Derek Gluchacki Named Winner of 2025 Kulwicki Driver Development Program

A year after finishing runner-up in the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) competition, Derek Gluchacki returned as a finalist in 2025 and has made history, becoming the first Massachusetts-native to win the coveted Kulwicki Cup.

The 24-year-old driver defeated a talent-packed class of finalists in the Kulwicki Driver Development Program this season, which includes Bryce Miller of Wisconsin, Seth Christensen of Georgia, Noah Eisenhower of Illinois, and Taylor Hoar of Vermont.

After the seven-month short-track racing competition wrapped, Gluchacki had to wait until Tuesday's annual KDDP banquet at The Speedway Club at Charlotte Motor Speedway to learn he'd come out on top in the prestigious development program.

Gluchacki is the second New Englander to win the Kulwicki Driver Development program in its history, following in the footsteps of Max Cookson of Palmyra, Maine, who won the 2023 iteration of the development competition.

"Proud to have Derek as our 2025 KDDP Champion," said Paul Andrews, a KDDP board member and chairman of the voting panel. "We've watched him grow since his very first interview last year and even before that. I'm sure last year's runner-up finish only made him hungrier coming into this season."

Gluchacki was awarded $20,000 for his victory in the program, in addition to the specially-designed Kulwicki Cup.

"His year didn't start smoothly, but his performance was consistently strong," Andrews continued. "He faced tough competition in every single race, and we love seeing that level of talent on track. It's gratifying to see Derek's hard work and dedication pay off. He not only sets up and works on his own cars, but also prepares and crew-chiefs customer cars, all while continuing to give back through charity work. He's earned this championship in every way."

Bryce Miller, the oldest of the five finalists in the 2025 Kulwicki Driver Development Program class, was awarded the runner-up position in the short-track racing competition and will be awarded a prize of $7,000. Seth Christensen finished third and will be awarded $3,000.

"Our 2025 KDDP season was stacked with talented competitors from all across the country," Andrews boasted. "It was also our first year featuring five drivers, which definitely ramped up the intensity and competition between them. Each of our drivers not only prepared their own race cars, but also stayed active in their communities, managed their social media channels, and balanced it all with their everyday routines -- whether that meant work, school, or both. In racing, not everyone gets the season they hoped for, but their work ethic and enthusiasm never wavered. It was truly fun to watch them push through challenges and keep fighting.

Throughout his 2025 campaign, Gluchacki went to Victory Lane a total of two times and scored eight top-fives and 11 top-10s, all in just 16 starts. His charity efforts focused on the Make-A-Wish Foundation in New Hampshire, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the Rhode Island Center Assisting Those in Need (RICAN).

While being mentored by members of Alan Kulwicki's 1992 NASCAR Cup Series championship-winning team, the five "Underbirds" collected a total of five victories, 22 top-fives, and 42 top-10s in a combined 85 events.

Since the program's inception in 2015, the Kulwicki Driver Development Program (KDDP) has awarded more than $1 million to 50 drivers representing 18 U.S. states and two Canadian provinces. In 1,514 races, finalists in the program have been to Victory Lane 238 times, with 750 top-fives and 1,098 top-10s.

The KDDP was created in 2014 by the family of the late NASCAR Cup Series champion Alan Kulwicki, in order to perpetuate the NASCAR Hall of Fame member's legacy in the racing world.

Photo: Will Bellamy