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 Derek Gluchacki for receiving the most amount of points at the end of the incredible 2025 season.
Dale Earnhardt Sr. (top) and Alan Kulwicki (bottom).
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 50 different promising young drivers (representing 18 states & two Canadian provinces) who have worn Alan’s colors. The Kulwicki Family has provided $1,044,092 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 2025 season marked the TENTH edition of our program and it was staged 33 years after Alan’s incredible run to the 1992 NASCAR Cup Championship.
Through 2025 (ten seasons), 50 different KDDP drivers have competed in a total of 1,514 races; recording 238 wins, 750 top-five finishes and 1,014 top-10 finishes.
Kulwicki Driver Development Program Alums
Single-Time Finalists & Champions:
Alex Prunty, Max Cookson, Ty Fredrickson, Ty Majeski
Multi-Time Finalists & Kulwicki Cup Champions:
Brett Yackey, Cody Haskins, Dylan Zampa, Jeremy Doss, Luke Fenhaus, Derek Gluchacki
Multi-Time Finalists:
Cole Butcher, Dave Farrington Jr, Derek Griffith, Evan Shotko, Haeden Plybon, Jackson Boone, Justin Carroll, Justin Mondiek, Levon Van Der Geest, Max Kahler, Michael Ostdiek, Riley Stenjem,
Other Proud Alums:
Braison Bennett, Brandon Setzer, Brandon Varney, Brittany Zamora, Brooke Storer, Bryce Napier, Carson Kvapil, Chase Burda, Cole Williams, Danny Benedict, Evan Goetz, Jacob Borst, Jacob Nottestad, John Peters, Justin Crider, Kate Re, Kole Raz, Molly Helmuth, Quin Houff, Reagan May, Ryan Kuhn, Steve Apel, Wyatt Alexander, Paul Shafer, Taylor Hoar, Noah Eisenhower, Bryce Miller, Seth Christensen
