WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Starting the year off with an exclamation point, the Kulwicki Driver Development Program has officially opened the application process in its nationwide search for the top short-track stock car drivers to compete for the 2026 Kulwicki Cup.

Honoring the legacy of driver Alan Kulwicki, who’s both a NASCAR Hall of Fame member and 1992 NASCAR Cup Champion, this season-long competition was created to both keep his legacy alive and discover up-and-coming drivers who embody perseverance to their craft both on-and-off the track.

Each racing season, only five drivers are selected to participate in this program.

During the application process, short-track stock car driving prospects who apply to compete for the 2026 Kulwicki Cup are hand-selected and judged on various characteristics that include the following:

Race resultsOff-track civic participationProgram promotionFan InteractionMost importantly, their representation of Alan Kulwicki’s character and journey

Ryan Zeck, who currently serves as the president of this program, describes the extensive resources that are provided to each ‘Underbird’ driver over the course of the season.

Ranging from fitness tests to navigating media training, these offerings include personal insight and mentorship from individuals who were a part of Kulwicki’s journey to capturing his championship with his own independent team, AK Racing.

“We’ve got a lot of people that have been a part of Alan’s crew, so when he won the championship in 1992, the group of people that helped him propel him to that championship actually is very involved with the program,” Zeck said.

Founded nearly 12 years ago, this program has managed to discover finalists that have come from a total of 18 different states and two Canadian Provinces.

Since the program’s inception, there have been just over 1,500 races all-time from hand-selected drivers. These impressive statistics include a total of 238 victories, 750 Top 5s, and over 1,000 finishes inside of the Top 10.

Having produced several stock-car racing talents that have ventured off to compete in NASCAR’s top three classifications, the alum of this program is highlighted by Ty Majeski; who notably captured the 2024 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship racing for ThorSport Racing.

Fostering the next-generation of short-track stock car drivers, Zeck takes pride in offering various, established voices in the sport to support program finalists over the course of the season.

Whether it’s drivers having conversations with Rodney Childers, who has announced his plans to serve as the crew chief for JR Motorsports’ No. 1 car next season, to diving deeper into the importance of media training with sport personalities such as NASCAR broadcaster Wendy Venturini, these opportunities possess tremendous amounts of value.

“We’re really trying to give back to that next generation, to develop leaders not just on the track but also off the track,” Zeck said.

From the perspective of Wisconsin-native Bryce Miller, putting his name into the ring for potential finalists derived from observing the program as an intrigued racing enthusiast from beyond the track.

“I’ve been familiar with the program since the inception, back in 2015 when Ty Majeski won [the cup] and he’s obviously from the Midwest,” Miller said. “I followed along with what he did, and been kind of connected with it, following along throughout the years. A lot of the people I grew up racing against, and a lot of my good friends were part of the program.”

Keeping in mind how this program is intentional with its selection of only five drivers, Miller says the level of competition that arises from being a part of the upper echelon of short-track driving prospects allows opportunities for iron to sharpen iron.

“Working alongside the four other drivers this past year, we each pushed each other to be better,” Miller said. “You know, they would step it up, and I’d step it up. It just truly elevated my program.”

Fostering the next generation of stock-car racers, Zeck confirms the program has awarded over $1,000,000 in stipends and championship awards to finalists over the course of its existence.

Additionally, program officials anticipate operations will continue to expand in the near future.

“We know that racing costs a lot. We’re the only driver development program in the whole world that actually pays their drivers to be a part of our program,” Zeck said. “We want to find the cream of the crop. We’ve got a new program that’s probably going to start this year, to help find sponsorships.”

As of now, since the opening of applications to begin the new year, the program projects there will be upwards of 70 to 80 applications in anticipation for this upcoming racing season.

The deadline for submitting applications is on Jan. 23 at midnight EST.

Are you interested in submitting an application?

To submit an application for this driver program, click here.

For more information on the Kulwicki Driver Development Program, click here.