Alan Kulwicki facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alan Kulwicki
Alan Kulwicki at Sears Point in 1991
Born	Alan Dennis Kulwicki (1954-12-14)December 14, 1954 Greenfield, Wisconsin, U.S.
Died	April 1, 1993(1993-04-01) (aged 38) near Blountville, Tennessee, U.S.
Cause of death	Airplane crash
Achievements	1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Champion 1981 Slinger Nationals Winner
Awards	1986 Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year Named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers (1998) NASCAR Hall of Fame (2019) International Motorsports Hall of Fame (2002) Inducted in the National Motorsports Press Association's Hall of Fame Bristol Motor Speedway's Heroes of Bristol Hall of Fame (1997) Lowe's Motor Speedway's Court of Legends (1993) Talladega-Texaco Hall of Fame (1996) Named one of NASCAR's 75 Greatest Drivers (2023)
NASCAR Cup Series career
207 races run over 9 years
Best finish	1st (1992)
First race	1985 Wrangler SanforSet 400 (Richmond)
Last race	1993 TranSouth 500 (Darlington)
First win	1988 Checker 500 (Phoenix)
Last win	1992 Champion Spark Plug 500 (Pocono)
Wins Top tens Poles 5 75 24
NASCAR Xfinity Series career
6 races run over 2 years
Best finish	50th (1984)
First race	1984 Red Carpet 200 (Milwaukee)
Last race	1995 Milwaukee Sentinel 200 (Milwaukee)
Wins Top tens Poles 0 3 1

Alan Dennis Kulwicki (born December 14, 1954 – died April 1, 1993) was a famous American race car driver and team owner. People called him "Special K" and the "Polish Prince". He started racing on small local tracks in his home state of Wisconsin.

Alan then moved up to bigger stock car races. He came to NASCAR, the highest level of stock car racing, with almost nothing. He had no sponsor, a small budget, just one race car, and a borrowed pickup truck. Even with these challenges, he won the NASCAR Rookie of the Year award in 1986. This was a big deal because other drivers had much more money and support.

After winning his first race, Alan started his famous "Polish victory lap". This is where he would drive his car backward around the track to wave to the fans. In 1992, he won the Winston Cup Championship. It was the closest championship win in NASCAR history at that time. Sadly, Alan died in a plane crash in early 1993. He never got to defend his championship. He is now in many racing halls of fame and is known as one of NASCAR's greatest drivers.

Alan was known for being a perfectionist. He liked to do things his own way. He was an engineer, and his smart, scientific approach changed how many race teams work today. Even when big teams offered him lots of money, he chose to drive for his own team, AK Racing. He was a private person and stayed single his whole life.

Alan's Early Life

Alan Kulwicki grew up in Greenfield, Wisconsin. This town is a suburb of Milwaukee. It was known for its Polish-American neighborhoods. The Milwaukee Mile racetrack was also very close by.

When Alan was young, his mother passed away. His family then moved in with his grandmother. She also passed away when Alan was in seventh grade. A year later, his only brother died from a blood disorder. Alan went to Pius XI High School, a Catholic school in Milwaukee. In 1977, he earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. His engineering knowledge helped him understand race cars better. This was a big reason for his success as a driver.

He started racing as a hobby while in college. By 1980, he became a full-time professional racer. Alan was a very religious person. He always kept a Saint Christopher medal in his race car. Saint Christopher is known as the patron saint of travelers.

Alan's First Races

Alan started racing go-karts when he was 13 years old. His dad was a crew chief for other race car drivers. This meant his dad often traveled. So, Alan had to find ways to get his go-kart to the races by himself. Even when he asked his dad for advice, Alan usually ended up doing most of the work. His dad wanted him to learn to do things himself.

Many local racetracks in America have their own championships. In Wisconsin, there were many dirt and paved short tracks. Alan began driving stock cars at places like Hales Corners Speedway. In 1973, he won the "Rookie of the Year" award there. The next year, he started racing late models. These are the fastest stock cars at the local level. That season, he won his first main race in Oshkosh.

In 1977, Alan switched from dirt tracks to paved tracks. He also worked with a car builder named Greg Krieger. They built a special car that was much stiffer than other late models. This made the car handle better in turns and go faster. He won the track championship at Slinger Super Speedway in 1977. In 1979 and 1980, he won championships at Wisconsin International Raceway.

In 1979, Alan also started racing in bigger events. These were part of the American Speed Association (ASA). He was still an amateur racer until 1980. While racing in the ASA series, he became friends with future NASCAR champion Rusty Wallace. Alan finished third in the ASA championship points twice. He won five races and had twelve pole positions in his ASA career.

