Irvan to Carry Olympic Torch UPDATE 5 add Roush, Petty and Andretti; and Jarrett; and Waltrip: The Salt Lake Organizing Committee (SLOC), Coca-Cola and Chevrolet announced that former Winston Cup driver Ernie Irvan has been selected to carry the Olympic Flame on its 65 day, 13,500 mile journey from Atlanta, GA to Salt Lake City. Torchbearers were nominated earlier this year by family members, friends, or co-workers by writing a 50-100 word essay describing how the nominee embodied the Olympic spirit and inspired an individual or a community. Irvan was one of 7200 torchbearers selected from more than 210,000 nominees. The Olympic Flame will be lit during a ceremony in Olympia, Greece before traveling to Atlanta – where the flame last rested on American soil – and starting its cross-country journey through 46 states on December 4, 2001. An average of 180 torchbearers will each carry the flame approximately two-tenths of a mile. Irvan has been notified that. he will carry the flame either December 4, 5, or 6 in either Charlotte, NC; Hickory, NC; or Rock Hill, SC. The exact time and place will be announced later this month. Irvan stated he is really looking forward to participating in the Olympic Torch Relay and considers it a true honor to be selected to carry the Olympic Flame.(Irvan.com)(11-11-2001) UPDATE: NASCAR team owner Jack Roush (#’s 6,16,17,97,99 in Cup and #9,60 in the BGN and #’s 50, 99 in the CTS) will have the honor of carrying the Olympic torch through a portion of Charlotte, NC, on Wednesday, December 5. Roush was invited to carry the torch by the Coca-Cola Company. His relay will be a 0.2-mile segment on Wilkinson Blvd., west of downtown Charlotte, as the torch makes its way toward Salt Lake City, Utah, for the 2002 Winter Olympic Games.(Roush Racing PR) AND also hearing that Kyle Petty and John Andretti will be involved in carrying the torch(11-29-2001) UPDATE 2: Dale Jarrett has been invited to participate as an Inspirational Torchbearer in the 2002 Olympic Torch Relay on December 5, 2001 as it passes through Hickory, NC.(Dale Jarrett Site)(12-1-2001) UPDATE 3: Michael Waltrip will join 11,500 inspirational individuals in carrying the Olympic Flame in the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Torch Relay on Wednesday. The Olympic Torch was lit in Greece and flown to the United States, Atlanta, Georgia, specifically, where the Torch Relay begins on Tuesday, December 4, 2001. The Relay, presented by Chevrolet, will spread from Atlanta to Greenville, S.C., then onto Charlotte, N.C., on Wednesday, Dec. 5, 2001 where Waltrip will take his turn as the only person in the entire world with the privilege at that moment to be carrying the flame. Waltrip’s segment will start at 6:01pm/et. The Olympic Flame will journey across America for 65 days and 13,500 miles before reaching Salt Lake City on February 8th.(Falgren PR). Update on Irvan: Ernie Irvan will be carrying the Olympic Torch on Thursday, December 6, in Rock Hill, SC. His segment is on Cherry Road from Family Dollar to TCBY Yogurt. He is scheduled to carry the torch at 8:04am/et. See the www.saltlake2002.com for more on the Olympics(12-4-2001) UPDATE 4: Steve Park, Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr., are among the 11,500 individuals who will participate in carrying the Olympic Torch in the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Torch Relay. Also in attendance will be team owners Teresa Earnhardt and Jack Roush, and former Winston Cup star Ernie Irvan, among others. The Torch will pass through Charlotte at approximately 6:00pm, Wednesday, at which time Waltrip will take it down Park Rd. to Princeton Avenue, just a couple miles south of downtown Charlotte. He will then hand it to Park.(NASCAR.com)(12-5-2001) UPDATE 5: see That’s Racin’ for a column on the torch carrying: Crowd cheers Olympic torch, Earnhardts(12-6-2001)
