december april nicknamed special polish prince american nascar cup series sprint cup series driver started racing local short tracks wisconsin moving regional stock car touring series arrived nascar highest expensive level stock car racing united_states sponsor limited budget borrowed truck despite starting equipment finances earned nascar rookie year award drivers racing funded teams won race phoenix international debuted trademark polish victory lap won cup championship closest margin nascar history died early light aircraft accident defended championship inducted numerous racing halls fame named nascar greatest drivers known things way engineer trade scientific approach nascar racing inspired way teams run despite lucrative offers car owners insisted driving race team nascar career described publicist real hard type person know remained bachelor life early life grew wisconsin suburb milwaukee known polish american neighborhoods near milwaukee mile mother died family moved grandmother died seventh grade year later brother died related illness attended high school roman catholic high school milwaukee received bachelor science degree mechanical engineering knowledge engineering cited contributing factor success driver helped better understand physics raced local tracks amateur college time professional devout roman catholic competed medal car racing career early racing career began racing career year old father built engines crew chief work involved travel father unable help son races tested trying find transport track asked father advice typically ended work showed said said don better said better local level american host season championships wisconsin numerous locations held dirt asphalt short track racing started racing stock cars local level corners dirt oval tracks won rookie year award corners milwaukee suburb franklin year started racing late models fastest complicated type stock cars raced local level track season won feature race leo moved dirt tracks paved tracks teamed builder research model engineer construct innovative car far late models increased allowed car handle better corners increased speed racing won track championship returned year started racing late model wisconsin international finishing points rookie season track won late model track championships began competing regional national level events sanctioned stock car series remaining amateur raced future nascar champion series friends highest finish season points championship place accomplished career victories pole positions nascar career 1980s raced nascar grand national series races time considered nascar circuit proving ground drivers wished step organization premiere circuit cup qualified second fastest finished second place career nascar race took place milwaukee mile city blocks grew later year finished seventh charlotte fifth bristol following year placed sixteenth season opening race won pole position year event milwaukee finished fourteenth engine problems series successes caught car owner eye offered chance race events sold belongings including short track racing equipment approximately miles charlotte area north_carolina kept things truck loaded tow trailer furniture tools electrical fire days left destroyed truck borrow pull trailer arriving charlotte area showed terry shop ready race veteran nascar drivers initially arrival national tour driver northern united_states series primarily southern regional series mechanical engineering degree drivers completed college starts limited driving experience junior series described hard working nonsense frequently walked garage area racing uniform carrying career start richmond september ford team season competed races terry highest finish 13th started rookie season terry terry decided end support racing team mid season fielded team started essentially man team time teams dozens people supporting roles initially driver owner crew chief chief mechanic difficulty acquiring keeping crew members found difficult trust job excellence demanded hands maintenance point control freak sought crew members owned believing understand going working long hours performing car maintenance limited budget notable crew members include crew chief future cup crew chiefs future crew chief owner lasted weeks later said man genius question matter people feeling like genius man genius personality paid straightforward cut bone car engines time crew members won cup rookie year award competed events finishes races completed average finish result 30th place finished 21st cup points standings season season secured primary sponsorship changed car number seven picked career pole position season race richmond later season qualified fastest richmond dover came close winning cup race finishing second winner passed lap finishes average finish events finished 15th cup points standings season hired crew chief recommended nascar awards banquet year won nascar cup race season second race phoenix international race leader car motor problems late race led laps won seconds race finished turned car called polish victory lap driving opposite way clockwise track driver car facing fans gave opportunity wave crowd driver explained recalled wanted special different win long road taken lot hard work worthwhile work hard long wonder going worth anticipation believe certainly think polish victory lap win know everybody champagne stands car wanted different fans finished season pole positions events finishes including second place finishes average finish finished 14th cup points standings season started engine building program season second place finishes season held points lead fifth race season team dropped fourth fifteenth points suffering engine failures sixteen race stretch middle season races pole positions finishes finished 14th season points team new workshop built season 1990s owner nascar teams approached beginning season try replace declined stating interested running team won second cup race october finished eighth points year finish points season races thirteen finishes pole position season ended sponsorship team junior johnson came calling looking driver revived second team seen wheel turned johnson million offer thinking secured sponsorship deal johnson went obtained sponsorship new car hired drive instead forced begin season sponsor paying team expenses pocket opening race season cars raced paint schemes representing different branches united_states military support american forces involved gulf war use special paint schemes nascar history car sponsored united_states_army race deal running second races season plain white car luck finding sponsor changed better atlanta motor time car driven owner driver cup series unlike time participant trouble making races car failed field atlanta based chain spot race approached gauge interest agreed race deal longer term deal recorded eighth place finish race later season won bristol night race career win races finishes poles finished 13th points nascar cup championship passed laps left race april bristol narrow victory fourth cup victory race left season points attributed consistently strong finishes steady performance newly adopted radial tires lifespan said hard control driver ability work car practice order car set meant second victory season race discounted contender season championship year expected fade contention qualified pole position peak race september dover crashed early race finished 34th vocal point deficit probably dover race result season title quoted saying probably finishes championship deal october narrow victory charlotte second race row points leader problems left drivers reach title races left problems second race cracked cylinder head allowed race winner points lead fourth place finisher second season points final race season considered races nascar history final race drivers close points standings win championship day led second place points needed finish sixth better clinch championship received approval nascar ford change lettering race felt like contention championship pit stop gear car transmission broke said leave pit road fourth gear broken metal parts leaving fourth going metal hope loose piece metal didn break gears half pit stops broke held breath day long racing sixth place closely tire blew laps left event result ran spinning car car damaged continue left duel title leading late race calculated exact lap final pit stop guaranteed lead laps gain bonus points final pit stop leading laps guarantee bonus points save time pit crew fuel pit stop changing tires allowed available push car prevent car start moving higher gear team fuel man add gasoline quick stop add desired tank result conserve fuel ensure car running end race won race stretched fuel finish second won cup championship maintaining point lead celebrated championship second polish victory lap conscious appearance potential sponsors hair making national television audience wait emerge car overcome point deficit final races season ending fifth fourth second place finishes won championship consistent high finishes closest title win nascar cup series history implementation chase cup format owner driver win title nearly decades cup champion college degree cup champion born northern state song played short salute year end awards banquet way prep work banquet version way found insisted version championship honors returned hometown january gymnasium filled surrounded thousand people local television crews filmed event signed hours celebration championship sponsor special tribute card sessions season change spending habits winning championship thing wanted buy plane said turns couple use death died airplane crash thursday april returning appearance corporate plane short flight tennessee sunday spring race bristol plane slowed crashed final approach near attributed crash pilot failure use airplane anti ice system clear ice engine inlet system buried milwaukee funeral attended nascar president numerous drivers driven rainy track later friday morning teams media watched travel slowly track black described slow laps thing seen sat cried competed nascar races season finishes ranked ninth points death career won nascar cup races pole positions finishes championship races car driven road course specialist road courses tracks raced season team sold operated selected compete international race champions series reigning champion competed races death finishing ninth eleventh raced final races prize money races fifth place combined points finish given cup racing wives auxiliary children hospital charities legacy days death bristol race winner honored short track rival performing trademark polish victory lap died july competitors carrying memory added final race season series champion race winner wallace drove polish victory lap carrying flags finished 41st final points standings despite competing races seven months death died racing champions issued die cast version car tribute title pro cup championship champions challenge named memory victims plane crash established challenge race series race named died crash son owner pilot honored creating located near corner highway cold spring road area map chairman donated build acre km2 park features museum inside named turns honor terrace series race milwaukee mile named honor turned car winning series event performed polish victory lap honor held annual race posthumously inducted inducted national polish american sports hall fame nominated success owner driver sparked small trend nascar veterans younger brother began racing teams shortly death successful driver owner driver nascar currently running schedule team fully funded owner frequently mentions inspiration owner driver selected car tribute began night continued annual memorial created engineering mathematical sciences building center scholarship engineering students possible donation late donated numerous items memorabilia located center announced plans special exhibit celebrating life career open early exhibit called champion story friends began program help worthy drivers way reaching dream time memory legacy alive field narrowed applicants program gives funds support seven drivers career advancement winner program media father priest presided funeral released biography friend entitled nascar champion odds book basis low budget feature film dare dream released april film chronicles life racing late models rise nascar champion ends death movie created wisconsin fans star film fan credits late driver inspiration actor career results nascar key bold pole position awarded qualifying time pole position earned points standings practice time laps led cup series series international race champions key bold pole position laps led
Alan Kulwicki