Is a great story enough to get Alan Kulwicki in the NASCAR Hall? 'This is absolutely the year.'

Is this the year Alan Kulwicki is elected to the NASCAR Hall of Fame?

Mike Joy, lead announcer for NASCAR coverage on the Fox networks answered the question succinctly and convincingly:

“Damn right.”

Joy, one of the biggest backers of Kulwicki, the late 1992 champion from Greenfield, will find out if he was right Wednesday, when Hall of Fame voters in Charlotte, N.C., select the class of 2019.

The selection panel includes former and active participants, representatives of the manufacturers and media members. Also, one of the 54 ballots comes from an online fan vote.

Kulwicki, who is in his third year of consideration, is one of 20 nominees from whom five will be chosen.

Other holdovers include 19-time race winner Davey Allison, who like Kulwicki was killed in an aviation accident in 1993; Buddy Baker, a Daytona 500 and Southern 500 winner who became a beloved broadcaster; active owners Joe Gibbs, Roger Penske and Jack Roush; and five-time national weekly series champion Larry Phillips.

Those eligible for the first time are four-time champion Jeff Gordon, fabled car owner partners Jon Holman and Ralph Moody, four-time champion crew chief Kirk Shelmerdine and ageless driver Harry Gant, who was still winning races in his 50s.

Working against Kulwicki is his relatively short career.

He was rookie of the year in 1985, competed full time for seven seasons and won five races and 24 poles before he died five races into his reign as champion, at age 38.

Working in Kulwicki’s favor is his story.

He sold everything he had, left Wisconsin to follow his dream, built his own team, turned down at least one lucrative offer and beat the best in the business with a fraction of the budget and staff. He was a do-it-all sort who put his engineering degree to use to set up the car from the driver’s seat.

“I think the fact that he was a champion, it should get him in the Hall of Fame some day, coupled with the other things that he did,” said Ray Evernham, a 2018 inductee who was Gordon’s crew chief and worked briefly with Kulwicki.

“I don’t know how their voting goes and all those things, but he’s really, truly is a grassroots story that came all the way up, through all the things and then became a NASCAR champion in one of the closest points battles in NASCAR history. … My belief is he should be in the Hall of Fame someday.”

Joy thought that day had come a year ago.

Kulwicki and truck series pioneer Ron Hornaday Jr. were tied for fifth place, Joy said. After some lobbying to be sure the hall represents all of NASCAR, a tie-breaker vote was held and Hornaday became the first competitor from the third national series to be selected.

“So this is the year,” Joy said. “This is absolutely the year. I’m absolutely serious about that. It’s long been a quest of mine that Alan get his just reward recognition.”