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Dick Trickle, who made 303 starts in NASCAR’s Cup Series but was known more for his prowess on Midwestern short tracks, died Thursday afternoon from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to a Lincoln County (N.C.) Sheriff’s Office news release. He was 71.
According to the news release, Trickle called the Lincoln County Communications Center from the Forest Lawn Cemetery in Boger City, N.C. at about 12:02 p.m. ET.
He told the operator that “there would be a dead body and it would be” him. The call center tried to return the call but did not get an answer. Emergency units arrived on the scene and found Trickle’s body lying near his pickup truck.
Trickle, who became somewhat of a cult hero on SportsCenter because of his name, had lived in the area since the early 1990s.
Current drivers who competed against Trickle were shocked by his death.
"Say it's not so. Sad news about a racing legend. Dick Trickle," tweeted Mark Martin, who raced against Trickle throughout the Midwest.
Kenny Wallace, who grew up around in the Midwest with his brothers Rusty and Mike, tweeted that Trickle taught him some valuable lessons.
Trickle, who is reported to have more than 1,200 feature wins to his credit on short track throughout the Midwest, began competing in NASCAR’s Cup series full time in 1989 and ran the majority of races from 1989-1998. The 1989 Cup rookie of the year, Trickle had 15 top-10 finishes and finished third five times.
Among the team owners he drove for in a Cup career that spanned from 1970-2002 for were Stavola Brothers Racing, Cale Yarborough, Larry Hedrick, Butch Mock, Bud Moore, Dean Myers and Junie Donlavey.
Trickle also had 158 starts in what is now the Nationwide Series from 1984-2001 with two victories, at Hickory Speedway in 1997 and at Darlington in 1998.
