2022 Cup Race at the Phoenix Raceway, Won by Chase Briscoe, Breaks a 50-Year-Old NASCAR Record

Earlier this weekend, the NASCAR Cup race at the Phoenix Raceway concluded. Over here, Chase Briscoe snatched his maiden Cup Series win for Stewart-Haas Racing. Right behind him on the tack were Ross Chastain and Tyler Reddick in 2nd and 3rd, respectively.

It is worth mentioning that all three drivers entered the weekend, seeking a first triumph. According to some statisticians, this is the first time since 1969, that the Top 3 in a race, had not won a prior event. Now, Briscoe is pretty thrilled to set the ball rolling. What this also means, is that Chastain and Reddick are now under pressure.

This win now places the driver fifth in the Cup Series championship. Chastain is currently 14th in the championship, and fresh from a 3rd place finish at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Meanwhile, Reddick is further up the order in 9th place. All the while, Joey Logano sits comfortably at the top of the standings

What made the Chase Briscoe win different from the 1969 Talladega race?

At that time, Richard Brickhouse won the race, ahead of Jim Vandiver and Ramo Stott, respectively. Honestly speaking, these three drivers were far from household names. Luke Briscoe, Chastain, and Reddick, neither of them had ever won a race. In the end, Brickhouse was the lucky man. However, the race kicked off in an unusual fashion.

Apparently, the race was mired in controversy after Richard Petty led a mass driver boycott. This was largely because there had been a number of tyre failures in testing. At that time, there was a “tyre war” between Firestone and Goodyear. Both tyre suppliers were adamant that their tyres were quicker and lasted longer. Unfortunately, their big mistake was compromising safety in order to add more speed.

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This turned out to be a horrible idea, as there were still many tyre blowouts. Later on, the driver’s frustration force Firestone to throw in the towel and pull out. All this was in spite of both companies flying in harder compound tires, to theoretically make the tires last longer. However, Goodyear decided to stay on and prove a point to their rivals. In the end, many drivers, including Petty, boycotted. Admittedly, there was some confusion on who won the race, before they confirmed Brickhouse. Though, Vandiver still maintained that he won, right until he was on his deathbed.