Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s latest guest Paul Andrews shares chilling story related to Alan Kulwicki’s 1993 plane crash

Paul Andrews, the crew chief for former NASCAR star Alan Kulwicki, has shared some chilling details about the plane crash that took the latter's life, on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s podcast. Andrews mentioned that even he was supposed to be on the plane with Alan Kulwicki that day. But as part of the pit crew group, they decided to stay back.

Alan Kulwicki shocked the racing world by winning the 1992 title with his own underfunded team. Tragically, he, along with three colleagues, died on April 1, 1993 after their private plane crashed.

Paul Andrews, who was Kulwicki's crew chief from 1988 until Kulwicki's death, witnessed the team's transition after the crash when Geoff Bodine bought it. Andrews dedicated a few years to honoring his late friend's legacy before moving on to work with notable teams such as Kranefuss-Penske, Dale Earnhardt Inc., Petty Enterprises, and Michael Waltrip Racing.

Recently, when he appeared on The Dale Jr. Download podcast, Paul Andrews became emotional as he remembered the incident and recounted its details. When Dale Earnhardt Jr. asked Paul Andrews if it was true that he was supposed to be with Alan Kulwicki on that plane, he responded:

"That's about as real as it gets. You know, Darlington was the last race we'd ran. So, I guess what started was Alan had to do this appearance in Knoxville. We decided, and that was our plane. That was part of one of the perks was, you know, the fly to races. We decided as a group as a pit crew group to go ahead and just hang back, get there late anyway."

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Paul Andrews tells Dale Earnhardt Jr. about Alan Kulwicki's deep involvement in the team

Paul Andrews revealed that Kulwicki was deeply involved in the team, so much so that everything went through him only. He explained that Alan Kulwicki effectively managed the team's finances. Whenever Andrews needed to make a purchase for the team, Kulwicki signed the checks.

“Everything went through Alan you know. He ran the team as far as a financial standpoint. [...] He signed the checks whenever I buy something you know," Paul Andrews said [at 35:14].

And his involvement in the team was so huge that everyone could feel his presence even after he was gone. Paul Andrews told Dale Earnhardt Jr:

"After Alan’s passing, we’re working in the shop and this is the whole time we’re there, and Alan had a way of walking up behind you. And you just know he was there, you feel his presence, and that feeling never left. There wasn’t a guy that worked for Alan in that shop that didn’t say that. It felt like he was still watching us."

These days, Andrews is managing his properties and occasionally stepping in as a crew chief for JR Motorsports' late-model stock program. He works with Dale Earnhardt Jr. during short-track competitions. Despite this more relaxed phase, Paul got very emotional when he remembered his former driver on Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s podcast.