Alan Kulwicki
Named one of NASCARs 50 Greatest Drivers in 1998
Kulwicki had overcome the 278point deficit in the final six160races of the season by ending with a fifth, a fourth, and two160secondplace finishes. Kulwicki won the championship because of his consistent high finishes. It was the closest title win in NASCAR Cup Series history until the implementation of the Chase for the Cup format in 2004. Kulwicki was the last ownerdriver to win the title for nearly two decades, the first Cup champion with a college degree, and the first Cup champion born in a northern state. The song that played during a short salute to Kulwicki at the yearend awards banquet was Frank Sinatras My Way. During the prep work for the banquet, Elvis version of My Way was found, but Kulwicki insisted on Frank Sinatras version.
Source: Wikipedia