1969 Richard Brickhouse

The 1969 Talladega 500, the first race at the massive 2.66 mile Alabama superspeedway, is a long and interesting story. For the sake of space and time, here is a condensed recap from Greg Fielden's terrific Forty Years of Stock Car Racing - Volume Three:

"TALLADEGA, AL (Sept. 14) -- Richard Brickhouse of Rocky Mount, NC withdrew from the Professional Drivers Association, signed up with Ray Nichels, and drove a new Dodge Daytona to an electrifying triumph in the inaugural Talladega 500 at the Alabama International Motor Speedway. It was the first Grand National win for the 29-year-old Brickhouse.

Brickhouse was one of only eight pre-registered Grand National drivers to enter the race. The newly-formed PDA, headed by Richard Petty, walked out of the new facility late Saturday due to what they said were unsafe track conditions. "This track is simply not ready to run on," declared PDA president Richard Petty. "Most of us felt the tires we have are not safe to race on at speeds of around 200 mph. It's just that simple."

Brickhouse, a sophomore driver who signed up with the PDA two weeks earlier, notified Petty and the rest of the PDA of his resignation via Public Address at the speedway. "I joined the PDA at Darlington," said Brickhouse, "but I didn't expect anything like this. I want to race, but I also don't want to make anybody mad. It was a mighty hard decision to make."

Brickhouse was told that the #99 Dodge Daytona was available if he wanted it. Regular driver Charlie Glotzbach had joined the boycott. "I felt a driver in my position, with the chance to drive a factory car, needed to race," confessed Brickhouse. "I think anybody in my position would have done the same thing."

Brickhouse started ninth in the field of 36, which was filled with 23 Grand Touring cars that had competed in a 400-miler the day before. NASCAR and track president Bill France had said all along, "We will have a 500-mile race, and we will pay the posted prize money."

With some 37 drivers walking out, France decided to give the ticket holders a free race. "The ticket stubs for this Talladega 500 can be turned in for any future race at Daytona or Talladega," France said.

A crowd of 62,000 watched the 500-miler. Primary contenders were Bobby Isaac, the only 'name' driver who was shunned by the PDA, Tiny Lund driving a Bill France-owned Ford, Jim Vandiver, a GT driver who accepted the driving seat in the Ray Fox Dodge, and Brickhouse.

Brickhouse motored past Vandiver with 11 laps remaining and padded his advantage to 7.0 seconds when the checkered flag fell on racing history. Vandiver gained second-place honors in only his second Grand National start. Ramo Stott, who was summonsed to fill the vacancy in the Bill Ellis Dodge when Brickhouse shifted to the Nichels Engineering Dodge, finished third. Isaac, who started on the pole with a lap of 196.386 mph, finished fourth after suffering tire problems. Rookie Dick Brooks was fifth.

The caution flag came out every 25 laps so crews could change tires. In the five days of practice leading up to the event, tires had blistered and chunked as early as four laps . "I kept a lid on my speed most of the race," said Brickhouse. "But when I was behind in the late going, I pushed my speed up to about 198 mph to catch Vandiver. My pit crew was really worried about tires. Mack Howard (crew chief) came all the way out on the grass to tell me to slow down. I ran hard enough to win then I backed off."

Also of note, this race was Richard Childress' first Grand National start. He was driving a Grand Touring Camaro. Complete results can be found here.

Racing Champions produced this car in 1998. While it bears Glotzbach's name on the roof, it is the same car Brickhouse drove to victory.