Alan's NASCAR Journey

Starting in NASCAR

In 1984, Alan Kulwicki raced in four NASCAR Busch Grand National Series races. This series was a stepping stone for drivers hoping to reach the top level, the Winston Cup. In his first NASCAR race at the Milwaukee Mile, he qualified second and finished second. Later that year, he finished seventh at Charlotte and fifth at Bristol.

His success in the Busch Series caught the attention of car owner Bill Terry. Terry offered Alan a chance to race in some Winston Cup events.

In 1985, Alan sold most of his things to move to Charlotte, North Carolina. This was about 860 miles away. He only kept a few items. His pickup truck was supposed to tow a trailer with his furniture and tools. But two days before he left, his truck caught fire. So, he had to borrow a truck to make the trip.

When he arrived in Charlotte, he just showed up at Terry's shop, ready to race. Other NASCAR drivers were surprised by Alan. He was from the northern United States, but NASCAR was mostly a southern sport. He also had an engineering degree, which was unusual for drivers then. Plus, he had very little experience in the Busch Series. Alan was known for being very focused, hardworking, and a bit of a loner. He often walked around the garage in his racing suit carrying a briefcase.

Alan made his first Winston Cup start on September 8, 1985, at Richmond. He raced for Bill Terry's team. That season, he competed in five races, with his best finish being 13th place.

Building His Own Team

Alan started his rookie season in 1986 with Bill Terry's team. But halfway through the season, Terry decided to stop supporting his team. Alan bought the team from him. As an owner, Alan was basically a one-man show. He was the driver, manager, crew chief, and main mechanic.

It was hard for Alan to find and keep crew members. He was a "control freak" and wanted everything done perfectly. He looked for crew members who had owned their own race cars. He thought they would understand working long hours with a small budget. Some important crew members included Paul Andrews and future crew chiefs Tony Gibson and Brian Whitesell. Even Ray Evernham, a future famous crew chief, worked with Alan for a short time. Evernham later called Alan a "genius" but also said he was "very impatient."

With just one car, two engines, and two full-time crew members, Alan won the 1986 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year award. He raced in 23 of 29 events. He had four top-10 finishes and finished 21st in the season points.

For the 1987 season, Alan got a sponsor, Zerex Antifreeze. He changed his car number to seven. He earned his first career pole position (starting first) at Richmond. He nearly won his first Winston Cup race at Pocono, finishing second. He had nine top-10 finishes that year and ended the season 15th in points.

Kulwicki's 1988 car, which he used for his Polish victory lap

In 1988, Alan hired Paul Andrews as his crew chief. That year, Alan won his first NASCAR Winston Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway. He led 41 laps and won by a lot. After the race, he turned his car around and drove the opposite way on the track. He called this his "Polish victory lap". He did this so he could wave to the fans from the driver's side. He wanted to do something special for his first win. He finished the 1988 season with four pole positions and nine top-10 finishes, ending 14th in points.

1989 car at Phoenix

In 1989, Alan started building his own engines. He finished second four times that season. He even led the points standings after the fifth race. But his team had nine engine failures during the middle of the season. This caused him to drop in the points. He finished the season with six pole positions and nine top-10 finishes, ending 14th in points again. His team also built a new workshop that year.

1990-1991 Seasons

At the start of the 1990 season, Junior Johnson, a top NASCAR team owner, asked Alan to drive for him. Alan said no. He wanted to keep running his own team. He won his second Cup race at Rockingham in October 1990. He finished eighth in points that year, which was his first time in the top 10 for a season. He had thirteen top-10 finishes and one pole position.

After the 1990 season, Alan lost his main sponsor, Zerex. They decided to sponsor another driver. Junior Johnson offered Alan a million dollars to drive for him again. But Alan said no once more. He was hoping to get a sponsorship deal with Kraft General Foods for their Maxwell House Coffee brand. However, Johnson, upset that Alan turned him down, went and got the Maxwell House sponsorship himself.

This left Alan without a sponsor at the start of the 1991 season. He had to pay for all the team's costs himself. For the first race, the 1991 Daytona 500, Alan's car had a special paint job to support the Army during the Gulf War. He finished eighth in that race. He then finished fifth at Richmond and 17th at Rockingham, driving a plain white car.

At the next race in Atlanta, Alan got a big break. He put his unsponsored car on the pole position (started first). A company called Hooters wanted their car in the race, but it failed to qualify. Since Hooters was based in Atlanta, they really wanted to be in the race. They met with Alan, and they agreed to sponsor his car for at least one race. When Alan finished eighth in that race, the deal became a long-term partnership. Later that season, Alan won the Bristol night race. This was his third career win. He finished the season with 11 top-10 finishes and four pole positions, ending 13th in points.

1992: Championship Season

Alan Kulwicki started 1992 by finishing fourth at the Daytona 500. On April 5, he won his fourth Winston Cup race at Bristol. After that race, he stayed in the top five in season points. His crew chief, Paul Andrews, said Alan's consistent finishes were due to new radial tires. These tires performed well throughout the race. Alan's second win of the season was at Pocono. This was his first win on a big superspeedway.

