In NASCAR, there have been many cases of drivers who could have been the greatest of all time, but circumstances did not allow it. And no one knows this better than NASCAR veteran Mark Martin; he could have been a five-time Cup Series champion, but every season ended with a runner-up.

However, that doesn’t mean Martin wasn’t one of the best drivers of his time. Another driver who could have achieved greatness but could not is Ernie Irvan, who probably has the best comeback story in the sport’s history. Recently, Martin looked back at Irvan’s career and what it could have been.

Mark Martin Walks Down Memory Lane, Remembering Ernie Irvan

Recently, NASCAR Classics made a throwback post on Irvan, remembering this epic comeback. They wrote, “Ernie Irvan made his miraculous return to Cup Series racing 30 years ago today. Irvan was critically injured in a practice crash in August 1994, which left doctors questioning if he would even survive the night. What followed was a courageous comeback that saw Irvan not only return but eventually win in the Cup Series. Today, we will take a look back at Irvan’s return.”

Martin, seeing this post, could not help but go back in time and remember racing Irvan. He wrote, “One of the baddest MoFos I ever raced against. I can only imagine what he would have accomplished if his career hadn’t been cut short.”

Irvan made his NASCAR debut in 1987, and although there were struggles, he managed to find his footing soon enough. From 1991 to 1994, he bagged multiple wins in every season, often fighting for the top spots; this trajectory often leads to a driver winning the championship. However, that day never came for Irvan, thanks to his close call with death in 1994.

In a practice session, Irvan crashed head-on into the outside wall at the Michigan International Speedway race. A similar kind of crash that killed Dale Earnhardt Sr and also ended Kurt Busch’s career.

When Irvan recovered from his car, he was lying unconscious, drenched in a pool of blood. Had it not been for the medics airlifting him to a hospital and the quick surgery, Irvan would not have survived.

But he did, and not just survive; the next year, he made a comeback to racing. If you recall, Irvan wore an eye patch in his comeback race at North Wilkesboro and even managed to bag a P6 finish. After a skull fracture and multiple chest injuries, this was a miraculous feat. But that’s the kind of driver he was; no matter what, he never gave up, and Martin respected that since both fought from positions on a regular basis.

After such an injury, Irvan went back to the victory lane after just two years, in 1996. Not once, he won twice that season, finished 12 times in the top 5, and got a P10 season finish. Things were supposed to only get better from here. But Michigan International Speedway was planning another setback for him.

In the exact same race in 1999, Irvan crashed again, and while it wasn’t that serious this time, it did lead to him hanging up his helmet. Making it one of NASCAR’s biggest ‘what if stories.’ What if that crash of ’94 had never happened, Irvan could have been a multiple-time Cup champion.