THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 7, 1996 TAG: 9610070134
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY BOB ZELLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CONCORD, N.C. LENGTH: 74 lines
In the wake of another bad wreck involving Ernie Irvan, that familiar chill of silence descended over Charlotte Motor Speedway for a brief time Sunday afternoon as fans feared the worst.
But Irvan escaped with only a mild concussion and bruises after a vicious, two-hit crash in turn 2.
Irvan was to be held overnight at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte as a precaution. X-rays and a CAT scan showed no additional injuries.
The crash occurred on lap 209, when Irvan lost control of his Ford Thunderbird. The car nearly touched the outside wall, then spun back into the groove.
Robby Gordon, trying to make it past on the high side, tore off the right front of Irvan's car. That impact spun Irvan around and down into the lower groove. Then, John Andretti, trying to get by on the low side, hit Irvan's car broadside at the left front wheel.
Gordon's car, meanwhile, came off the banking and slammed head-on into the inside wall at high speed, cracking the cement barrier.
In the chilling seconds that followed, Irvan's crew chief, Larry McReynolds, called to his driver.
``Ernie, you OK, buddy?'' he asked.
``Larry, he took a pretty hard shot on the left door,'' the team spotter said.
``Ernie, can you hear me?'' McReynolds asked.
Irvan never replied.
After Irvan reached the infield care center, McReynolds told the team on the radio that Irvan was alert and talking, but ``he is hurt a little bit.''
Track medical officials were being particularly cautious because of Irvan's near-fatal crash in August 1994 at Michigan, where he sustained serious head and chest injuries.
For Gordon, it was the final indignity to an inauspicious Winston Cup debut.
``This stinks,'' Gordon said. ``We were just riding along. Ernie lost it.
``This is the one thing that does scare me about Winston Cup racing. It's one of my concerns. The cars don't stop. I tried to get the car stopped.
``The doctor said my foot was OK, but we'll probably have to go get some X-rays on it. It's a little sore right now. It's starting to swell, too.''
Said Andretti, ``I committed myself to the bottom. Unfortunately, the bottom was the wrong place to be. I'm fine. I was just really worried about Ernie.''
OTHER CRASHES: There were three other crashes in Sunday's race.
Four cars were involved in scary-looking but mild incident on the second lap when Todd Bodine spun in front of the field coming out of turn 4.
Also, Jeremy Mayfield crashed out of the race in turn 4 on lap 18. And two cars were involved in an incident in turn 2 on lap 233. That one sent Bobby Hillin Jr. to Cabarrus Memorial Hospital for X-rays of his ribs, which were negative.
THE OTHER LABONTE: While his brother Terry was motoring to Victory Lane, Bobby Labonte was on his way home. The pole-sitter blew his engine on lap 179 and finished 40th in the 43-car field.
``I thought it might be a set of tires, but the car blew up going into turn 1,'' he said. ``We haven't had a problem like that all year - maybe once. But it happened today.''
NEW TEAM: The so-called `Myrtle Beach'' team was unveiled Sunday morning with Derrike Cope as the driver and Skittles as the primary sponsor. Ryan Pemberton will be the crew chief.
The team, MB Motorsports, is owned by a group that includes auto dealer Nelson Bowers, Atlanta banker Tom Beard and Atlanta attorney Read Morgan.
GREEN RELEASED: Grand National driver David Green, injured in Saturday's All-Pro 300, was released from Carolinas Medical Center on Sunday afternoon. Green suffered a head injury and amnesia after a multi-car crash.
Green is bruised and sore, and his left side ribs are hurting, but no other injuries were found. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ernie Irvan is sent spinning by Robby Gordon (top). After a second
hit, by John Andretti, Irvan is removed from his car (above). by CNB