Many people didn't think Alan could win the championship. Bill Elliott and Davey Allison had won more races and seemed like the favorites. But Alan kept performing well and stayed in the top five.

At Dover, Alan started on the pole but crashed early and finished 34th. After that race, he was 278 points behind Elliott and 124 points behind Allison. He thought his chances for the championship were over.

However, Elliott and Allison had some bad luck in the next few races. Elliott had engine problems and other issues. Allison also struggled with his car. Alan, on the other hand, had consistent finishes: a fifth, a twelfth, a second, and another twelfth. This brought him much closer. With two races left, Alan was only 70 points behind Elliott and 15 points behind Allison.

Then, at Phoenix, Alan finished fourth. Elliott had more engine problems and finished poorly. Allison won the race and took the points lead. But Alan's strong finish meant he was only 30 points behind Allison.

"Underbird" lettering on the car's front bumper

The "Underbird" at the Milwaukee Mile in 2023

The final race of the season was the Hooters 500 in Atlanta. Before the race, Alan got permission to change the "Thunderbird" lettering on his car's bumper to "underbird." He felt like an underdog in the championship race.

Alan started 14th in the race. Allison needed to finish fifth or better to win the championship. Alan needed to finish ahead of both Elliott and Allison. He also needed to gain as many bonus points as possible.

Early in the race, Alan's car stalled during a pit stop. His crew had to push-start him. He had to drive the rest of the race in fourth gear because of broken parts. This made his pit stops much slower. But Alan was one of the fastest drivers on the track. He quickly moved up and even led the race.

On lap 255, Alan got a big break. Allison was running in sixth place. Another car spun out in front of him, and Allison crashed. His car was badly damaged. This meant Allison's chances of winning the championship were over.

Alan and his crew chief, Paul Andrews, decided to stay on the track as long as possible to lead more laps. Leading the most laps gave bonus points. Alan led 101 laps in a row. Then, he pitted for a quick fuel stop. There was a problem with the fuel hose, so they weren't sure how much gas went in.

Alan came out in third place. Elliott also had to pit. Elliott's crew chief made a mistake and called him in too early. This meant Elliott couldn't lead enough laps to tie Alan for the bonus points. Alan was told he had secured the five extra points.

Alan was running second, far ahead of third place. He just needed to hold his position to win the championship. Elliott won the race, but Alan finished second. Alan Kulwicki won the 1992 Winston Cup Championship by just 10 points over Elliott. He celebrated with his second Polish victory lap. Alan was always careful about his appearance for sponsors. He even combed his hair before getting out of his car for the TV cameras.

Alan had come back from being 278 points behind in the last six races. He won the championship because he consistently finished well. It was the closest championship win in NASCAR history until 2004. Alan was the last owner-driver to win the title for almost 20 years. He was also the first Cup champion with a college degree and the first from a northern state. At the year-end awards banquet, the song "My Way" by Frank Sinatra played for him.

Championship Honors

In January 1993, Alan returned to his hometown, Greenfield, for "Alan Kulwicki Day." Thousands of people came to see him. Alan signed autographs for six hours.

To celebrate his championship, his sponsor Hooters made a special "Alan Tribute Card." These cards were used at all his autograph sessions in 1993.

1993 Season

Alan didn't change his spending habits much after winning the championship. He said the only thing he really wanted was a plane. But Hooters had planes he could use. Alan made a deal with Hooters Chairman Robert Brooks to use one of his planes. The plane was painted with Hooters colors.

After the first five races of the 1993 NASCAR Winston Cup Series, Alan was ninth in points. Alan had some concerns about using the plane and other money matters with Hooters. His publicist, Tom Roberts, suggested Alan talk to Hooters leaders during a flight. This flight was from Knoxville to Bristol on April 1, 1993. Roberts himself took a different flight to avoid any conflicts.

Alan's Death

Grave marker at St. Adalbert cemetery

Funeral service

Alan Kulwicki died in a plane crash on Thursday, April 1, 1993. He was flying back from an event in Knoxville, Tennessee. The plane was a Hooters corporate plane. It crashed just before landing at Tri-Cities Regional Airport near Blountville. The investigation found that the pilot did not use the plane's anti-ice system. This caused ice to build up in the engine.

Alan was buried at St. Adalbert's Cemetery in Milwaukee. Many NASCAR drivers and officials attended his funeral. The next day, Alan's race car transporter drove slowly around the rainy track. It had a black wreath on its front. As it passed the start/finish line, the flagman waved a checkered flag. Kyle Petty later said it was the "saddest thing I've ever seen at a racetrack." Alan had raced in five NASCAR races that season. He had two top-5 finishes and was ninth in points when he died. In his career, he won five NASCAR Winston Cup races, 24 pole positions, and had 75 top-10 finishes in 207 races. He also won one championship.

