العربية
中国
Français
Deutsch
Ελληνική
हिन्दी
Italiano
日本語
Português
Русский
EspañolALAN KULWICKI
'Alan Dennis Kulwicki' (December 14, 1954 - April 1, 1993) was an American NASCAR Winston Cup racecar driver. He arrived at the NASCAR scene in 1985 with in a borrowed pickup truck, a racecar, no sponsor, and limited budget. Alan Kulwicki He was a perfectionist, and liked doing things his way. He raced for his own team thoroughout his NASCAR career. He was the 1986 NASCAR Rookie of the Year, and won the 1992 Winston Cup by the closest margin in NASCAR history.
In 1998 he was named one of NASCAR's 50 Greatest Drivers[1] and he was inducted in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2002. Alan Kulwicki He was nicknamed "Special K" and the "Polish Prince".[2]
Background
Alan Kulwicki was born in Greenfield, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, and grew up blocks away from the Milwaukee Mile. Veterans Reign again. Ron Hornaday Wins Alan Kulwicki 250 in Milwaukee Dan Peters His father, Gerry, was an engine builder for USAC cars. Title tracks: Kulwicki, Kenseth: two roads to top Dave Kallmann Alan graduated from Pius XI High School, a private Roman Catholic high school in Milwaukee. Kulwicki was a religious man, and he carried a medal for St. Christopher during races. Stories provide glimpse of Kulwicki's character After graduating high school, he went to college and received a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 1977, which helped him better understand the physics of a race car. Many attribute his success to his knowledge of engineering,[3] which at the time was considered to be of less value than experience and intuition.
Racing career
Kulwicki began his racing career in kart racing. He later began racing on dirt, starting at two now closed speedways: Cedarburg Speedway and Hales Corners Speedway. He won the 1973 Rookie of the Year award at Hales Corners Speedway in the Milwaukee suburb of Franklin. He later changed to racing on pavement. He started racing at Wisconsin International Raceway in 1978 when he finished third in the late model points in his rookie season.[4] He won the 1979 and 1980 Late Model track championships.[5] [6] He also raced on the pavement at Slinger Super Speedway, where he won a track championship. Kulwicki was deeply troubled after he was involved in the fatal crash of Larry Detjens in 1981 at Wisconsin International Raceway, and he never raced at the track again.
He started racing on national circuits. He competed in events co-sanctioned by the USAC Stock Car series and the American Speed Association (ASA) in 1979. Alan Kulwicki USAC Stock Car results (unlabeled) He raced against Rusty Wallace in the ASA, and the two became lifelong friends. Alan Kulwicki: Always a Champion Patty Kay Kulwicki's top finish in the ASA season points championship was third place in 1982 and 1985. Kulwicki Press Kit Tom Roberts He had five victories and twelve poles in his ASA career.
Winston Cup career
1980s
Kulwicki raced in four NASCAR Busch Grand National races in 1984. Alan Kulwicki's driving statistics He started second in his first career race in his hometown of Milwaukee, and finished second. He finished seventh at Charlotte and fifth at Bristol. He raced at Daytona International Speedway in January 1985. He won the pole at the Busch race at Milwaukee in August 1985, but finished fourteenth with engine problems. Kulwicki's Busch Series successes caught Bill Terry's eye, and Terry offered Kulwicki a chance to race in a few Cup races.
In 1985 Kulwicki sold most of his belongings, including his short track racing equipment to move half way across the nation from Wisconsin to the Charlotte, North Carolina area. He kept his pickup truck, and loaded his trailer with furniture and tools. An electrical fire two days before he left destroyed his truck. He had no way to pull his trailer, so he borrowed a pickup truck. He was the source of amusement at first to many veteran drivers. He was a driver from the northern United States when the series was primarily a southern regional series. CUP: A Tribute to Alan Kulwicki Tom Jensen He was a mechanical engineer out of Wisconsin in a sport in which most of his competitors only made it through high school. He was also described as kind of a loner, real quiet, very studious, CUP: A Tribute to Alan Kulwicki Tom Jensen hard working, and no-nonsense. He could be seen walking the garage in his race uniform and carrying a brief case. He was driver, owner and, for the first several years, frequently his own crew chief. He had difficulty acquiring and keeping crew members, for he was hands-on to the point of being a control freak, until he could trust crew members to do the job with the excellence he demanded. He sought out crew members who owned their own race cars, for they understood what he was going through: racing with no sponsor, doing it yourself, long hours, and a very limited budget. CUP: A Tribute to Alan Kulwicki Tom Jensen Notable crew members include his crew chief Paul Andrews, driver Bobby Norfleet, and future Cup crew chiefs Tony Gibson and Brian Whitesell.[7]
Kulwicki made his first career Winston Cup start on September 8 1985 for Bill Terry's #32 and #38 Ford sponsored by Hardees. He competed in five races that season for Terry, and his highest finish was thirteenth. Kulwicki parted ways with Terry midway through the 1986 season. Kulwicki could not find a ride, so he fielded his first Winston Cup racing team as owner and driver after purchasing the #35 team from Terry. With one car, two engines, two full-time crew members, he won Winston Cup Rookie of the Year. He had competed in 23 of 29 events. Alan Kulwicki's 1986 driving statistics He had four Top 10 finishes, three Did Not Finishes (DNF), and an average finish of 15.4. He only finished below 30th place once.
