March 25 – Today in Jayski’s NASCAR history

March 25, 1998

• • • As most of the readers know, I have followed Chris Trickle’s shooting since it happened, so I am sorry to report this: Race car driver Chris Trickle, who spent 13 months in a coma after being shot on a freeway overpass, died Wednesday at a Las Vegas hospital. He was 25. Trickle, a promising stock car driver and the nephew of Winston Cup driver Dick Trickle, was never able to fully come out of
      the coma caused when he was shot in the head on Feb. 9, 1997, while driving to play tennis with a friend. His death came less than a month after Trickle made a public appearance at a fundraiser held before the Las Vegas 400 Winston Cup race. Though not conscious, his parents brought him in a wheelchair to the fundraiser that raised $20,297 to help pay for his care. A hospital spokeswoman confirmed the death, but said the family wanted no details released. The full AP story is at Nando Net(NandoNet/WRAL/AP) and other AP sites.(3-25-98)
      Services are set for Sunday for race car driver Chris Trickle, who fought for more than a year before succumbing to a bullet wound to his head. Trickle died Wednesday after spending more than a year in a coma, the result of being shot in the head on a darkened freeway overpass near the Las Vegas Strip. The cause of death was lung complications.(SpeedNet/AP)(3-27-98)
    • #88 Ryder Chevy BGN Team owner David Ridling, who formed the Ridling Motorsports NASCAR Busch Series team three years ago, completed the sale to driver Kevin Schwantz last week. Ridling, a Florida native who moved to Mooresville, N.C., when he formed the Busch Series team midway through the 1995 season, told Speedway Scene in a telephone interview last week that he was selling now because he “got tired of the ownership role.”(3-25-98)
    • Nancy who does some on-track reporting for the StockCarFans email newsletter has some Transouth 400 pictures up on her website at Kendrick Kreations.
      Also, Nancy has an e-mail campaign going, with this question: Are you in favor of keeping the spring race at Darlington?(3-25-98)
    • “Monday, crew chief Doug Richert and driver Kevin Lepage met to discuss their future. Shortly after the meeting, the two called owner Joe Falk and announced that they would be spending the remainder of the season with the team. Both Kevin and Doug feel that the team will find a sponsor and that the long term prospects are high, coming off a top 15 finish at Atlanta and a top 10 start at Darlington. The team was in Martinsville yesterday, and Kevin is scheduled to join them today in preparing for the Goody’s 500 race held there on April 19th.” see the story at LJ Racing Page. That should squash the LePage to the #1 rumors.(see below), also LePage tested at Martinsville today in the #91 Chevy and ran in the 20.40 second range last year’s Pole times were 20.153 in the spring and 20.272 in the fall(NASCAR Online)(3-25-98)
    • Jim Long has resigned as crew chief on the #10 Tide Ford owned and driven by Ricky Rudd. Bill Ingle has assumed crew chief duties. Long is supposedly working in the #8 Circuit City Chevy shops, not sure if he’ll be the new crew chief for Hut Stricklin(3-25-98)
    • Former NFL coach Jerry Glanville will attempt to make his NASCAR Winston Cup Series debut in the June Richmond race. Glanville races periodically in the Craftsman Truck Series, USAR Hooters ProCup Series, Winston West Series, and anything else he can find. When not at a touring series race he often runs regular super late model shows at Peach State Speedway in Jefferson GA. At Richmond, Glanville will be in his own #51 Ford with sponsors HBO Sports and Unifirst Uniforms. (Source: John Kaiser of Racing Information Systems via StockCar Fans Newsletter)(3-25-98)
    • Mike Wallace will drive the John Andretti owned #96 Big-A Auto Parts BGN Chevrolet at Bristol this weekend as well as the Hickory and Nazareth races(NASCAR Online)(3-25-98)
    • Elliott Sadler will make his first (1998) WC attempt at the Coca-Cola 600 in May, followed by efforts at Indianapolis, Darlington’s fall race, the second Charlotte race and the season finale in Atlanta.(TNN-www.country.com)(3-25-98)
    • UPDATE: NASCAR Online reports that DW will drive the #1 Pennzoil Chevy subbing for injured driver Steve Park until Park can return(NASCAR Online)(3-25-98)
    • Pennzoil and Dale Earnhardt Inc. plan a major announcement regarding an interim driver for the #1 Pennzoil Monte Carlo on Friday at 10 a.m. in the infield media center at Bristol Motor Speedway.(Pennzoil)(3-25-98)
    • I hear that Darrell Waltrip is in the #1 Pennzoil Chevy this weekend at Bristol and until Park is fit to get back in the car. Ron Hornaday will not attempt to make the race. Also there will not be a #17 entry in the race. Announcement to be made sometime Friday(3/27) morning. New owner of the #17, Earnhardt and DW will be there. No idea what plans the new owner has or who his driver will be.(3-25-98)
    • While an AP story says DW will drive the car thru Bristol(WRAL)(3-25-98)

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