BRI
22*
LAN SBO NZH CLT
23
DOV
13*
ROU HCY MYB NHA
5
SBO DUB IRP ROU BRI
31
DAR
11
RCH
10
DOV CLT
24
NHA
36
CAR
1
MAR 28th 1551 [25]
4 GLN
3
OXF
1992 DAY
2
CAR RCH ATL
36
MAR DAR BRI HCY
29
LAN DUB NZH
36
CLT
41
DOV ROU MYB GLN
1*
VOL NHA TAL
1
MCH
31
CLT
39
MAR CAR
31
HCY 31st 1237 [26]
Olds IRP
5
ROU NHA
33*
BRI DAR RCH
29*
DOV
1993 Chevy DAY
39
CAR RCH DAR BRI CLT
2*
DOV MYB GLN
36
MLW TAL
17
IRP
24*
MCH
35
NHA BRI DAR RCH DOV ROU 39th 901 [27]
Olds HCY
27*
ROU MAR NZH
41 Chevy CLT
32
BACE Motorsports 74 Chevy MAR
9
CAR
Ken Schrader Racing 52 Chevy HCY
27
ATL
1994 Ernie Irvan Racing 28 Ford DAY
5
CAR RCH ATL
40
MAR DAR HCY BRI ROU NHA
43
NZH CLT
5
DOV
40
MYB GLN MLW
36
SBO TAL
30
HCY IRP MCH
42
BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT MAR CAR 51st 558 [28]
1995 DAY CAR RCH ATL NSV DAR BRI HCY NHA NZH CLT DOV MYB GLN MLW TAL SBO IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT CAR HOM
DNQ
NA - [29]
1997 Phoenix Racing 4 Chevy DAY CAR RCH ATL LVS DAR HCY TEX BRI NSV TAL NHA NZH CLT
28
DOV SBO GLN MLW MYB GTY IRP MCH BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT CAL CAR HOM 101st 79 [30]
1999 Irvan-Simo Racing 14 Pontiac DAY CAR LVS ATL DAR TEX NSV BRI TAL CAL NHA RCH
39
NZH CLT DOV
34
SBO GLN MLW MYB PPR GTY IRP 107th 107 [31]
84 MCH
DNQ
BRI DAR RCH DOV CLT CAR MEM PHO HOM

Craftsman Truck Series

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NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 NCTC Pts Ref
1995 Irvan-Simo Racing 28 Ford PHO TUS SGS MMR POR EVG I70 LVL BRI MLW CNS HPT IRP FLM RCH MAR
DNQ
NWS
30
SON MMR
3
PHO
2
45th 408 [32]
1996 HOM PHO POR EVG TUS CNS HPT BRI NZH MLW LVL I70 IRP FLM GLN
25
NSV RCH NHA
5
MAR NWS SON MMR PHO LVS
29
60th 39 [33]
1997 WDW TUS HOM PHO POR EVG I70 NHA TEX BRI NZH MLW LVL CNS HPT IRP FLM NSV GLN RCH
36
MAR
2
SON MMR CAL
4
PHO LVS 52nd 385 [34]
1998 WDW HOM PHO POR EVG I70 GLN TEX BRI MLW NZH CAL
2
PPR IRP NHA FLM NSV HPT LVL RCH
2
MEM GTY MAR SON MMR PHO LVS 50th 340 [35]
1999 44 HOM PHO EVG MMR MAR
8
MEM PPR I70 BRI TEX PIR GLN MLW NSV NZH MCH NHA IRP GTY HPT RCH LVS LVL TEX CAL 78th 142 [36]

ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series

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(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series results
Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 APSC Pts Ref
1989 Tri-Star Motorsports 18 Pontiac DAY ATL KIL TAL FRS POC KIL HAG POC TAL DEL FRS ISF TOL DSF SLM ATL
1*
105th - [37]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Biography at the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame, 2005, Retrieved November 13, 2007
  2. ^ "1991 Diehard 500 Irvan Apology". www.youtube.com. 21 February 2008. Archived from the original on 2021-12-12. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
  3. ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckT7z-XwKUo Dale Jr. Download: Ernie Irvan's Horrific Crash
  4. ^ Changed Irvan Responsible For Team Split
  5. ^ a b c Where is ... E. Irvan?; Ryan Smithson, NASCAR.com; March 21, 2007, Retrieved November 13, 2007
  6. ^ "Ronnie The Limo Driver Mund". MarksFriggin.com. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  7. ^ "Stewart and Irvan Inducted Into Sonoma Raceway Wall of Fame". Sonoma Raceway. June 25, 2016. Archived from the original on June 28, 2016. Retrieved June 30, 2016.
  8. ^ "Where Are They Now? Ernie Irvan". www.keepit35.com. Retrieved 2017-02-16.
  9. ^ "Where are they now? – Ernie Irvan". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 2017-02-16.
  10. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1987 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  11. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1988 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  12. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1989 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  13. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1990 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  14. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1991 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  15. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  16. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  17. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1994 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  18. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  19. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1996 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  20. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1997 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  21. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  22. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  23. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1986 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  24. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1990 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  25. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1991 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  26. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1992 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  27. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1993 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  28. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1994 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  29. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1995 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  30. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1997 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  31. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1999 NASCAR Busch Grand National Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
  32. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1995 NASCAR SuperTruck Series by Craftsman Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  33. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1996 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  34. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1997 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  35. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1998 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  36. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1999 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  37. ^ "Ernie Irvan – 1989 ARCA Permatex SuperCar Series Results". Racing-Reference. Retrieved October 2, 2015.
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Achievements
Preceded by Daytona 500 winner
1991
Succeeded by