History

Alan Kulwicki, born on December 14, 1954 in Greenfield, Wisconsin competed in local short track races and eventually raced his way to regional stock car touring. Today, Alan is particularly remembered for his 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship win, which he achieved against the odds as an independent driver and team owner. His underdog victory in the championship was a significant moment in NASCAR history. “Special K” was known for his engineering background and his meticulous attention to detail, which he applied to his racing efforts.

Unfortunately, Kulwicki's life was cut short when the plane he was flying crashed near Blountville, Tennessee, on his way to a race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Despite his relatively short career in NASCAR's top tier, Alan Kulwicki left a lasting legacy on the sport, especially as an independent driver and team owner who achieved success through hard work, determination, and innovation.

The “Kulwicki Cup” was awarded to Max Cookson for receiving the most amount of points at the end of the incredible 2023 season.

Alan Kulwicki (Left) Dale Earnhardt Sr. (right).

The “Polish Prince” and his 1992 Winston Cup Championship winning car.

Alan was a mechanical engineer, team owner, manager, strategist, and driver.

Even after his death, his legacy endured. Today, the Kulwicki Driver Development Program finds aspiring drivers with adverse backgrounds to compete in a season-long race for the Kulwicki Cup. Drivers are handpicked down to just seven drivers.

The Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) was established in 2014 by the family of late NASCAR Champion Alan Kulwicki for the purpose of helping worthy drivers toward reaching their dreams while at the same time keeping Alan’s memory and legacy alive. The Program provides drivers with financial assistance along with support in publicity, marketing, sponsorship development, industry networking and relationship building. Based in Concord, N.C., the KDDP is a non-profit organization with the mission of playing a significant role in developing the next era of America’s short-track racers while educating new generations about the life, passion and values of the 1992 NASCAR Champion.

The organization has a proven track record, assisting a total of 41 different promising young drivers (representing 17 states & two Canadian provinces) who have worn Alan’s colors. The Kulwicki Family has provided $871,024 in combined stipend and championship award funding ($435,512 in each) to those worthy competitors! That’s in addition to all of the immeasurable support with PR, etc.! The 2023 season marked the EIGHTH edition of our program and it was staged 31 years after Alan’s incredible run to the 1992 NASCAR Cup Championship.

Through 2023 (eight seasons), 41 different KDDP drivers have competed in a total of 1,260 races; recording 205 wins, 640 top-five finishes and 892 top-10 finishes.

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