Premiere Speakers Bureau

Ernie Irvan was a dominant contender throughout his entire NASCAR Winston Cup career. Entering the GM Goodwrench Dealer 400 at Michigan in August 1994, Ernie matched Dale Earnhardt win for win with three each, led in Top-5 finishes and winnings and trailed Earnhardt by only 27 points after having led the standings for most of the season.

All of this came to an end in an instant during an early morning Saturday practice session at Michigan, and Ernie's fight for the title turned to a fight for his life. According to drivers on the track, a right front tire deflated sending Ernie's car into the Turn Two wall at over 170 miles per hour.

Emergency workers at the track worked frantically to extricate him from the car, and he was immediately airlifted to Saint Joseph's Hospital in Ann Arbor. Diagnosed with critical brain and lung injuries and given only a 10% chance of surviving the night, Ernie clung to life for the first two days and then rallied to begin a very long road to recovery.

Ernie continued driving the #28 car winning two more races before moving to the #36 Skittles car. In 1998, M&M Mars (the parent corporation of Skittles) decided to emblazon the popular "M&Ms" characters on the car. As a result, the 'M&M's" Pontiac easily became the most recognizable and popular car on the Winston Cup Circuit.