After recovering from an accident that nearly rendered him immobile for the rest of his life, nine-year-old Dick Trickle was taken to Crown Speedway in his hometown of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin. The youngster was bewildered by the speeding cars and, at that moment, was determined to become a race car driver.
Dick became one of the most prolific drivers in the history of the sport. He ran over 2200 races, winning over half of them. 67 of those wins came in 1972 alone. He participated in all of the major auto racing circuits including NASCAR and American Speed Association. He was popular among fans, as well as his fellow drivers.
On May 16, 2013, Dick parked his pick-up truck at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Boger City, North Carolina. He called 911 and told the operator “There was going to be a dead body. Suicide.” When the operator asked who was going to commit suicide, Dick replied, “I’m the one.” When police arrived at the scene, they discovered Dick dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. He was 71 years old. His granddaughter, the victim of a car accident, was previously interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery.