Ernie Irvan: What Might Have Been
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12/30/2015 Jeremiah Thalheimer |
Welcome back, readers. I hope you enjoyed your Christmas. I had to work, but I did ultimately get to enjoy a dinner with my parents that night who were visiting from Costa Rica. Anyway, sit back and join me for this week's edition of What Might Have Been.
This week, I'm going to focus on a driver who even though he is still very much alive, his career was nonetheless cut short by tragedy: Ernie Irvan. In the 1980s, Ernie departed California for North Carolina with $700, a pickup truck, a homemade trailer, and dreams of NASCAR stardom. He ultimately found success in the early 1990s during stints with Morgan-McClure Motorsports and Robert Yates Racing.
In 1994, Ernie was in the midst of the greatest season of his career when tragedy struck. As the Sprint Cup Series headed into Michigan that August, Ernie had three victories and trailed Dale Earnhardt by 27 points in the standings. During a Friday morning practice session, Ernie cut a right front tire and slammed into the wall. He was airlifted to a local hospital with slim chances of survival and no hope of battling Earnhardt to the wire for the championship.
Even though Ernie ultimately recovered from his injuries and returned to the Cup Series, it can be argued that he never fully regained his old form. He posted three victories but was ultimately released from Robert Yates Racing after the 1997 season and signed with second-tier MB2 Motorsports. Another concussion in 1999 forced him to retire and left us all to wonder what might have been.
The greatest "what if" of Ernie's career involves his injury-shortened 1994 season. It's impossible to say whether or not Ernie would have ultimately defeated Earnhardt for the championship, but he probably would have made the battle more compelling. It's also impossible to say whether or not Ernie would have still suffered his career-ending concussion in 1999. However, Ernie's grit and toughness are two things that can never be denied. Remember, Ernie not only rose from nothing to greatness in the Sprint Cup Series, he also returned to Victory Lane after nearly being killed in a crash. It is very likely that he would have battled for championships in 1994 and beyond. Unfortunately, an injury interfered and left us all to wonder what might have been.
This week, I'm going to focus on a driver who even though he is still very much alive, his career was nonetheless cut short by tragedy: Ernie Irvan. In the 1980s, Ernie departed California for North Carolina with $700, a pickup truck, a homemade trailer, and dreams of NASCAR stardom. He ultimately found success in the early 1990s during stints with Morgan-McClure Motorsports and Robert Yates Racing.
In 1994, Ernie was in the midst of the greatest season of his career when tragedy struck. As the Sprint Cup Series headed into Michigan that August, Ernie had three victories and trailed Dale Earnhardt by 27 points in the standings. During a Friday morning practice session, Ernie cut a right front tire and slammed into the wall. He was airlifted to a local hospital with slim chances of survival and no hope of battling Earnhardt to the wire for the championship.
Even though Ernie ultimately recovered from his injuries and returned to the Cup Series, it can be argued that he never fully regained his old form. He posted three victories but was ultimately released from Robert Yates Racing after the 1997 season and signed with second-tier MB2 Motorsports. Another concussion in 1999 forced him to retire and left us all to wonder what might have been.
The greatest "what if" of Ernie's career involves his injury-shortened 1994 season. It's impossible to say whether or not Ernie would have ultimately defeated Earnhardt for the championship, but he probably would have made the battle more compelling. It's also impossible to say whether or not Ernie would have still suffered his career-ending concussion in 1999. However, Ernie's grit and toughness are two things that can never be denied. Remember, Ernie not only rose from nothing to greatness in the Sprint Cup Series, he also returned to Victory Lane after nearly being killed in a crash. It is very likely that he would have battled for championships in 1994 and beyond. Unfortunately, an injury interfered and left us all to wonder what might have been.
