THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Tuesday, August 23, 1994               TAG: 9408230549
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: C2   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER 
                                             LENGTH: Short :   48 lines

IRVAN IMPROVING; HIS VITAL SIGNS ARE STABLE

There was little change in Ernie Irvan's condition Monday, but his lung injuries continue to improve, his doctor said.

The 35-year-old Winston Cup driver remained in critical condition on a life-support system at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ypsilanti, Mich., with injuries that also included a fractured skull and swelling of the brain.

Irvan sustained the injuries Saturday morning during a practice session at Michigan International Speedway when a tire apparently blew out on Ford Thunderbird, sending it into the second-turn wall.

``Mr. Irvan has been and remains unconscious as a result of his injuries (and) remains on ventilator support in the intensive-care unit,'' trauma surgeon Dr. Errol Erlandson said in a statement.

``His vital signs continue to be stable. The injury to his lungs remains severe but continues to improve. A CAT scan shows no signs of worsening of his brain injury or hemorrhaging in the brain.

``When a neurological injury occurs, recovery follows a slow, progressive course,'' the doctor said. ``No additional injuries have been discovered.''

Because Irvan's injuries continue to be life-threatening, his car owner, Robert Yates, was not planning to make any announcement about the team's plans, including a possible substitute driver for this weekend's race at Bristol International Raceway, before this afternoon.

And, because of the volume of mail sent to the hospital, the Irvan family asked that correspondence be sent to the Ernie Irvan Fan Club, 1027 Central Drive, Concord, N.C. 28027. The hospital asked that flowers not be sent there because there was no place to put them.

ANRETTI, PETTY RE-UP: Meanwhile, John Andretti, certainly one of the choices available to Yates when Yates is ready to resume racing, has agreed to another one-race deal to drive Richard Petty's No. 43 Pontiac Grand Prix in Saturday night's Goody's 500 at Bristol.

``John's going to drive for us again at Bristol,'' crew chief Robbie Loomis said. Andretti gave the struggling team a lift by qualifying on the outside pole for the Michigan race. He finished 17th, two laps down. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Ernie Irvan

by CNB