Longtime NASCAR crew chief tells wild story about one of the sport’s biggest characters
One of the most memorable names in NASCAR history is that of Dick Trickle, and now his former crew chief is telling some wild stories about what a character the 1989 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year was.
Jimmy Fennig was a longtime NASCAR crew chief who worked with the likes of Mark Martin, Kurt Busch, and Carl Edwards.
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In 1989, Fennig was paired with Trickle, who was entering his rookie campaign at the age of 48 after making occasional one-off appearances in the Winston Cup Series and racing in various other series before that.
Fennig talked about working with his fellow Wisconsinite, Trickle, during an appearance on Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s podcast, The Dale Jr. Download.
“I think our first race was Rockingham, and I’ll never forget this one because old Dick was from the north, you know, and Dick always wore cowboy boots. So, he got (to the track) and I had a set of driving shoes for him because I know the interiors of these cars are hotter than ASA (American Speed Association) cars, you know.
“I said, ‘Dick, you’re going to need to take these boots off and put these Simpson (racing) shoes on.’ And, he said, ‘No, I’m going to be all right. I’m going to be all right.'”
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So, Fennig acquiesced, and Trickle hopped in the car with his cowboy boots on, something that would never fly today.
However, Trickle — who sadly died in 2013 — realized this may have been a mistake.
“So, I think halfway during the race, they had a yellow,” Fennig recalled. “He says, ‘I need them shoes.’ So I said, ‘Okay, four tires and a set of shoes, guys.'”
Earnhardt then asked about another Dick Trickle legend.
“Did he have a cigarette lighter in your car?” Earnhardt asked.
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“Oh, yeah,” Fennig said. “He put it in there.”
Fennig talked about a race at Dover in which Trickle crashed entering the pit lane, and he suspected it was because he was lighting a cigarette.
Well, we may never know for sure, but just before this interview came out, footage was making the rounds on X that showed Trickle puffing away on a lung dart mid-race.
They certainly don’t make them like they used to, do they?
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