Alan Kulwicki was born in Greenfield, WI on Dec. 14, 1954, the son of Jerry and Thelma Kulwicki. He held an engineering degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He began racing on the short tracks of Wisconsin, moved up to ASA, and then advanced to NASCAR, where he became both an owner and a driver. With Hooter’s restaurant as his main sponsor, he competed in 207 races, earning 27 pole position awards, 75 top ten finishes, and 5 Winston Cup wins. He was NASCAR Winston Cup Rookie of the Year in 1986 and won the NASCAR Winston Cup championship in 1992, becoming the first northern driver to win the title since 1950. He died in a plane crash in Tennessee on April 1st 1993.