In 1987 he changed number to the #7 car. He picked up the Zerex Antifreeze sponsorship. He picked up his first career pole position in the third race at Richmond. He also qualified first for Richmond's fall race, and the following week at Dover. In 29 events, he had nine Top 10 finishes, eleven DNFs, and an average finish of 18.2.[8]
Alan Kulwicki driving his first "Polish Victory Lap" during the Checker 500 on November 6, 1988 at Phoenix International Raceway.
1990s
Prior to the 1991 season, Zerex dropped their sponsorship of Kulwicki's team. Therefore, he began the season sponsorless, running the Daytona 500 sponsored by the United States Army. In March of 1991, prior to the Atlanta race, Kulwicki signed a short term deal with Hooters. After performing up to Hooters expectations, they signed on long term with the team.
1992 NASCAR Winston Cup championship
1992 owner's trophy
Kulwicki won the April race at Bristol, and he never left the Top 5 in season points after the race. Alan Kulwicki Kulwicki only other victory in the season was at the first race at Pocono. Kulwicki was discounted as a contender for the season championship during the season, and he was expected to fade from contention. Kulwicki won the championship because of his consistent high finishes.
The final race of the 1992 season, a 500 mile race sponsored by Kulwicki's sponsor Hooters was one of the most eventful races in NASCAR history. Greatest NASCAR rivalries It was the final race for Richard Petty, the first race for Jeff Gordon, and six drivers were capable to win the championship that day. Kulwicki received approval from NASCAR and Ford to change the "Thunderbird" lettering on his bumper for the race to "Underbird" because he felt like the underdog for winning the championship. After the other top contenders suffered misfortune early in the race, Kulwicki and Bill Elliott were left to duel for the title. Elliott would go on to win the race, with Kulwicki placing second. However, by leading one more lap than Elliott, Kulwicki claimed the 5 bonus points for leading the most laps, Kulwicki became the 1992 Winston Cup Champion by just 10 points over Bill Elliott. He celebrated with his second-ever Polish Victory Lap. Before exiting his car postrace to claim his trophy, Kulwicki removed a comb from a glove box especially installed for the race in the event he emerged victorious. He then combed his hair, to the amusement of those in attendance. This was later alluded to at the awards banquet by Elliott, who presented Kulwicki with a "golden comb" award.
Kulwicki overcame a 278-point deficit in the final six races of the season to claim a 10-point victory over Elliott by ending with a fifth, a fourth, and two second place finishes. It was the closest title win in NASCAR Cup Series history until the implementation of the Chase for the Cup format 12 years later. [10] The championship was noteworthy for other reasons: he was the last owner/driver to win the title, Alan Kulwicki the first Cup champion with a college degree,[11] and the first Cup champion born in a Northern state. Kulwicki had turned down offers to drive for other successful owners (including Junior Johnson) to continue fielding his own team. The song played at the year end awards banquet was "My Way".
In celebration of his 1992 championship, sponsor Hooters made a special "Alan Tribute Card" that was used at all of the autograph sessions during the beginning of the 1993 season.[12] It was Mark Brooks' special project in producing this card for Alan and the Hooters Team.
Kulwicki came back to Greenfield for Alan Kulwicki Day in January 1993. The gymnasium at Greenfield High School was packed, and local television crews filmed the event.
During his six-year Winston Cup career, Kulwicki won five Winston Cup races and earned 24 pole positions.
Death
Kulwicki died at age 38 in a plane crash on April 1, 1993, near Blountville, Tennessee, while returning in a Hooters corporate plane from an appearance at Knoxville prior to the spring race at Bristol Motor Speedway. He was buried at Saint Adalbert Cemetery in Milwaukee. Three days after Kulwicki's death, Bristol race winner Rusty Wallace honored his old short track foe by turning Kulwicki's trademark reverse "Polish Victory Lap". Every winner for the remainder of the season honored Kulwicki with a Polish victory lap.[13] Also for the remainder of the 1993 season, all cars entered in Winston Cup and Busch Series races carried stickers of Kulwicki's stylized #7 on their left and right B-posts (the center post between the two side windows). Upon Davey Allison's death on July 13, 1993, Kulwicki's #7 was joined by the stylized #28 from Allison's car. After the final race of the season, series champion Dale Earnhardt and race winner Wallace drove a side by side Polish victory lap carrying flags for fallen heroes Kulwicki and Allison.
