Alan Kulwicki |
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Wikipedia: Alan Kulwicki
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Biography
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Alan Kulwicki page on 24 September 2018, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
Alan Dennis Kulwicki, nicknamed "Special K" and the "Polish Prince", was an American NASCAR Winston Cup Series (now Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series) racecar driver. He started racing at local short tracks in Wisconsin before moving up to regional stock car touring series. Kulwicki arrived at NASCAR, the highest and most expensive level of stock car racing in the United States, with no sponsor, a limited budget and only a racecar and a borrowed pickup truck. Despite starting with meager equipment and finances, he earned the 1986 NASCAR Rookie of the Year award over drivers racing for well-funded teams.
After Kulwicki won his first race at Phoenix International Raceway, he debuted what would become his trademark "Polish victory lap". Kulwicki won the 1992 Winston Cup Championship by what was then the closest margin in NASCAR history. He died early in 1993 in a light aircraft accident and therefore never defended his championship. He has been inducted into numerous racing halls of fame and was named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers.
Kulwicki was known for being a perfectionist and doing things his own way. An engineer by trade, his scientific approach to NASCAR racing inspired the way teams are now run. Despite lucrative offers from top car owners, he insisted on driving for his own race team, AK Racing, during most of his NASCAR career. Described by his publicist as "a real hard type of person to get to know", he remained a bachelor throughout his life.
| Date | Article | Author/Source |
|---|---|---|
| 17 June 2006 | Forgotten NASCAR Greats: 1970's: Alan Kulwicki | Bill Crittenden |
| Type & Item # | Name | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Die Cast - Action 100426 | Alan Kulwicki #97 WLPX | 1983 Pontiac Firebird, Xtreme Series, 1:24 scale, production 3,792 (ARC 3,504/QVC 288) |
| Die Cast - Action 100431 | Alan Kulwicki #22 Miller | 1984 Pontiac Firebird, Xtreme Series, 1:24 scale, production 4,500 |
| Model Kit - Monogram 0761 | Alan Kulwicki's Quincy's Thunderbird | AK Collection, 1:24 scale, 1985-1986 |
| Collector Card - 1992 Maxx 7 | Alan Kulwicki | #7 Hooters Ford |
| Collector Card - 1992 Maxx 284 | Race 20: Bristol | Bud 500, Alan Kulwicki #7 Hooters Ford |
