Alan Kulwicki: What Might Have Been
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12/10/2015 Jeremiah Thalheimer |
Over the past couple weeks, while trying to come up with ideas for articles in the off-season, I began thinking of drivers who for one reason or another departed the sport too soon. Some met tragedy and others were beset by losing their rides, but they all left the sport before they reached their full potential. With that in mind, an idea was born for a series I call "What Might Have Been." For the next several weeks, I'll be writing about drivers who for various reasons are no longer in our sport and speculating about what might have happened had they been able to stick around just a little longer or had better circumstances come their way.
The first driver I'll focus on for this series is Alan Kulwicki. As many of you know, Alan won the 1992 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship driving for his own team. Also, Alan was ahead of his time. Even though most teams employ a bevy of engineers today, Alan came to the sport with a degree in mechanical engineering in the 1980s before physics and engineering became such an integral part of racing.
Alan was also determined to do things his own way. In fact, he was so bent on running his own team that he turned down an offer of $1,000,000 in guaranteed money from Junior Johnson so that he could continue to run his own team. Alan's determination paid off as he narrowly defeated Junior Johnson's driver Bill Elliott for the 1992 championship
The first driver I'll focus on for this series is Alan Kulwicki. As many of you know, Alan won the 1992 NASCAR Sprint Cup championship driving for his own team. Also, Alan was ahead of his time. Even though most teams employ a bevy of engineers today, Alan came to the sport with a degree in mechanical engineering in the 1980s before physics and engineering became such an integral part of racing.
Alan was also determined to do things his own way. In fact, he was so bent on running his own team that he turned down an offer of $1,000,000 in guaranteed money from Junior Johnson so that he could continue to run his own team. Alan's determination paid off as he narrowly defeated Junior Johnson's driver Bill Elliott for the 1992 championship
As I'm sure many of you also know, Alan never had a chance to defend his championship as he was killed in a plane crash before the 1993 spring race at Bristol. Even though many believe Alan would have won many more races and championships, I'm not sure this would be the case. Alan's championship ushered in the owner/driver era of the 1990s as drivers like Bill Elliott and Ricky Rudd decided to try their hands at running their own operations. However, by the end of the decade, these drivers were all bitten by financial woes and forced to sell their operations for pennies on the dollar. Also, Alan was known for a being a perfectionist, and this tended to drive people away from him.
One way I think Alan might have found success would have been to go the routes of Brett Bodine, David Greene, and Chad Little and become a NASCAR official. Alan's engineering acumen would be an asset in the tech line, and would be fun to see him match wits with the likes of Chad Knaus and Rodney Childers. Regardless, he left us too soon and leaves us wondering what might have been.
One way I think Alan might have found success would have been to go the routes of Brett Bodine, David Greene, and Chad Little and become a NASCAR official. Alan's engineering acumen would be an asset in the tech line, and would be fun to see him match wits with the likes of Chad Knaus and Rodney Childers. Regardless, he left us too soon and leaves us wondering what might have been.