Alan went to Daytona in 1991 without a sponsor. Humpy Wheeler arranged a one-race deal with U.S. Army sponsorship to honor the Desert Storm soldiers at the Daytona 500. Alan ran out of his own pocket the next two races. At Atlanta he secured sponsorship from HOOTER’S … and put them on the pole. At the end of the next season, Kulwicki would win the Winston Cup Championship at that very track in what is arguably the most exciting championship finale in racing history.


“Dare to Dream” is an uneven film to say the least. Brad Weber, who grew up in Wisconsin, looks and talks much like Alan Kulwicki and nailed some of Alan’s mannerisms. At times he churns up some real emotion…other times things get ugly. In a restaurant meeting with sponsor, Terry Jeffords, Weber seems to be reading his lines off the tabletop or the menu. A scrambled egg joke doesn’t work because the set up for the joke doesn’t happen until the END of the movie. It’s a shame this scene was not redone, but I guess it does add to the charm and low budget feel of the production. Look for a cameo by Nextel Cup driver Travis Kvapil as a part-time crew member for Alan. You’ll smile at the shock absorber joke Kyle Petty plays on Alan. (You’ll also laugh at the actor who plays Kyle Petty. He looks like a cross between Weird Al Yankovic and Yanni, but plays his part well.) The Special Features are worth a look. The Kulwicki/Rusty Wallace Zerex commercial bloopers are a hoot. Kyle Petty’s tribute to Alan at the Hall of Fame banquet is excellent. Kyle compared Alan to his dad, Richard Petty as “the most focused individual” in racing and “as great a human being as anyone would ever meet.”


Although “Dare to Dream” receives only 3 out of 5 lug nuts, I highly recommend you add it to your racing library of DVDs. For less than $20 you can learn the story of the man who took Frank Sinatra’s “My Way” to heart and made it the theme song of his life.

Check out this DVD and more at SPEEDtvbooks.com!
Bio

Gregg Leary is a Researcher/Writer for 'Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain','The SPEED Report', book reviewer and columnist for SPEEDtv.com. (SPEED Photo)

Gregg Leary is a Researcher/Writer for "Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain" and
Book Reviewer for SpeedTV.com.

Leary was track announcer for Hooter's IHRA Drag Racing at National Events in the USA and Canada and entertained event crowds during "down time" by conducting "crowd participation" and product giveaways with the Hooter's Girls. He was Marketing and PR Director and track announcer at Lake Erie Speedway.

As Photo Editor, feature writer, columnist and swimsuit calendar chief photographer for "Sports Jam Magazine," Leary covered Auto Racing, Major League Baseball, the National Football League, and the National Basketball Association. He has photographed dozens of celebrities from A-Z…including Mario Andretti, Jim Brown, AJ Foyt, Ken Griffey Jr., Michael Jordan, Jay Leno, David Letterman, Mark McGwire, Paul Newman, Walter Payton, Alex Zanardi and Presidents Gerald Ford, George Bush and Bill Clinton. Gregg's wife, Lynn and daughter, Caitlynn live in Jefferson, Ohio and his son, Sean is a student at Appalachian State University in Boone, NC.

Leary has conducted motivational seminars and performed stand up comedy around the country. He is a graduate of Wittenberg University in Springfield, Ohio and Exeter University in England. Gregg has hitchhiked 40,000 miles through 36 states and 10 European countries and is a licensed pilot and skydiver. Leary is available for motorsports consulting on a limited basis. Contact him via email at gleary@speedtv.com .