His car was driven by other drivers for most of the 1993 season. Then, the team was sold. Alan had also been chosen to race in the International Race of Champions (IROC) series. He competed in two IROC races before he died. Dale Earnhardt raced for Alan in the last two IROC races. The prize money from those races was given to charities.

Alan's Lasting Impact

Three days after Alan's death, Rusty Wallace won the Bristol race. He honored Alan by doing a Polish victory lap. When Davey Allison also died later that year, competitors added a No. 28 sticker to their cars, along with the No. 7 for Alan. After the final race of the season, champion Dale Earnhardt and race winner Wallace did a side-by-side Polish victory lap. They carried flags for both Alan and Davey. Alan finished 41st in the final points standings that year, even though he only raced in five events.

Hooters created the "Four Champions Challenge" in memory of the four people who died in the plane crash. This was a four-race series. Each race was named after one of the victims: Alan Kulwicki, Mark Brooks, Dan Duncan, and pilot Charles Campbell.

Kulwicki's "underbird" car on display at Alan Kulwicki Memorial Park

In 1996, Milwaukee County honored Alan by creating Alan Kulwicki Memorial Park. It's located in Greenfield. Hooters chairman Robert Brooks donated $250,000 to build the park. It has a Kulwicki museum inside the Brooks Pavilion.

Since 1994, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte has given the Alan Kulwicki Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship goes to a new student each year. The winners are excellent high school seniors who plan to study mechanical engineering. In 1998, the university started an automotive and motorsports engineering program.

In 2009, Alan's family gave almost $1.9 million to help motorsports engineering education at UNC Charlotte. The university renamed its motorsports research building the Alan D. Kulwicki Motorsports Laboratory. The donation also helped build a second engineering building, which opened in 2012.

Kulwicki Grandstand at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2006

Bristol Motor Speedway named its grandstand in turns one and two after Alan. The 2004 Busch Series race at the Milwaukee Mile was named the "Alan Kulwicki 250." Wisconsin driver Paul Menard did a Polish victory lap after winning the 2006 Busch Series race to honor Alan. Slinger Super Speedway has held an annual Alan Kulwicki Memorial race since 1994.

Alan was put into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2002. He is also in many other halls of fame. These include the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame (1993) and the NASCAR Hall of Fame (2019).

Alan's success as an owner-driver inspired other NASCAR drivers. Geoff Bodine, Brett Bodine, Ricky Rudd, Bill Elliott, and Joe Nemechek all started their own racing teams after Alan's death. But none were as successful as Alan. Robby Gordon often says Alan inspired him to be an owner-driver. He even chose car number 7 as a tribute to Alan.

In 2010, the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee created the Alan Kulwicki Memorial Student Center. This center, along with a scholarship, was made possible by a donation from Alan's stepmother. The center also displays many of Alan's racing items.

In 2012, the Milwaukee County Historical Society announced an exhibit about Alan. It was called "Alan Kulwicki: A Champion's Story" and opened in 2013.

Alan Kulwicki Driver Development Program

2015 KDDP winner #91 Ty Majeski racing against 2016 winner #11 Alex Prunty

In 2015, Alan's friends started the Alan Kulwicki Driver Development program. Its goal is to help young drivers reach their dreams. It also keeps Alan Kulwicki's memory alive. The program chooses seven drivers and gives them $7,777 each. Drivers are judged on their racing, social media, and community work. The overall winner gets seven times $7,777 ($54,439) and a trophy. The program was canceled in 2020 due to COVID-19.

Media & Films

Father Dale Grubba, the priest who led Alan Kulwicki's funeral, wrote a book about him. It was called Alan Kulwicki: NASCAR champion Against All Odds and came out in 2009. This book was used to make a low-budget movie. The film, Dare to Dream: The Alan Kulwicki Story, was released on April 1, 2005. The movie shows Alan's life from racing local cars to becoming a NASCAR champion. It ends with his death. Fans from Wisconsin made the movie for less than $100,000. The main actor, Brad Weber, was a Kulwicki fan. He said Alan inspired him to become an actor.

Images for kids

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  Alan Kulwicki at Sears Point in 1991

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  Kulwicki's 1988 car, which he used for his Polish victory lap

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  1989 car at Phoenix International Raceway

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  "Underbird" lettering on the car's front bumper

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  The "Underbird" at the Milwaukee Mile in 2023

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  Grave marker at St. Adalbert cemetery

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  Funeral service

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  Kulwicki's "underbird" car on display at Alan Kulwicki Memorial Park

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  Kulwicki Grandstand at Bristol Motor Speedway in 2006

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  2015 KDDP winner #91 Ty Majeski racing against 2016 winner #11 Alex Prunty