38 Years Ago: NASCAR mourns Kulwicki following plane crash in Blountville

Thursday marks the 38th anniversary of a plane crash in Sullivan County that claimed the lives of executives with the Hooters restaurant chain and NASCAR Cup Series champion Alan Kulwicki.

A total of four people perished when the jet crashed into a field near Island Road in Blountville as Kulwicki returned from a promotional appearance in Knoxville.

Kulwicki had just been crowned the 1992 Winston Cup Champion and was the owner and driver of his own independent race team. During that ’92 season, he had two wins including a trip to victory lane at Bristol in April.

Earlier this week, reigning Cup Series champ Chase Elliott announced his car would carry the paint scheme that Kulwicki used in his championship run during Throwback Weekend at Darlington in September.

(IMAGE: NASCAR Hall of Fame)