Underbird: A Look at the Life of NASCAR Rising Star Alan Kulwicki

Sixteen years ago today NASCAR fans woke up and turned on their TV's to hear the news that a plane had crashed in Blountville, Tenneesee, the night before.

Little did they know the next words that the news reporter would say, would send chills down their spine and feel so sad, there was nothing left to do but cry.

CNN News reporter Mark McKay "Dispatchers have been called to the Tennessee-Virginia border to check out the wreckage of a plane that crashed last night, killing NASCAR's defending Winston Cup Points Champion Alan Kulwicki and three others..."

What was NASCAR going to do, on this sad April Morning? Were they pulling our leg? Is Alan Kulwicki really gone? Is this an April Fools joke?

All these questions came to light when the next day NASCAR fans watched with tears in their eyes and tears falling from Alan out of the sky, as Kulwicki's hauler and team loaded up and took the checkered flag at Bristol Motor Speedway ended the life and career of NASCAR's greatest champion.

The NASCAR community was stunned.

For those of you who are not familiar with Alan's life and story, read and take a look at how truly amazing Alan Kulwicki was.

He would run in ARCA and run some late model races when he teamed up with owner Ed Whittaker and finished 2nd in his first Busch Series start in 1984 at his home town track Milwaukee. We knew right there, Alan was descended for greatness.

In 1985, Bill Terry and Kulwicki would try their hand in the biggest form of motorsports, the NASCAR Winston Cup Series. Alan would run 5 races in 1985, doing so well that he got sponsorship for the 1986 season to run full time.

Quincy's would sponsor Alan in 1986 and he would win NASCAR Rookie of The Year honors.

In 1987, Alan got his first break. He got a bigger and better sponsor in Zerex, and would run for himself that season. Being an owner driver in NASCAR's top series was never an easy thing, but in 1987, NASCAR had reached a new level it never reached before.

All the races were finally televised for the time in history and the sport was growing. You needed some money to compete in this sport. Being an owner driver was crazy.

Alan did it anyway, and despite all the criticism he got from fellow drivers and owners he would win the inaugural race at Phoenix International Raceway in 1988. It was there that Alan would drive around the track in the wrong direction after the win.

What was he doing? When Alan got to victory lane that afternoon, he said it was called the "Polish Victory Lap." It quickly became Alan's trademark.

After the win, Alan's popularity went up. Several teams contacted Alan about driving their racecar, including the biggest and best owner in NASCAR at the time, Junior Johnson.

Johnson contacted Alan after the 1990 season. By then Alan had two wins (1990-Rockingham) and he had no sponsor, when Zerex announced they would not return for a fifth season. Alan was heartbroken, but still determined. Kulwicki said "No Thanks" to Johnson's offer and continued his own deal. Stunned, Junior Johnson said "Your crazy!"

Alan didn't care. He had lost a crew chief in that span too, when a young Ray Evernham left his team. Everham thought Kulwicki was nuts too. Evernham took a job at Bill Davis Racing in the Busch Series to help some kid named Jeff Gordon.

Paul Andrews went to the top of the pit box before the 1990 season and after that season, Alan called a team meeting. In that meeting, Alan told all his team members that they could leave and there would be no hard feelings. No one left. The room was silent and Alan waited a minute and said Let's get back to work then.

When the 1991 season came along, Alan went to Daytona Speedweeks looking for sponsor. NASCAR had an agreement with our armed forces at the time, and the United States Army, sponsored Alan's famous No. 7 in the Daytona 500. Alan would finish 8th that afternoon and 5th the next weekend at Richmond. Add a 17th place finish at Rockingham and Alan and his No. 7 team had momentum going into the 1991 Motorcraft Quality Parts 500 at Atlanta. It was then Alan announced he had a new sponsor for that race. "Hooters" a small little six chain restaurant, at the time, appeared on Alan's car during qualifying.

To impress the people at Hooters, Alan would go out and sit on the pole and finish 8th that afternoon. Hooters added races to their schedule and after a win at Bristol, Hooters announced they would remain for the rest of the 1991 season.

Alan finished the 1991 season strong and Hooters signed on for 1992.

Coming into 1992, guys by the name of Elliott, Allison, Earnhardt, Petty, and Martin all floated around for the championship discustion. By the end of 1992, Alan would make his case for the championship.

