
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, September 2, 1993                   TAG: 9309020141
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: BOB ZELLER STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

IRVAN JUMPS INTO YATES' CAR

MOVE TRIGGERS several midseason changes in Winston Cup racing.

NASCAR Winston Cup star Ernie Irvan will be replaced by Jeff Purvis as driver of a Chevrolet Lumina for the Southern 500 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway this weekend, Morgan-McClure Racing is expected to announce today.

Irvan's departure may, in turn, set off one of the most complicated rounds of musical driver's seats ever seen in the Winston Cup series while a season was in progress.

Sources say Irvan immediately will take over the late Davey Allison's Ford Thunderbird, owned by Robert Yates. Allison's current replacement, Lake Speed, reportedly will move to the Ford Thunderbird owned by Bud Moore. Geoff Bodine will move from Moore's car to his new team and the Ford Thunderbird he purchased earlier this year from the late Alan Kulwicki's estate.

Jimmy Hensley has been driving Kulwicki's car since the death of the 1992 Winston Cup champion in a plane crash April 1. There was no immediate word on Hensley's future.

Irvan's departure was not unexpected. He and co-owner Larry McClure have been in a bitter feud over his contract. Irvan has said he is underpaid compared with other drivers of his stature because he receives no base salary, only 40 percent of his race winnings. Most drivers receive a base salary and a similar percentage.

Irvan was negotiating to buy out the final year of his contract with Morgan-McClure. But it was unclear Wednesday night whether he had done that or been fired. In any event, it appears there will be an unceremonious ending to one of the most successful driver-owner marriages in recent Winston Cup history.

Irvan was a winless, up-and-coming driver when he was hired by Morgan-McClure, a winless team, in early 1990. In August 1990, Irvan won his first race, and Morgan-McClure's first, at Bristol, Tenn. He won twice in 1991, including the Daytona 500, added three victories last year and won the Winston 500 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway in May.

Keywords:
AUTO RACING

by CNB