Alan Kulwicki won the 1992 NASCAR Cup Series championship after a remarkably close battle with Bill Elliott. Kulwicki entered the season finale at Atlanta behind Davey Allison in the standings, with Elliott also within reach of the title.
At the Hooters 500, Elliott won the race after leading 102 of the 325 laps. Kulwicki finished second but led 103 laps—one more than Elliott—and earned NASCAR's five-point bonus for leading the most laps. That bonus preserved Kulwicki's 10-point championship margin and made him the season champion.
Kulwicki was an independent owner-driver from Wisconsin who operated AK Racing rather than driving for one of NASCAR's major organizations. His victory was especially notable because he designed and helped manage his own team while competing against much larger operations.
The finale is remembered as one of NASCAR's most historic races. Richard Petty made his final start, Jeff Gordon made his Cup debut, and six drivers still had a mathematical chance at the championship before the race began. Elliott finished second in the final standings.