His car was raced for most of the 1993 season until the team was sold to Geoff Bodine. It was driven by road course specialist Tommy Kendall on the road courses, and by Jimmy Hensley at the other tracks. Alan Kulwicki's owner's statistics
For much of the remainder of the 1990s, NASCAR and non-NASCAR drivers alike continued the tradition of executing a Polish Victory Lap following a race or championship win. Mike Joy would often refer to it as a Kulwicki Victory Lap.
The USAR Hooters Pro Cup championship, the Four Champions Challenge, is named in memory of all four victims of that plane crash by series sponsor Hooters. The four champions are also recognized in all Hooters Calendars every April, a tradition that has been done since 1994.
Career honors and awards
He was posthumously inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2002. He was inducted in the Talladega-Texaco Hall of Fame in 1996, and the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame in 2001,[14] Lowe's Motor Speedway Court of Legends in 1993, and Bristol Motor Speedway Heroes of Bristol Hall of Fame in 1997.
Lasting Impact on racing
Kulwicki's success as an owner/driver sparked a small fad among NASCAR veterans. Geoff Bodine (who purchased Kulwicki's team after his death), his younger brother Brett, Ricky Rudd, Bill Elliott, and Joe Nemechek all began racing teams after Kulwicki's death. However, none of them could reach the same success that Kulwicki did, and slowly but surely those drivers either sold their teams, or let them just fade away. NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers Michael Waltrip and Robby Gordon are the only current owner/drivers in the sport who run the full schedule. Robby Gordon frequently mentions Alan as an inspiration for him as an owner/driver,[15] and he selected car #7 as a tribute to Kulwicki.[16]
Memorials
Kulwicki Grandstand before 2006 Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway
Kulwicki was honored with the Alan Kulwicki Memorial Park (Area Map). The park is a Milwaukee County park located at the corner of Highway 100 and Cold Spring Road in Greenfield. The Brooks pavilion at the park was donated by Hooters. The pavilion has a trophy room where one can view his trophies and other collectible items, including his 1992 Winston Cup trophy, his 1992 NASCAR Owner's trophy, polesitter trophies, and race winner trophies.
The 2004 Busch Series race at the Milwaukee Mile was named the "Alan Kulwicki 250" in honor of Kulwicki. A fan restored Kulwicki's "Underbird" car, and drove a Polish Victory Lap before the event.[17]
Bristol Motor Speedway has named a tower, and its grandstand in Turns 1 and 2 in honor of Kulwicki.
Kulwicki Subject of Feature Film
On April 1, 2005, the very low budget feature film ''Dare to Dream: The Alan Kulwicki Story'' was released which chronicled Alan's life from racing at Slinger Super Speedway, through his rise to NASCAR champion, and ends with his death. Kulwicki's dream drives filmmakers Dave Kallmann The movie was created by Kulwicki's Wisconsin fans. The film was produced for less than $100,000 and was seen in 14 states and 80 cities. The film focuses on the events in Kulwicki's life that fed his desire to become champion... at all costs. The star of the film, Brad Weber, was a big Kulwicki fan and credits the late driver with being his inspiration to become an actor. The theme song for the film is entitled "Heroes Never Die" and was written by the writer/director of the film, David Orgas. The film features cameos of Humpy Wheeler and Bill Elliott, who play themselves. Travis Kvapil has a cameo as a pit crew member.
Trivia
★ He wore a custom Mighty Mouse patch on his drivers suit (Mighty Mouse had an orange and white drivers suit).
★ The last driver to win the Winston Cup in a Ford Thunderbird.
See also
★ List of famous NASCAR drivers
Additional reading
★ "One More Call", Tom Roberts (Kulwicki's public relations man), July 1993 ''Stock Car Racing'' magazine, Accessed September 7 2007
References
1. NASCAR'S 50 GREATEST DRIVERS
2. Kulwicki Press Kit Tom Roberts
3. Notable Drivers
4. Fox River Racing Club: Final 1978 Points Standings
5. Fox River Racing Club: Final 1979 Points Standings
6. Fox River Racing Club: Final 1980 Points Standings
7. A decade later, Kulwicki's crew races on Ryan Smithson
8. Alan Kulwicki's 1987 driving statistics
9. Alan Kulwicki's 1988 driving statistics
10. Alan Kulwicki
11. Alan Kulwicki
12. Alan Kulwicki story
13. Tribute to Alan Kulwicki
14. Alan Kulwicki
15. Grown-up Robby Gordon reunites with Ford
16. Robby Gordon Motorsports
17. Historic NASCAR Kulwicki Racecar ‘Underbird’ FAQ’s
External link
★ Movie review of Dare to Dream: The Alan Kulwicki Story by SPEED Channel
This article provided by Wikipedia. To edit the contents of this article, click here for original source.
psst.. try this: add to faves
