Elegy Of A Race Car Driver: The Good Times, Hard Life, And Shocking Death Of Dick Trickle - SBNation.com

The Good Times, Hard Life, And Shocking Death Of Dick Trickle
PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 5: Dick Trickle gets ready to start his engine at the Autoworks 500. Dick Trickle made his debut driving for Miller High Life at the age of 48. He was voted Rookie of the Year by NASCAR. (Photo by Racing Photo Archives/Getty Images)
PHOENIX, AZ - NOVEMBER 5: Dick Trickle gets ready to start his engine at the Autoworks 500. Dick Trickle made his debut driving for Miller High Life at the age of 48. He was voted Rookie of the Year by NASCAR. (Photo by Racing Photo Archives/Getty Images)

Sometime after 10:30 on a Thursday morning in May, after he'd had his cup of coffee, Dick Trickle snuck out of the house. His wife didn't see him go. He eased his 20-year-old Ford pickup out on the road and headed toward Boger City, N.C., 10 minutes away. He drove down Highway 150, a two-lane road that cuts through farm fields and stands of trees and humble country homes that dot the Piedmont west of Charlotte, just outside the reach of its suburban sprawl. Trickle pulled into a graveyard across the street from a Citgo station. He drove around to the back. It was sunny. The wind blew gently from the west. Just after noon, he dialed 911. The dispatcher asked for his address.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot