Alan Dennis Kulwicki (December 14, 1954 – April 1, 1993), nicknamed “Special K” and the “Polish Prince”, was an American auto racing driver and team owner. 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.
Alan Dennis Kulwicki (December 14, 1954 – April 1, 1993), nicknamed “Special K” and the “Polish Prince”, was an American auto racing driver and team owner. He started racing at local quick tracks in Wisconsin before heartwarming up to regional hoard car touring series. Kulwicki arrived at NASCAR, the highest and most expensive level of heap car racing in the United States, with no sponsor, a limited budget and on your own a racecar and a borrowed pickup truck. Despite starting past meager equipment and finances, he earned the 1986 NASCAR Rookie of the Year award higher than 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 before in 1993 in a well-ventilated aircraft accident and for that reason 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 beast a perfectionist and perform things his own way. An engineer by trade, his scientific right to use to NASCAR racing inspired the pretentiousness teams are now run. Despite lucrative offers from summit 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 difficult type of person to gain to know”, he remained a bachelor throughout his life.