THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, September 30, 1995 TAG: 9509300418
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
The time for Ernie Irvan came, finally, at 3:29 p.m. on a cloud-specked, blue-sky September afternoon at the oldest track in NASCAR racing.
Fate had stolen Irvan's racing career for 13 months, and now he was stealing it back.
Two trips down the frontstretch of North Wilkesboro Speedway, two trips up the backstretch, four times through the turns, and Irvan had done it.
The man who was given a 10 percent chance of surviving a crash in practice at Michigan International Speedway in August of last year will start seventh in Sunday's Holly Farms 400 in the No. 88 Ford Thunderbird.
About 90 minutes after qualifying for the Winston Cup race, Irvan won the outside pole for today's Lowe's 150 SuperTruck race. Mike Skinner won the pole for that one.
Ted Musgrave, meanwhile, won the Winston Cup pole - his first of the year - with a speed of 118.396 mph in his Ford Thunderbird. Teammate Mark Martin was second-fastest at 118.353 mph, followed by Bobby Hamilton in a Pontiac Grand Prix at 118.085 mph, Darrell Waltrip in a Chevrolet Monte Carlo at 117.937 mph and Michael Waltrip in a Pontiac at 117.813 mph.
But all eyes were on Irvan. And the loudest cheers were reserved for him, as well. He couldn't hear them over the roar of his engine, but he could see the fans standing and waving their arms and running down to the fence.
After his run, when he pulled his car back around to the back of the garage, where his team was set up, Irvan calmly pulled off his helmet and his eye patch and unbuckled his seat belts.
But his demeanor belied the emotion of the moment.
``Now, I'm excited,'' he said. ``We've been working up to this for a long time. I think that gets us into the race, so now I'm happy.''
Teammate Dale Jarrett, who's had his own tough times this year as Irvan's replacement driver, was standing nearby, his arms folded and a huge grin spread across his face. Whatever hard feelings had developed between the two were gone now. Jarrett made sure of that.
``It was great,'' Jarrett said. ``I don't know how anybody could do that. I'd have a hard time if I raced here every week. And this man takes a year off and comes back and does that. Heck of a job.''
Said Irvan: ``It was the best the car had driven all day. But it didn't matter what we did in testing. It didn't matter what we did in practice. It matters when you have to do it in qualifying.
``Now I've jumped one hurdle. We just keep setting hurdles. So far we've been jumping 'em and haven't been tripping much. So we're just going to keep doing it.''
While Irvan was seventh-fastest at 117.641 mph, Jarrett qualified sixth at 117.721 mph. Also in the top 10 were Ken Schrader, who was eighth in a Chevy at 117.635 mph, followed by Morgan Shepherd in a Ford at 117.506 mph and Sterling Marlin in a Chevy at 117.469 mph.
Musgrave's pole-winning lap was about a tenth of a second shy of beating the track record of 119.016 mph, which was set by Irvan in April of last year.
``The one thing I found out about running this track is the harder you try sometimes, the slower you can go. So I just went out and tried my best to run a calm, smooth lap.''
Musgrave said he didn't mind that his pole was overshadowed by Irvan's comeback.
``I'll let him have all of the attention he wants or can get and I'll just focus on having a good race.''
Irvan said his first goal Sunday is to finish the race.
``I'll be happy just to run 400 laps,'' he said. ``Second of all, I'll be happy to run in the top 10. But I'd really like to win. I've never won here before.'' ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS Photo
Ernie Irvan will make his racing return Sunday at North Wilkesboro
Speedway.
by CNB