It's been over 25 years since the death of NASCAR driver Alan Kulwicki.
Kulwicki and three others were killed in a plane crash near Kingsport, Tenn in April of 1993. They were en route to that weekend's Winston Cup race at nearby Bristol Motor Speedway.
Kulwicki was an anomaly in the Winston Cup world. He was the first full-time driver in the sport to have graduated from a university (with a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee).
He quickly showed race fans that the best drivers weren't necessarily Southern born and bred.
He was a "North'ner" in a sport that was based primarily in the southeastern part of the United States.
Kulwicki was just 38 when he died. I live near Alan Kulwicki Park, and my kids have played there numerous times.
While I'm old enought to remember him when he was making his mark, for longtime NASCAR fans, his legacy will never be forgotten.
Photo: Bryan Glass