Carrera Digital 132 Plymouth Superbird " No. 14"
Item No. 30944
Richard Brickhouse and his only NASCAR victory
The Plymouth Superbird is now a classic in the CARRERA range. The first NASCAR models were delivered in 2003.
However, the vehicle is still selling very well in the homeland of oval track racing, which is why CARRERA has added a few models to its new product range after a few years.
The red and gold one is a Plymouth Superbird, based on a real car that ran in the 1979 DAYTONA 500. Driver was Richard Brickhouse.
But who was Richard? I've delved into his story a bit for this club report, as the story of his only NASCAR victory is more interesting than the car he drove the year after his victory.
Richard Brickhouse was born on October 27, 1939, in Rocky Point, North Carolina. He drove in just 35 NASCAR races, including 13 top-ten finishes, including one victory. He is best known for winning the first Talladega 500, which took place on September 14, 1969. Talladega Superspeedway is now the largest racetrack on the NASCAR calendar, hosting two races each year.
Brickhouse was a second-row driver who was only able to win the 1969 race because the stars of the scene at the time did not compete in the race:
The size of the track and the 33-degree banked tires, coupled with hot temperatures and an abrasive surface, led to tire failure in practice, 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 Goodyear or Firestone could guarantee that the tires would withstand the stresses. Big Bill refused; his solution was simply not to go as fast (max 185 mph / 298 km/h)! This wasn't an option for many racers, as in their opinion, it had nothing to do with "racing."
Led by "The King" Richard Petty (who had shredded three of the four Firestone tires on his car during qualifying), the majority of the top drivers simply went on strike! The boycott didn't sit well with Big Bill, who was determined to hold/host the race no matter what. With only one top driver (Bobby Isaac) and primarily second-tier drivers like eventual winner Richard Brickhouse, the race ultimately took place. Brickhouse, a relative newcomer to the scene, resigned from his PDA membership to be able to drive. It was his only NASCAR victory; he only drove in 38 more NASCAR races in his career, from 1968 until his retirement in 1982. Incidentally, he held the Guinness World Record for the fastest time on a closed course for many years.
The 1969 driver boycott was, incidentally, attributed to the downfall of the Professional Drivers Association (PDA), which had only recently been founded under the leadership of Richard Petty. The organization from which the drivers hoped for the following improvements was higher prize money, better insurance coverage, the introduction of a pension fund for the drivers, and washing facilities in the paddock.
CoMod Lotus
Item No. 30944
Richard Brickhouse and his only NASCAR victory
The Plymouth Superbird is now a classic in the CARRERA range. The first NASCAR models were delivered in 2003.
However, the vehicle is still selling very well in the homeland of oval track racing, which is why CARRERA has added a few models to its new product range after a few years.
The red and gold one is a Plymouth Superbird, based on a real car that ran in the 1979 DAYTONA 500. Driver was Richard Brickhouse.
But who was Richard? I've delved into his story a bit for this club report, as the story of his only NASCAR victory is more interesting than the car he drove the year after his victory.
Richard Brickhouse was born on October 27, 1939, in Rocky Point, North Carolina. He drove in just 35 NASCAR races, including 13 top-ten finishes, including one victory. He is best known for winning the first Talladega 500, which took place on September 14, 1969. Talladega Superspeedway is now the largest racetrack on the NASCAR calendar, hosting two races each year.
Brickhouse was a second-row driver who was only able to win the 1969 race because the stars of the scene at the time did not compete in the race:
The size of the track and the 33-degree banked tires, coupled with hot temperatures and an abrasive surface, led to tire failure in practice, 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 Goodyear or Firestone could guarantee that the tires would withstand the stresses. Big Bill refused; his solution was simply not to go as fast (max 185 mph / 298 km/h)! This wasn't an option for many racers, as in their opinion, it had nothing to do with "racing."
Led by "The King" Richard Petty (who had shredded three of the four Firestone tires on his car during qualifying), the majority of the top drivers simply went on strike! The boycott didn't sit well with Big Bill, who was determined to hold/host the race no matter what. With only one top driver (Bobby Isaac) and primarily second-tier drivers like eventual winner Richard Brickhouse, the race ultimately took place. Brickhouse, a relative newcomer to the scene, resigned from his PDA membership to be able to drive. It was his only NASCAR victory; he only drove in 38 more NASCAR races in his career, from 1968 until his retirement in 1982. Incidentally, he held the Guinness World Record for the fastest time on a closed course for many years.
The 1969 driver boycott was, incidentally, attributed to the downfall of the Professional Drivers Association (PDA), which had only recently been founded under the leadership of Richard Petty. The organization from which the drivers hoped for the following improvements was higher prize money, better insurance coverage, the introduction of a pension fund for the drivers, and washing facilities in the paddock.
CoMod Lotus
