Former NASCAR driver Dick Trickle is dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Lincoln County (N.C.) police.
At about noon on Thursday, the Lincoln County Communications Center received a call indicating that there would be a dead body at the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Boger City, and it would be the speaker’s. Return calls to the number went unanswered. Crews arriving at the scene found Trickle’s body lying near his pickup truck.
Trickle ran in 303 races in the Sprint Cup series over the course of 24 years, finally retiring in 2002. His best year was 1989, where he notched six top-5s, including three third-place finishes, driving the #84 Miller High Life Buick. He ended that year ranked 15th, ahead of Michael Waltrip, Brett Bodine and Richard Petty, among others.
Man, that’s bad news.
My memories of Trickle were watching him race the governors cup at Golden Gate . Driving Cale Yarborough’s Phillips 66 car at Daytona and Atlanta .
But the best was my first year of racing , 1990 , down at Tom Stimus’ Desoto Speedway. Tom used to pay Nascar stars to come and sign autographs and drive his house car . All the other drivers I saw would come and get in the car and drive it a few laps and then go back behind the scenes. Dick drove the car in practice or the heat race and wasn’t quite up to speed. Instead of going back in the A/C and waiting for the feature , he was up under the car for an hour or so before it was time to race again. He was dirty up to the elbows and sweating , but he waxed their asses in the feature race. Don’t know what he did to the car but he was definitely a “hands on” driver. :engel016:
I’m shocked and very sad. He was such a colorful guy, and one hell of a fine racer.
Oh No…
Very sad to hear this. He was a household name around here in the day.
RIP Dick. 
Not sure but heard he might have had cancer. Still sorry for the loss.
he was my friend and a insperation truley a champion
Totally shocked. I started hearing of Trickle in about 1970 or so, although it took another 10 or 12 before I’d actually seen him race. He was a legend then, still is now, and forever will be.
To me, he was the Late Model equivalent of Richie Evans. He would help anyone with advice or set-ups, go out and whip all their asses, and be the first one to offer a cold beer to anyone interested. Then, he would drive all night for several hundred miles, and do it all again tomorrow… 6 & 7 nights a week for decades in a row.
He won somewhere around 1300 races in his lifetime… and I’m betting a party was involved after almost every race, whether he won, blew up, or crashed.
THIS guy lived his life to the fullest. And I’m proud to have been a fan all these years.
Long Live the White Knight…!!!
I’d read about Trickle all year long in my dad’s weekly Speed Sport News about hinmm kickin’ ass and takin’ names up north all summer, then, them boys’d come down south and run the big shows down in Florida. Dick was one of my all-time greatest short track heroes. Whether it was the Mustang, the Granada, the Firebird, Coors Light, Pabst, Miller High Life, Hanley, Dillon, Prototype, ASA, weekly show, Winston Cup, Late Model Sportsman, Busch Grand National…didn’t matter. I always rooted for Trickle. Tell Alan, Davey, and Neil “Hi” for all of us short track racers.
Few pics I have of Trickle racing in Florida for the '84 and '85 Triple Crowns at DeSoto and St. Pete:
Sad when someone takes the easy way out, they just don’t understand how hard it is on their family and friends they leave behind.
First time I saw him race was at the Gate and he was awesome!
RIP Dick Trickle!
[SIZE=“4”]Without a doubt the undisputed King of short-track racing.
Dick to me was the epitome of a Grass Roots Racer and always set the bar a little higher when the famous #99 pulled into your home race track.
In my experience he wasn?t impossible to beat, but you better pack a lunch.
RIP Dick.
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Jim,
I’m not sure if the picture is from the race you beat Dick, to win the race, but I will never forget your ‘Brother-in-Law’, Kenny Faircloth, saying with a grin from ear to ear after the race…“We just beat America’s finest” …no truer words were ever spoken about the man.
Man, I remember seeing some awesome racing between Trickle, Fenton, Scarborough, Porter, Eddy and many more at the Governer’s Cup at Golden Gate and Sunshine. Was there the day that Fenton won the Governer’s Cup at Sunshine. If you beat Trickle, you really accomplished something special.
