Trickle Was A Legend

Dick Trickle never met a stranger.

A larger-than-life character, Trickle dominated opponents on the short tracks of the Midwest, where he won somewhere between 1,000 and 1,200 races, depending on who was doing the counting.

Trickle was known for his remarkable success racing in the old series like ASA and Artgo, and his willingness to help the very guys he was trying to beat every Saturday night at tracks like I-70 Speedway and Slinger Speedway. At those places, he was treated like royalty or, as reigning NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Brad Keselowski called him, “the guy, the most significant racer of that era.”

Everybody has a Trickle story. Many revolve around his love of minor vices — large quantities of beer, cigarettes and coffee — and his nocturnal nature. Trickle was known to say he needed only one hour of sleep for every 100 miles of racing, and his stamina amazed drivers half his age.

Sadly, Trickle took his own life Thursday at age 71. He had been in poor health in recent years and his run has now ended. RIP, Dick. You were a character, an original, the kind of guy fans loved to watch race and other racers loved to compete against.

RIP to a legend. Your like will not pass this way anytime soon.