MEMBERSHIP LOGIN
JOIN PRI
NASCAR Enthusiast Robert Prucka Appointed To Professorship At Clemson Universtiy
Image
Nearly 24 years after his passing, Clemson University has honored the legacy of late NASCAR driver Alan Kulwicki with a prestigious endowment.
Last week, the school named Robert Prucka, who considered Kulwicki a childhood hero, as the new Kulwicki Endowed Chair in Motorsports.
Prucka will lead a team of graduate students and industry sponsors in designing and building a Rallycross race car as part of the Deep Orange program, according to the press release. Rallycross cars are high-performance race cars designed to compete on dirt and paved tracks.
"It's wonderful that Alan Kulwicki's name is on it," said Prucka, an associate professor in the Department of Automotive Engineering. "He was someone I followed and one of my favorites. He was an engineer by training and also a driver. Kulwicki was one of the first people to show that by using engineering, you could make race cars go faster and compete with larger teams with more resources."
Kulwicki, also known as "Special K," and three other passengers died in a plane crash near Blountville, Tennessee on April 1, 1993. The aircraft had just left Knoxville, where Kulwicki had been signing autographs at a Hooters restaurant as part of his new sponsorship deal, the school said in a release.
Mark Brooks, the 26-year-old son of former Hooters restaurants chairman Robert H. Brooks was among those killed in the crash.
The Kulwicki endowment is supported by the Brooks Sports Science Institute and was established with a donation from the Brooks family, said Zoran Filipi, chair of Clemson's Department of Automotive Engineering.
“Dr. Robert Prucka perfectly embodies the vision for the Kulwicki Chair. Robert is an outstanding teacher and scholar, and part of the reason for his success in the classroom is the infectious passion for his favorite topic, Internal Combustion Engines. In addition, he complements science with the hands-on experience that prepares students for careers in the automotive industry,“ Filipi said.
Before joining Clemson in 2008, Prucka worked for the Ford Motor Company and served as an independent consultant for racing engine companies.
Last week, the school named Robert Prucka, who considered Kulwicki a childhood hero, as the new Kulwicki Endowed Chair in Motorsports.
Prucka will lead a team of graduate students and industry sponsors in designing and building a Rallycross race car as part of the Deep Orange program, according to the press release. Rallycross cars are high-performance race cars designed to compete on dirt and paved tracks.
"It's wonderful that Alan Kulwicki's name is on it," said Prucka, an associate professor in the Department of Automotive Engineering. "He was someone I followed and one of my favorites. He was an engineer by training and also a driver. Kulwicki was one of the first people to show that by using engineering, you could make race cars go faster and compete with larger teams with more resources."
Kulwicki, also known as "Special K," and three other passengers died in a plane crash near Blountville, Tennessee on April 1, 1993. The aircraft had just left Knoxville, where Kulwicki had been signing autographs at a Hooters restaurant as part of his new sponsorship deal, the school said in a release.
Mark Brooks, the 26-year-old son of former Hooters restaurants chairman Robert H. Brooks was among those killed in the crash.
The Kulwicki endowment is supported by the Brooks Sports Science Institute and was established with a donation from the Brooks family, said Zoran Filipi, chair of Clemson's Department of Automotive Engineering.
“Dr. Robert Prucka perfectly embodies the vision for the Kulwicki Chair. Robert is an outstanding teacher and scholar, and part of the reason for his success in the classroom is the infectious passion for his favorite topic, Internal Combustion Engines. In addition, he complements science with the hands-on experience that prepares students for careers in the automotive industry,“ Filipi said.
Before joining Clemson in 2008, Prucka worked for the Ford Motor Company and served as an independent consultant for racing engine companies.
