Art.Nr. 30944
Richard Brickhouse and His Only NASCAR Victory
The Plymouth Superbird has long been a classic in the CARRERA lineup. The first NASCAR models were released as early as 2003.
However, the car still sells very well in the home of oval racing, which is why CARRERA has added a few models back to its new releases lineup after a few years’ hiatus.
The red-and-gold one is a Plymouth Superbird; the car is based on a real-life model that raced in the 1979 DAYTONA 500. The driver was Richard Brickhouse.
But who was Richard? I’ve looked into his story a bit for this club report, since the story of his only NASCAR victory is more interesting than the car he drove the year after his win.
Richard Brickhouse was born on the 27th. Born in October 1939 in Rocky Point, North Carolina. He competed in just 35 NASCAR races, recording 13 top-ten finishes, including one victory. He is best known for winning the first Talladega 500, which took place on September 14, 1969. Today, Talladega Superspeedway is the largest track on the NASCAR racing calendar, hosting two races each year.
Brickhouse was a “second-tier” driver who was only able to win the 1969 race because the stars of the scene at the time did not compete:
The size of the track and the 33-degree banking, combined with hot temperatures and an abrasive surface, led in practice to tire failure, often after just a few laps. The Professional Drivers Association (PDA), led by Richard Petty, asked Bill France Sr. (Big Bill), the legendary founder and manager of the NASCAR series, to postpone the race until
Led by “The King” Richard Petty (who had shredded three of the four Firestones on his car during qualifying),
the majority of the top drivers simply went on strike! The boycott did not sit well with Big Bill, who was determined to hold the race no matter what. With only one top driver (Bobby Isaac), but mostly second-tier drivers like the eventual winner Richard Brickhouse, the race ultimately went ahead. Brickhouse, a relative newcomer to the scene, even resigned from the PDA to be able to drive. It was his only NASCAR victory; in total, he competed in just 38 more NASCAR races throughout his career, from 1968 until his retirement in 1982. Incidentally, he held the Guinness World Record for the fastest lap on a closed circuit for many years.
Incidentally, the 1969 drivers’ boycott was attributed to the decline of the Professional Drivers Association (PDA), which had been founded only shortly before under the leadership of Richard Petty—an organization from which the drivers hoped for the following improvements: higher prize money, better insurance coverage, the introduction of a pension fund for the drivers, and washing facilities in the paddock!
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