THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, September 9, 1996 TAG: 9609090104
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: 60 lines
For all of the struggles Ernie Irvan went through to get back to Victory Lane in the Winston Cup series, now that he's back, he'd just as soon not make a big deal of it.
He took his second victory of the 1996 season in stride Saturday night at Richmond International Raceway. He was obviously pleased and thankful to win the Miller 400, but not particularly demonstrative or excited.
He's getting back to the old Ernie Irvan, to the point where he was before the crash at Michigan 25 months ago that nearly took his life. And now that things have returned to normal, he'd just as soon no one make a big deal about it.
``It's still good that people remember what we went through and what we came back from, but we're thriving on,'' he said.
Irvan's victory in the Miller 400 was one of his best. He held off a charge by Jeff Gordon to win by less than a car length after a superb battle at the front of the field during the final 100 laps that also included Johnny Benson Jr.
And for a few moments, at least, it felt like the old days. He remembered what it was like at Richmond before his accident.
``I was running the groove the way I remember running it before,'' he said. ``It brought back a lot of memories.''
At the postrace press conference, one question made him bristle. He was asked about his eyesight.
``I don't have any problem with my vision,'' he said. ``I don't know where any people get off by even thinking I have any problem with my vision.
``This is same car we had (in his July victory) at Loudon. This is the same car that led the most laps at Phoenix last year. There's no doubt I think I'm capable of running, and we just proved it again tonight.
``I think every time we do this, we answer more and more questions and people can't second-guess us.''
While Irvan was thriving, Dale Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace were struggling.
Earnhardt had a broken tie rod and finished 20th, two laps down.
``The car wouldn't steer,'' he said. ``It was loose all day because I couldn't get it in (to the pits) and adjust it. We've got to turn this bad luck around and try to work our way back to the front.''
Indeed. For the first time since 1983, Earnhardt has gone nine consecutive starts without a top-five finish.
Wallace, who so often dominates at Richmond, found that the car he debuted Saturday night wasn't up to his standards.
``I don't think we had the body location just right on the new car,'' he said. ``I think we missed a couple of things on the chassis. . . . It was a brand new car and I thought it would really fly here, and it didn't. All night long, I was either pushing or loose.''
Wallace finished sixth.
Pole-sitter Mark Martin also had handling problems and finished ninth.
``I told you guys it wasn't running good,'' he said. ``We just weren't fast enough. I got a lucky lap qualifying, and that was all it was, just a good lap. It wouldn't get going better than that.'' ILLUSTRATION: THE RICKY RUDD REPORT
[For a copy of the report, see microfilm for this date.] by CNB