Here at Starcasm we aren’t too big on the ol’ birthday posts but when the man, the myth, the legend, Dick Trickle turns 69 you bet your Heilig Meyers furniture lovin’ backsides we’re gonna pay tribute!
The White Knight’s legendary race car driving career seemed improbable when as a kid from Wisconsin he fell two floors and broke his hip leaving him in a cast from his waist to his feet for 3-years. For us normal humans that would be a deal breaker but Trickle wasn’t phased as he regained the ability to walk knowing in his Trickle heart at the young age of 16 he was going to be a race car driving man.
Dick Trickle went on to become a short track legend notching over 1,000 feature race victories. In 1989 Dick made his full schedule NASCAR driving debut and ended the season as Rookie of the Year at the age of 48 making him the oldest to accomplish that feat, not to mention ol’ Trickle was a granddaddy! Although he had initial success Dick was unable to ever win an official Nascar Cup race.
Lets check out two memorable videos of “The Man.” First up is one of the most incredible pieces of NASCAR footage that ever will be. During a caution at Talladega in 1990 the broadcast goes in car with Dick and just at that moment he takes out a cigarette and lights up! Come to find out NASCAR allowed him to smoke during official cautions and he had cigarette lighters installed in his racing vehicles to do just that.
Looks like Trickle was a company man folks. After all he was racing in The Winston Cup. Next up is a commercial in which Trickle pokes a little fun at his own NASCAR Cup record in a Napa Auto Parts “guess the winner” contest. He tells the viewers, “It’s gonna be me” and then the image Dick Is 0 for 243 in Cup Races appears on the screen.
Happy 69th Dick Trickle. The REAL Dick sports legend whose sports glory days happened in Wisconsin!
