Preserving racing history takes collaboration, community and care. Through a partnership with Foundation For The Carolinas — a community foundation serving 13 counties across North and South Carolina — the Underbird Revival Project is grounded in philanthropic guidance and a shared commitment to upholding Alan Kulwicki’s legacy.

In collaboration with Alan’s former crew chief Paul Andrews, the project invites fans, racers, and supporters to help restore the legendary #7 Ford Thunderbird — the car that defined a championship moment in 1992.

To support the Underbird Revival Project, visit the donation page here. 

How Alan Kulwicki’s legacy continues to shape drivers, engineers and the future of motorsports 

In the Collections Garage at the NASCAR Hall of Fame, a championship car waits. 

The #7 Ford Thunderbird, known to fans as the “Underbird,” is more than sheet metal and horsepower. It’s the car that carried Alan Kulwicki to the 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship, one of the most improbable title runs in racing history. 

Crew chief, Paul Andrews, stands with the #7 Underbird at the NASCAR Hall of Fame Collections Garage.

Now it’s being restored to its former glory. For those who were there – Paul Andrews and members of the original team – the project is particularly significant.

“It’s a day we need to remember,” said Andrews, who was Kulwicki’s crew chief from 1988 until the driver’s death in 1993. “We can’t forget Alan’s place in racing history.” 

The restoration will require new body panels. The nose must be repaired. The engine will be rebuilt. And fittingly, many of the same hands that helped build it in 1992 have stepped forward to help revive it. 

But restoring the Underbird isn’t only about honoring the past. It’s about fueling the future. 

How it Began 

On December 14, 1954, in Greenfield, Wisconsin, a future NASCAR champion was born. Few could have predicted that Alan Kulwicki, a mechanical engineer with a meticulous mind and an independent streak, would change the trajectory of stock car racing. But in 1992, he did just that. 

Alan Kulwicki. Photo credit: NASCAR.

Competing against powerhouse teams with a fraction of their resources, Kulwicki captured the NASCAR Winston Cup Series championship as an owner-driver. He had just eight cars in his operation at a time when most teams ran many more. His team calculated fuel mileage by hand. He obsessed over details. He led not just with talent behind the wheel but with engineering precision under the hood. They called him “Special K.” History remembers him as an underdog who outworked the giants.

His life was tragically cut short in 1993 when the plane carrying him to Bristol, Tenn., crashed near Blountville, Tenn. Kulwicki was just 38 years old. Yet, more than three decades later, his legacy continues. 

A Legacy Built on Education  

After Alan’s father, Gerald Kulwicki, passed away in 2008, Alan’s estate eventually came into the care of his stepmother, Thelma. She faced a profound question: What would Alan want? 

Education had always mattered to him. Racing was his passion, but engineering defined him. 

Formula SAE cars in the Alan D. Kulwicki Motorsports Lab at UNC Charlotte.

That vision helped establish scholarships and ultimately led to the naming of the Alan D. Kulwicki Motorsports Laboratory at UNC Charlotte.

Inside the 6,800-square-foot lab, students design, build and race their own open-wheel Formula SAE cars from the ground up. The Formula SAE program is immersive and collaborative, requiring roughly 5,000 build hours per car and culminating in international competition against more than 100 teams. In the past four years, UNC Charlotte has placed in the top 10 — a testament to both preparation and performance. 

Formula SAE team captain Matthew Shaffer (left) with Jim Fox, (right) operations manager of the Alan D. Kulwicki Motorsports Laboratory.

“We’re teaching them to be hands-on,” said Jim Fox, operations manager and a veteran of both Hendrick Motorsports and Roger Penske’s racing organizations. “Engineers who leave actually turn a screwdriver.” 

More than 25% of NASCAR drivers and crew chiefs are alumni of the Formula SAE program — proof of the powerful pipeline Alan helped inspire. The Alan D. Kulwicki Legacy Fund, administered by Foundation For The Carolinas, supports a wide range of initiatives across Cabarrus County and the surrounding region, reflecting the places where Alan lived and raced. In addition to advancing motorsports education, the fund provides critical resources for engineering students, community programs and other efforts that carry forward Alan’s values. Its support ensures students have the materials, tools and opportunities they need to compete and innovate at the highest level.

This impact is reflected in the experiences of current students, such as Matthew Shaffer, captain of the electric vehicle team, who says the Formula SAE program’s reputation opens doors.

“When I interviewed for a job, they only asked about Formula SAE,” he said. “People know how good this program is.” 

When competitors see the Kulwicki name on the team’s cars, Fox said, “there’s automatic respect.” 

Carrying the Underbird Forward 

That same spirit lives on through the Kulwicki Driver Development Program. 

Each year, five rising short-track racers, known as “Underbirds,” are selected to compete for the Kulwicki Cup. They are evaluated not only on race results but also on civic involvement, fan engagement and their commitment to honoring Alan’s story. 

The program stands apart as the only driver development initiative that pays its participants, providing financial support along with training in media, fitness and professional development. Members of Alan’s 1992 championship crew serve as advisors, offering firsthand mentorship rooted in experience. 

The message is clear: talent matters. But character matters, too. 

More Than a Car

Alan Kulwicki proved that independent thinking, relentless work ethic and engineering brilliance could topple giants. Today, his legacy powers young drivers chasing their dreams, inspired engineering students shaping the future of motorsports and lives on in the championship-winning car that once carried him to victory. 

The Underbird Revival Project invites fans, racers and supporters to help bring this defining piece of NASCAR history back to life. 

Whether you are a lifelong racing enthusiast, a member of a race team, a supporter of engineering education or simply someone inspired by Alan’s perseverance — you can help the Underbird rise again. 

To support the Underbird Revival Project, visit the Foundation For The Carolinas donation page here. All donations go specifically to the restoration. Please contact Stephanie Mudd at smudd@fftc.org with questions or additional information.