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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
CUP: Irvan Rocked, Rolled And Swerved
Ernie Irvan was no stranger to controversy during his career...
Mike Hembree  |  Posted March 09, 2010   Charlotte, NC
Ernie Irvan raced in NASCAR's Cup Series from 1987 to 1999 and was named as one of the top 50 drivers of NASCAR’s first 50 years. (Photo: Getty Images)
Ernie Irvan was Brad Keselowski before Brad Keselowski was Brad Keselowski.

A driver in the Cup Series from 1987 to 1999 (and eventually named as one of the top 50 drivers of NASCAR’s first 50 years), Irvan’s fierce, take-no-prisoners style of racing earned him the nickname Swervin’ Irvan. Unfortunately, some of the wrecks Irvan caused on the way to establishing himself at stock car racing’s top level also brought along a darker nickname: Gurney Ernie.

A Californian who learned to race on West Coast short tracks before moving to North Carolina in 1981 to try his hand on Southeastern bullrings, Irvan eventually plowed his way to Cup, to the Daytona 500 victory lane and to 15 Cup victories. As he struggled to advance through different series, Irvan picked up the financial support and friendship of Dale Earnhardt Sr., and they formed a bond that was critical to Irvan’s advancement.

The more lasting part of the Irvan story is his remarkable recovery from a near-fatal crash at Michigan International Speedway in August 1994. He came back from a long list of injuries to race – and win – again before retiring in 1999 after a second serious wreck at MIS.

In the early years of his career, however, Irvan’s name was in the news for many of the same reasons that Keselowski is currently stirring the waters. Irvan quickly appeared on numerous enemies lists after he rammed, jammed and slammed his way to the front. He had feuds with other drivers, members of the media and teammates as he sailed through the sport with bumpers ablaze.

The critical years for Irvan were 1990 and 1991.

The serious problems began at Darlington Raceway in April 1990. Because of mechanical problems, Irvan was running several laps down in the TranSouth 500. As race leader Ken Schrader approached to lap him again, Irvan raced Schrader aggressively, and they wound up crashing in the fourth turn. Behind them, several cars became enveloped in the accident, and driver Neil Bonnett suffered an acute head injury that kept him out of racing for several years.

The next spring, at Talladega, Irvan was targeted as the guilty party in a 20-car backstretch crash that resulted in Kyle Petty suffering a broken leg and missing several months of racing.

Two months later, Irvan and Hut Stricklin crashed in turn three on the high-speed oval at Pocono, and Irvan again was blamed for causing a serious wreck.

The case against Irvan and his often out-of-control driving style was building in the garage area, and it reached a peak at Talladega Superpspeedway in late July. On Saturday of race weekend, Irvan was seen visiting with several drivers and team owners, and it was later learned that he was attempting to mend fences with them.

On Talladega race morning, Irvan made a dramatic appearance in front of the rest of the field at the drivers meeting, issuing an apology for the problems he had caused.

“I know I’ve driven a little too over-aggressive sometimes, and I’m going to try real hard to be more patient,” he said. “I want to earn everyone’s respect in the garage area and make it fun again. I hope you’ll give me a shot at it.”

His short speech brought applause from the rest of the drivers.

Irvan finished fifth in Cup points that season. It would be his best championship finish ever, perhaps a hint toward his all-or-nothing driving style.

Late in the 1994 season, Irvan was in a tight battle with Earnhardt for the Cup point lead when his violent crash in practice at Michigan changed his life. He suffered a fractured skull and collapsed lungs and was unconscious for two days but eventually recovered to drive again.

Mike Hembree is NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com and has been covering motorsports for 28 years. He has written several books on NASCAR, including "NASCAR: The Definitive History of America's Sport" and "Then Tony Said To Junior: The Best NASCAR Stories Ever Told". He is a six-time winner of the National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year Award.

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