Chris Trickle
Encyclopedia
Chris Trickle was a NASCAR
driver who was murdered in an unsolved drive-by shooting
.
.
Trickle turned to stock cars in 1990. He was the 1992 rookie of the year in the late model
s at the 3/8 mile track at Las Vegas Speedway Park. He finished third in the season points with 3 wins in 18 events.
He had 10 wins, 14 poles, and 12 Top-10 finished in 23 events and finished second in the 1993 Southern California Sportsman Series (late models).
In 1994 Trickle had 8 wins, 20 poles, and 18 Top-10 finishes in 29 races in his late model.
In 1995 he competed at two levels. He had 16 wins and 24 poles in 32 races in his late model. He also competed in 13 races in the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series
(Southwest Series), and he had one pole and one Top-10 finish.
In 1996 he competed exclusively in the Southwest Series, and with 4 races left he had 1 win and 7 Top-10 finishes in 14 races.
Trickle gained national attention while appearing on the NASCAR Winter Heat
series on TNN
and ESPN2
. He raced in late models, the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series
, and NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series during the series. He competed in the #70 car.
Trickle was scheduled to join the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
in 1997.
around 9pm to play tennis with a friend at a lighted court. As he drove over the freeway, a car drove alongside and fired shots into his car hitting him in the head.
Trickle died from his wounds on 25 March 1998, 409 days after the shooting. At the time of the shooting, Nevada law limited murder prosecution to one year and one dayhttp://www.racingwest.com/news/story.php3/1958.Trickle's death from his wounds thus occurred after the prosecution time limit. In 1999 Nevada passed a law (Chris Trickle bill) which removed the time limit on prosecution for murder charges. Trickle's murder remains unsolved, and was featured on America's Most Wanted
.
His father Chuck returned to racing afterwards and became the 2003 Super Late Model Champion at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
, and still actively races. Trickle was succeeded in the Star Nursery team's Southwest Tour car by Kurt Busch
, who won the 1999 Southwest Tour Championship with the team.
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
driver who was murdered in an unsolved drive-by shooting
Drive-by shooting
A drive-by shooting is a form of hit-and-run tactic, a personal attack carried out by an individual or individuals from a moving or momentarily stopped vehicle without use of headlights to avoid being noticed. It often results in bystanders being shot instead of, or as well as, the intended target...
.
Family
Trickle was the son of Chuck and Barbara Trickle, and nephew of NASCAR driver Dick TrickleDick Trickle
Richard "Dick" Trickle is a retired American race car driver. He raced for decades around the short tracks of Wisconsin, winning many championships along the way. Trickle has competed in the ASA, ARTGO, ARCA, All Pro, IMCA, NASCAR, and USAC.In more than an estimated 2,200 races, Trickle has logged...
.
Racing career
Chris began racing in motorcycles when he was eight years old. He had two track championship by the time he was fifteen. He then drove in a national touring series.Trickle turned to stock cars in 1990. He was the 1992 rookie of the year in the late model
Late model
A "late model car" is a car which has been recently designed or manufactured, often the latest model. The term is broadly used in car racing, and often appears in common use, as in "The officer was driving an unmarked, late model sedan."There is no precise...
s at the 3/8 mile track at Las Vegas Speedway Park. He finished third in the season points with 3 wins in 18 events.
He had 10 wins, 14 poles, and 12 Top-10 finished in 23 events and finished second in the 1993 Southern California Sportsman Series (late models).
In 1994 Trickle had 8 wins, 20 poles, and 18 Top-10 finishes in 29 races in his late model.
In 1995 he competed at two levels. He had 16 wins and 24 poles in 32 races in his late model. He also competed in 13 races in the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series
NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series
The SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series is a Late Model racing league operating since 1985, originally with NASCAR sanction as the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour and later AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series, and before being sanctioned by a group of West Coast racers under the premises of...
(Southwest Series), and he had one pole and one Top-10 finish.
In 1996 he competed exclusively in the Southwest Series, and with 4 races left he had 1 win and 7 Top-10 finishes in 14 races.
Trickle gained national attention while appearing on the NASCAR Winter Heat
Winter Heat Series
Winter Heat Series was a television program on TNN and later ESPN2 that featured stock car racing.-History:The program aired during the winter months between November and January . The program began during the 1994-1995 winter and ran through the 1998-1999 winter...
series on TNN
TNN Motor Sports/TNN Sports
TNN Sports was a unit of The Nashville Network, and later as The National Network . TNN Sports aired Motorsports events from 1983–2003, the XFL in 2001, and Arena Football League games from 2000–2003-History:It all began when the network launched in 1983...
and ESPN2
ESPN2
ESPN2 is an American sports cable television network owned by ESPN. The channel debuted on October 1, 1993.Originally nicknamed "the deuce," ESPN2 was initially branded as a network for a younger generation of sports fans featuring edgier graphics as well as extreme sports like motocross,...
. He raced in late models, the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series
NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series
The SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series is a Late Model racing league operating since 1985, originally with NASCAR sanction as the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour and later AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series, and before being sanctioned by a group of West Coast racers under the premises of...
, and NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series during the series. He competed in the #70 car.
Trickle was scheduled to join the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series
Craftsman Truck Series
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing...
in 1997.
Murder/Death
On 9 February 1997 Trickle left his home in Las VegasNevada
Nevada is a state in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada's people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its...
around 9pm to play tennis with a friend at a lighted court. As he drove over the freeway, a car drove alongside and fired shots into his car hitting him in the head.
Trickle died from his wounds on 25 March 1998, 409 days after the shooting. At the time of the shooting, Nevada law limited murder prosecution to one year and one dayhttp://www.racingwest.com/news/story.php3/1958.Trickle's death from his wounds thus occurred after the prosecution time limit. In 1999 Nevada passed a law (Chris Trickle bill) which removed the time limit on prosecution for murder charges. Trickle's murder remains unsolved, and was featured on America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted
America's Most Wanted is an American television program produced by 20th Television, and was the longest-running program of any kind in the history of the Fox Television Network until it was announced on May 16, 2011 that the series was canceled after twenty-three years, with the final episode...
.
His father Chuck returned to racing afterwards and became the 2003 Super Late Model Champion at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway
Las Vegas Motor Speedway, located in Clark County, Nevada near Las Vegas, is a complex of multiple tracks for automobile racing. The complex is owned by Speedway Motorsports, Inc., which is headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina.-History:...
, and still actively races. Trickle was succeeded in the Star Nursery team's Southwest Tour car by Kurt Busch
Kurt Busch
Kurt Thomas Busch is an American NASCAR and NHRA driver. He drives the No. 22 Shell Oil Company/Pennzoil Dodge Charger in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and will race on an "opportunity permitting" basis in the Pro Stock division of NHRA...
, who won the 1999 Southwest Tour Championship with the team.