In a chilly mist, Dick Trickle stood with a smile on his face.
So did his family and friends.
The Wisconsin racing legend has been gone for more than six years, but Sunday a statue of Trickle became the centerpiece of a memorial in his hometown, a life-sized likeness of a larger-than-life character.
His smile will remain, cast in bronze. His arms are raised, forever saluting his fans.
….
On a day completely unfit for racing, several hundred fans and fellow racers and friends joined the Dick Trickle Memorial board members and volunteers and Trickle’s brother, sisters and daughter for the statue dedication.
They gathered in the park’s pavilions and tents for a seven-hour celebration and fundraiser for the memorial that is still a year from completion. People snapped pictures and asked members of Trickle’s family for autographs. They checked out a handful of race cars parked near the statue, even when they had to wade through ankle-deep puddles.