Ernie Irvan

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Famed NASCAR winner Ernie Irvan began racing at the age of nine and later won the California Championship at age 15. His love for racing gradually grew into a full-time career as Ernie continued placing first in competitions. He has garnered 15 career NASCAR Winston Cup Victories and 22 career NASCAR Winston Cup pole positions.

In 1982, Ernie moved to Charlotte, North Carolina to pursue his love of racing. With only $900 to his name upon arrival in North Carolina, Ernie took on various jobs including working at Charlotte Motor Speedway and building racecars. He continued to race, winning nine races at Concord Speedway in the Late Model Series.

Ernie Irvan debuted at the Winston Cup on September 13, 1987 at Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway. Driving a Chevrolet Monte Carlo sponsored by Dale Earnhardt Chevrolet, Ernie finished 29th in the race. He went on to compete in four more races and placed in the Top 10 in his last race, winning $23,050. Ernie continued to compete and won his first Winston Cup race in the Busch 500 in 1990.

A devastating racing accident occurred in 1994 during a practice session in Michigan. Ernie crashed into the Turn Two wall at 170 miles per hour due to a deflated right front tire. Ernie suffered lung and brain injuries as well as given a 10 percent chance to live. However, Ernie proved resilient and just two months after the accident, flew to New York to accept the True Value Hard Charger Award from NASCAR. Ernie Irvan also went on to compete in at New Hampshire and Richmond in 1996,ending the season with 12 Top-5 and 16 Top-10 finishes.

In 1999, Ernie suffered through another crash in Michigan at a practice for the Busch Series race. After being diagnosed with a mild head injury and bruised lung, Ernie decided to retire from racing. Ernie's career accomplishments and highlights include 68 Top-5's, 124 Top-10's, 15 victories, 22 poles and over $11 million in earnings.

What is being said about Ernie?

"Mr. Ernie Irvan was extremely entertaining and held our guests' attention. He was a crowd pleaser, and it was apparent that our guests were very interested in him based on their questions following his presentation. Ernie spoke at our brunch and hospitality tent and visited our skybox suite. He very patiently spoke with everyone who approached him and signed autographs until I'm sure his fingers were sore! He was very personable and made our guests feel like it was his pleasure to talk with them -- he never seemed in a hurry. Having Ernie entertain our guests was money well spent -- he was definitely a positive addition to our event. And I'm delighted that I had the opportunity to meet him."
-Teresa Shaffer, Eastman Chemical Company

"Ernie was absolutely amazing to work with! He was so attentive and fan friendly to each and every individual that he met and gave an autograph too. We feel blessed to have had the opportunity work with him during our Food City racing events. He is truly gold and I look forward to working with him in the future."
-Food City