Irvan Posts Victory

Ernie Irvan added to his remarkable comeback, sneaking inside Johnny Benson on the inside of the first turn with 19 laps to go and went on to win the Miller 400 at Richmond, Va.

Irvan, nearly killed in a crash at Michigan in 1994, won for the second time this season.

Since he was fifth in the first Miller 400, at Brooklyn, Mich., on June 23, Irvan has finished in the top five eight times in 11 races. His streak includes a second in the prestigious Brickyard 400 on Aug. 3. Defending Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon was second.

Spokane’s Chad Little was last in the field after he was involved in a crash, but collected $17,825.

Alex Zanardi stole the spotlight, at least temporarily, from teammate Jimmy Vasser, taking his fourth straight pole with a last-minute lap in the final round of qualifying for the Bank of America 300 IndyCar race.

Zanardi, who matched a series record by earning his eighth consecutive front-row start, turned a lap of 118.475 mph as the checkered flag ended the session.