Kulwicki would win two races that season and have a solid season. However a crash at the Spring Dover race, left Alan sceptical for the first time in his career. "It's over for us," Alan said in a interview after finishing 34th. Even if it was over, it was still a hell of a season for Kulwicki.

After Dover Kulwicki sat 4th in the standings and a whopping 278 points behind points leader Bill Elliott, with just six races to go. Maybe Alan was right, it was over for him.

However, points leader Bill Elliott would stumble down the homestretch. Bill's #11 team had fallen out of the points lead and new points leader Davey Allison took over.

Allison had would have a 30 point lead over Kulwicki and five other guys had a shot at the championship, coming into the final race of the season at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Alan needed Allison's team to struggle and they hadn't all year.

Before the race Kulwicki, kicked out the TH on the front of his car, leaving "Underbird". Kulwicki said it was to motivate his guys because no one thought they would make it this far.

On lap 254 that afternoon, Ernie Irvan would cut a tire. Unfortunately for Allison, Irvan came down off the wall and smashed Davey's car, sending Davey hard into the inside retaining wall and ending his day and his championship dreams. ESPN Announcer Bob Jenkins would say "Don't worry Davey, you had a great year. Your championship would come." Unfortunately it never did.

The Hooters 500 at Atlanta was shaping up to be a classic. Kulwicki and Elliott battled for the points lead through the rest of the race.

However, perhaps the most important moment of the afternoon, happened a little later, when Alan, needing gas, stayed out one more lap while in the lead.

It was a risky move. Everyone thought Alan was going to run out, it never happened. He led one more lap which guaranteed him the most laps led, and giving him five extra bonus points, and leaving Bill Elliott with little hope.

As the race went on, Bill Elliott was leading and Alan was running second. It was then people realized the unthinkable. Kulwicki had led the most laps, mathematically.

Bill could do nothing but lead. All Kulwicki would have to do is finish second because he had a 10 point lead over Awesome Bill. Bill needed Alan to have a problem or mess up. Alan wouldn't. Bill Elliott won the race and Kulwicki was the champion.

To make it that much sweeter, Kulwicki had beaten the car owner that called him "crazy" just five years earlier. Elliott was nothing but happy for Kulwicki. Alan gave us one last polish victory lap

Kulwicki pulled his car along pit lane and stopped, after the Richard Petty ceremony. Coincidental, Kulwicki became the first owner-driver since Petty to win the championship (1979).

Alan climbed out of his Hooters Ford, climbed on top of the car and gave his team and fans a thumbs up and for the first time in his career Kulwicki smiled. It wasn't a smile we'd seen all year but it was the richest smile, and although it was for a split second, that smile summed up his career.

He was interviewed and thanked his guys and Hooters Restaurants and Naturally Fresh Salad Dressing for their sponsorship.

It was then when it sank it to the NASCAR world that Alan Kulwicki had done it. He was the NASCAR champion, and no one could take that away from him. Shocking? Absoultly.

In New York at the championship banquet Alan said "All I want is for everyone to come here again in 1993 and be proud that I was their Winston Cup Champion."

When the 1993 season started, every writer had Alan on their radar, and he did not disapoint. In the first five race that season Kulwicki had three top tens in five races. After a sixth place run at Darlington, Alan sat ninth in the points just 179 points behind leader Dale Earnhardt.

It was after that race that Kulwicki would fly to Florida for a sponsorship meeting with Hooters. After that meeting Kulwicki took a private Jet to Bristol Motor Speedway. That plane however, wouldn't make it to Bristol as it crashed on the Tennessee-Virginia border. All four people on the plane would die, including Kulwicki.

That day might have been the sadest day in NASCAR history. Losing our defending champion had never happened.

Why did this happen?

I think Alan was taken from us by choice. Alan died a champion. Not many people can say that. I think god needed a champion in Heaven and took Alan, because he was the best one the sport had ever had.

Kulwicki had defined all odds and showed everyone in America that if you work hard enough you can accomplish your dream, no matter what people tell you!

Today it rained in New Jersey. Those are Alan'sn tears, wishing he could race this weekend's race at Texas Motor Speedway, knowing he could give them a run for their money. We all miss Alan but we know Heaven is a better place with him there.

Looking back at the 1992 we are more than glad he was our champion! Thanks Alan, It was our pleasure!

R.I.P Alan Kulwicki 1954-1993

Tribute to Alan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uERcwUEyLIU&feature=related