Over the years, NASCAR has had many young drivers who showed great potential but whose careers were tragically cut short. Here are seven drivers who left a great legacy on the sport even though their careers ended prematurely.
Adam Petty
Adam Petty was following the footsteps of NASCAR legends, his great-grandfather Lee Petty and his grandfather Richard Petty. During his prime years, he achieved great success. He won his first ARCA Remax Series race, and in his first Xfinity Series race he finished 6th. By 1999 he had secured a full-time Xfinity ride. He was also building towards a potential full-time Cup Series campaign by 2001.
Tragically, Adam’s life was cut short during a practice session at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2000. A stuck throttle caused him to crash into the wall, resulting in fatal injuries at just 19 years old.
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Kenny Irwin Jr.
Kenny Irwin Jr. started professionally racing in open-wheel racing and had a good run in the USAC circuit before switching to NASCAR. Irwin joined Robert Yates Racing for the 1998 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and drove the No. 28 car. It helped him to win the NASCAR Rookie of the Year award that year.
Unfortunately, he got into a fatal car crash during the practice of the NASCAR Cup Series at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 7, 2000. His car’s throttle got stuck and he crashed into the wall at full speed. The accident was practically the same as the one that cost the life of Adam Petty two months prior on the same track.
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Alan Kulwicki
Alan Kulwicki’s life is a tale of hard work and perseverance. He was a non-factory NASCAR driver and also a team owner which was unusual in the sport. Despite many obstacles, Kulwicki’s determination and talent helped him clinch the 1992 NASCAR Winston Cup Championship driving the ‘Underbird’ — a tribute to his underdog status.
Regrettably, this was the last success in his career. He died in a plane crash on April 1, 1993 — only 103 days after his triumph in the 1992 Championship. Kulwicki passed on his way to Bristol Motor Speedway where he was to compete that weekend. But he left behind a great legacy, especially through the Kulwicki Driver Development Program.
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Tim Richmond
Tim Richmond was a talented driver and an eccentric character off the track. He only raced for two years and had 13 wins. Seven of which were in the 1986 season. But his career didn’t last long. He was diagnosed with AIDS and the disease affected his health to the point that he had to stop racing due to the illness.
He tried to return to racing in 1987 and won two races but his health continued deteriorating. NASCAR suspended him in 1988 after a drug test, but it later came to light that the test only detected over-the-counter medications. Richmond retired from racing at just 34 and died in 1989.
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Davey Allison
Davey Allison was one of the most popular NASCAR drivers of his time, but his racing career ended abruptly in 1993. Being a son of NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison, and born into the famous “Alabama Gang”, he did not take long to make a name for himself. He entered the NASCAR Winston Cup Series in 1985 and got his first win two years later.
During his short career, Allison had 19 wins and the most notable was his victory in the 1992 Daytona 500. He was very consistent and finished third in the 1992 championship standings. However, bad luck struck Allison in his prime and he sadly died in a helicopter accident on July 13, 1993, at Talladega Superspeedway.
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Neil Bonnett
Neil Bonnett had his share of victories and tragedies during his NASCAR career. He had 18 wins, including at the World 600 and Talladega 500.
Bonnett’s luck ran out in what could have been a fatal accident in 1990 at Darlington, where he suffered severe head injuries which forced him to take a break from racing. He had success in broadcasting after but his passion for racing never faded and he tried to return in 1993. Unfortunately, another accident at Talladega proved how easily NASCAR driver hopes could disappear.
Bonnett joined NASCAR again in 1994 and entered five races, the first one being the Daytona 500. During a practice session, his car faced some mechanical issues and he hit the wall. He died at 47.