[SIZE=“4”][QUOTE=Trash Inturn4;126868]Jim,
I’m not sure if the picture is from the race you beat Dick, to win the race, but I will never forget your ‘Brother-in-Law’, Kenny Faircloth, saying with a grin from ear to ear after the race…“We just beat America’s finest” …no truer words were ever spoken about the man.[/QUOTE]
Yes, this was that race and I shall never forget that day. Those that were there know that after several laps of trying inside & outside we finally got around him with only a few to go.
Besides the quote you heard from Kenny that day I was reminded yesterday from my long-time friend Whitey Wescott as we were talking about him what comment Dick made to Whitey after the race.
Whitey was an associate sponsor of the FOUR that day (Big Three Auto Salvage) as he had been in the years prior and after the race while we were lined up on the front chute for the hardware Whitey went back to Dick and congratulated him for a good and clean race. Dick commented to Whitey; ?before the pass every time I looked in the mirror to see where he was all I could see was that big black beard?.
I was proud of our accomplishment that day but I can tell you it was usually the other way around when Dick came to town.
Dick Trickle was one hell-uva short track hot shoe and I can?t imagine anyone ever coming close to his record.
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Every short track in America that has a flagpole should fly the American Flag at half staff for this weekends races. He was clearly an icon in short track racing. RIP
I am sure most have the same memories of Dick and the northern invasions for speedweeks and other events over the winter months. Looking at some of the stats - it really is amazing how many races he ran down here.
I was listening to the Legends interview on Sirius yesterday and just as I was driving past NSS on 44 (I mean literally in front of the damn sign) - he started to talk about visiting NSS and the number of cases of beer they would pack, etc. Kinda weirded me out.
I saw the article on CNN’s front page - if nothing else that proves the reach the guy had - all while never really becoming a true “NASCAR” star. Trickle\Evans are the legends of short track racing in my book. There are others right there near the top for sure - but those are my top two.
RIP - Dick
I know somebody mentioned ‘Cancer’… According to Rusty Wallace on Sirius (He said Dick taught him almost everything he knows)… Apparently Trickle’s granddaughter was lost in a car accident not too long ago and Trickle was not doing well coming to grips with it…
He was found next to his Truck and his Granddaughters grave.
Kinda drives home just how human he was.
One of my favorite sights as a kid was coming down from Boston in Feb and walking into NSS for the first night each year… I looked for three things every time… Reggie’s - Fiore #44, Spencer’s #24 (just to boo him) and Trickle’s #99.
I could see the other two race every weekend back home, but this was the only place I could watch Trickle.
1978 was a pretty good year for him in FL… These are the photos I took of Dick as he took the checker to win the Governor’s Cup race and on his way to victory lane, plus a photo of him on the backstretch at NSS on his way to winning the Cracker 200…
Dick Trickle
A tribute to Dick Trickle
Dick Trickle won the Buckeye 500 in 1974 at Columbus Motor Speedway.He had even been involved in a few wrecks that put him on the rear,but he was sooooo fast ,he had lapped almost every car to win.
His car was a beaten,crumpled mess in that SuperAmerica 99 Firebird.
So the next day,me,my dad and my brother (zerofor) went over to another driver’s garage (we’ll call him Bob) that Sunday,and there was Trickle’s race car.Bob didnt have a metal puller,and my dad did at his shop.So,we went to my dad’s west side shop with Dick and his car in tow.
We straightened out all the severe parts w/ the metal puller,and the other sheet metal,me and my brother pounded out flat the with rubber mallets,the otherv sheet metal parts.We started at around 9am,and took about 5 hours to get the wurk done.He raced in a show that Sunday in Indiana and won.
We had a friend for life,and was so saddened to hear of his passing.Dick,may all your races in the hereafter be checkered flags…
RIP Dick Trickle
Read where Dick commited suicide at the same cemetary where his 16 year old granddaughter is buried. She was killed in an automobile accident back in 2001. From what I read, He killed himself next to or near her grave. From what family members have said, he has been in quite a bit of pain lately and just couldn’t take it any more… so sad… :engel016: