Folks Of Interest Old Time racer Dick Trickle passes

An investigation is underway after deputies in Lincoln County say a NASCAR legend called 911 before committing suicide in a local cemetery. According to the sheriff's office, Retired race car driver Richard "****" Trickle, 71, died Thursday from an apparent self inflicted gun shot wound.

Investigators say Trickle apparently went to the Forest Lawn Cemetery on Highway 150 East in Boger City around noon on Thursday.

He used his phone to call the Lincoln County Communications Center and told the 911 operator to come to the cemetery and "there would be a dead body and it would be his." He then hung up the phone.

Communications Center workers attempted to call Trickle back, but he did not answer.

When emergency crews arrived on the scene, they reportedly found Trickle's body lying near his pickup truck.

**** Trickle was NASCAR legend who actually didn't start with the organization until he was 48-years-old. He won the Winston Cup Series' "Rookie of the Year" in 1989.Trickle, a Wisconisn-native who achieved much success on short tracks outside of NASCAR, made his Cup debut in 1970 but didn't race full time in the series until 19-years later. Prior to NASCAR he had raced as early as the 1950's
Trickle's family lived on welfare, so there was no money available for racing. Trickle spent his summers from young on working for area farmers, starting as a 13-year-old. He also spent a lot of time at the Rudolph Blacksmith shop that his father was a partner in. While his father was ill, his uncle Leonard ran the shop.
"I worked part time at the shop to earn a nickel or dime," Trickle said. "At that age, it was mostly sweeping the shop, but I started to play with the welder and soon I could make an arc and then weld. I started junking machinery. I save some things getting a head start for when I would go racing at 16. I didn't have any money, but I had this pile of stuff to build a race car with. It was a hope chest.
When I turned 16, I let the farmer I was working for keep most the money I earned until fall. That fall I collected my money and went down Main Street wheeling and dealing. I finally bought a 1950 Ford in good condition for $100. It was going to be my street car, but the urge to race got too strong and I cut up and made a stock car out of it."
I did run the car a little bit before I cut it up and I ended up drag racing a cl***mate, Melvin Hunsinger, who had a 1949 Ford. He beat me. It seems kind of dumb when I already knew there was a car that could beat me. Eventually, I bought Hunsinger's 1949 Ford for $32.50 and put the motor in my car" The HAMB friendly part

His last Winston Cup start was in 2002.

He finished his Cup career with 303 starts, but no wins. Trickle had more than 150 starts in the Nationwide series, the last in 2001, where he won twice.

 

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=802422

 

Sorry to hear the news today! Being from Wisconsin I often went up to Capitol and Slinger speedways to see him in his famous Mustang win frequently. He was a hell of a nice guy!
I also remember seeing him in around 1999 on a jet when I was traveling down to Daytona for the 500 he was sitting right in front of me.
He will be missed by family, racers and friends alike. Probably will kick *** in heaven racing circle and be welcomed by everyone!

 

Very, very sad news........look up the word RACER in the dictionary......it should show **** Trickle with a beer....a cigarette.....and a smiling face full of rubber dust .....with white **** eyes where the googles were......priceless.
My thoughts and prayers go out to him and his surviving friends and family.

 

If you never saw **** Trickle on a 1/4 or 3/8 track you really missed out.

The man was just awesome to watch.

 

I saw **** race in Wisconsin when we were at summer camp. At the time, he ran more races and won more races than anyone else. He would race 5 nights a week and 7 if he could. He was an awesome driver. Sorry to hear of his unfortunate way to leave this place.

 

Don't know if the cigarette lighter-in-race-car thing was true but Trickle had enormous appeal .....saw him here in Ontario at Cayuga Speedway in the 80's ...great short track racer .

T

 

He was a legend to many here and was there ever a better name for a race car driver? RIP ****.

 

Aw man, sad way to go.
I saw him race regularly at Slinger, a true Wisconsin legend. RIP.

 

Shame it had to end that way for a legend. RIP.

 

I started a thread on this earlier and it got locked for no obvious reasons..... sad end to life.

Expect to have this locked too.

 

He was a tough compe***or and a heck of a man. HRP

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9fB1IcTD48

 

Very sad news indeed. He was an intense compe***or in the ASA and ARTGO LM series. His feuds with Canadian Jr. Hanley were legendary. He was a talented showman.

Rest in Peace **** Trickle.

A bit of a ***** but sometimes I just do not understand why things get "locked down" here. Can news that perhaps is not "traditional" not occasionally be tolerated? Just look at the response in views in such a short period of time. Does that not tell you people care? Yes I get it, it a traditional hot rod site. Strange what gets locked and what does not.

 

The "what to use in the shower" thread springs to mind

 

Exactly

 

All this talk about locking down the thread ought to seal it's fate. Why not remove the non productive comments please.

 

Heck of an ASA racer and very resourceful in making "what he had" work.

 

R.I.P. brother Trickle, a true showman is lost. Sometimes life seems too be a burden, so rest well and peace is yours now. Gone but never forgotten. ~sololobo~

 

I knew he had a lighter in his cars....saw him race shortrack when I was growing up...... But this incar camera shot has to make you smile......******** as they come....

 

**** didnt come form money, he worked for what he needed. **** was a Racers Racer. RIP ****. Gods speed

 

My heart goes out to the Trickle family, seems like tragedy is nothing new to them. His brother Chuck and son Chris raced here in Vegas years back, Chuck was a fierce compe***or in the late models and son Chris was a bright new star rising. Chris was shot by unknown ***ailants and later died from his injuries.RIP

 

i seen him run ASA at MN state fair in 1978
RIP in peace **** Trickel

 

A true racer and a tribute to those who can't afford to run up front, but race with their hearts. R.I.P.

 

**** was also a top snowmobile racer back in the 70s...........rich

 

Great short track racer,and a real stock car driver!

 

Bummer. Never met him, seemed like the announcers always like him. RIP

 

Can't say anything that hasn't already been stated. I liked to watch him race. He never gave up.
R.I.P. **** Trickle

 

Man, I don't know what to say. Not sure he was a NASCAR legend but he was certainly a legend in short track racing. He was one of, if not the winningest paved track racers in history! No one really knows how many wins he had. President Reagan sent Trickle a congratulatory telegram when he reportedly won his 1000th or 1200th feature.

The editor of Stock Car magazine said he knew Trickle had "arrived" in NASCAR when he showed up carrying a briefcase instead of a helmet bag. What no one knew was the briefcase was full of boxes of Cracker Jack.

I have many fond memories of Trickle racing other outstanding racers like Reffner,Eddy,Howe, Senneker, Detjens,Shear, etc at Capitol,Grundy,Illiana, and down at New Smyrna during Speed Weeks. The last time I saw him race in person he won from deep in the pack at New Smyrna. He was supposed to go directly to the winners circle at the finish line. An official directed him to go down pit road. Then another official realized he was supposed to go to the winners circle and directed him to cross the gr*** and go to the finish line where he was promptly disqualified for "driving through the gr*** to cool his tires so they'd punch harder in the post race tech inspection at the finish line". Trickle was about 5-foot nothin but those officials had their hands full trying to contain him.

Trickle was a racer's racer. He was as good turning wrenches as he was behind the wheel. I'm sure most will remember him wheeling the purple Mustang and later the White Knight Firebird. And of course his chain smoking, beer drinking, and joking. He was what you'd call a "traditional racer".

His family and friends are in my thoughts and prayers.

 

Really sad. Way too often suicide seems like a permanent solution to a temporary problem, at least from the outside looking in.
God bless those he left behind to try and make sense of the tragedy.
God Speed, Mr. Trickle..................