In addition to tearing up the short tracks in the midwest he found time to compete in major short track series including the ASA, ARTGO, and All Pro. He ran select NASCAR and ARCA events when the opportunities presented themselves, and he won the 1968 USAC Rookie of the year and scored 2  USAC wins all while keeping his grueling short track schedule up. Trickle's short track accomplishment are too numerous to mention in an article, and a book would take volumes.

As the ASA, ACT, and ARTGO series were becoming very lucrative to run, Trickle’s focus started to turn on these series'. He won seven ARTGO championships between 1979 and 1987, and scored 68 wins in that series. He had great success in the ASA. He winning 32 events and won the series championship in 1984 and 1985. During those years, he was running against drivers who would later go on to have great success in NASCAR. Among them were Mark Martin, Alan Kulwicki, and Rusty Wallace. His Sprint Cup career began with the second qualifying race for the 1970 Daytona 500. His 17th place finish earned him the 36th starting position for the 500. He finished 26th as a blown head gasket on his Fran Kelly owned '69 Torino ended his day after completing 131 laps. He would only make a handful of appearances until 1989.

Trickle plied his trade on America's bullrings until being selected to drive the Stavola Brothers Buick in 1989. Trickle's first race for the new team was the July Pocono race where he finished in the 20th position. His highest finish for the year was 3rd at the fall Martinsville race. The 48-year-old grandfather won the 1989 Rookie of the Year title. The oldest driver to do so. In 1990 Trickle moved over to Cale Yarborough Motorsports to take the wheel of Yarborough's Pontiacs. The team had limited success with the highlight being a win in the 1990 Winston Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He provided NASCAR fans a comical moment during the summer race at Dover. The field was under caution and Trickle's in-car camera caught him lighting a cigarette with a plug in lighter he had installed in the cockpit. Trickle's last Cup start was the 2002 MBNA Platinum 400 at Dover.

Trickle had better success in the Nationwide Series were he scored 2 wins. One at Hickory in 1997 and Darlington in 1998, a win worthy of a driver of Trickle's stature. Every great should have a win at Darlington. Trickle's final Nationwide start was the 2001 Outback Steak House 300 at Kentucky. One can say Trickle did it all. He was one of a kind.. A racer that given the car, was ready to race anytime, anywhere, any place. Motorsports will never again see a driver of Dick Trickle's caliber.

For ticket information, contact Linda Reeves at 8-386-767-3929

 --------Story by Robbie Solesbe