Former teen phenom ties Kyle Busch for 10th on track’s all-time wins list since 2000
Former teen phenom Chris Trickle found his way back to the winner’s circle for the first time in nearly five years at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday night.
Trickle, 20, took the checkered flag in the 30-lap Late Model Truck Series feature race on Blooming Memory Flowers Mother’s Night, ending a winless drought dating back to the fall of 2016. The Las Vegas driver won for the 25th time at The Bullring, tying Kyle Busch, Dave Green and Glen Burke for 10th on the 3/8-mile paved oval’s all-time Saturday night wins list since the 2000 reconfiguration with his first triumph since a NASCAR Super Late Models win at the track.
“I didn’t get any sleep last night, I was so excited,” said Trickle, who became a father to daughter Sara Lynn Trickle in 2018 and is looking to expand his racing lineup the remainder of 2021. “That is cool [to tie Kyle Busch], and I study Kyle all the time. I love how he drives and how he works, and he’s definitely someone I look up to.
“Going into this weekend, all I wanted was a top five, but we were really fast and stout all weekend long. I couldn’t thank Gary Wyatt, CSM Graphics and Cyber Solutions enough, and my spotter, Nick Lautenbach, was on point.”
Trickle crossed the line 3.229 seconds ahead of Phoenix-based driver Keaton Swane, with Bullring veteran Stan Mullis taking third, Bill Black finishing fourth and series co-manager Gary Wyatt rounding out the top five.
Trickle finished fifth in his heat race after dealing with a spring issue on the left front of the truck, but was able to iron out the kinks in the feature. He quickly made his way to the front of the field in less than 10 laps and pulled away to punch his ticket for victory lane. “I was not expecting to win that quickly coming back, but my guys just kept that Chevy truck really stout all weekend long,” said Trickle, who made headlines by winning a NASCAR Super Late Model race at The Bullring as a 14-year-old in 2014. “The horsepower and rolling through the corners is way different in the trucks than the Super Late Models, but I’m pretty good at adapting. Those trucks, I think I’m full throttle around the whole track, and they’re super fun to drive.”
Black and Mike Egurola won the six-lap heat races, and the drivers kept the hammer down and their noses clean for all 30 laps. “It was a great night of racing, and it was awesome to see Chris back in the winner’s circle again,” Riefler said. “We had our second caution-less race of the season, and Gary Wyatt and I were thrilled to have 12 trucks on the track. We hope to make some scheduling announcements soon and are looking forward to an exciting summer.”
The series ran seven events in 2019 and four in 2018, with Allison taking both season points titles. Last year’s racing season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the series returned to action on April 17, with Las Vegas’ Matt Jaskol taking the win. The region’s truck racing lineage dates back to the Speed Truck Series that originated in 1997 under the American Speed Association (ASA). MechanixWear gloves and Go Fast! energy drinks sponsored the class throughout the years, and the trucks raced at up to 10 different tracks in California, Arizona and Nevada before the ASA disbanded in 2013.
The series trucks feature a full-tube chassis, a 330-horsepower sealed V-8 spec engine and two-speed direct-drive transmission, with a clutch pedal dump valve, coupled to an aluminum quick-change rear end. The trucks sport replica fiberglass bodies of the Chevrolet S-10, Chevrolet Colorado, Dodge Dakota, Ford Ranger and Toyota Tacoma.
Series partners include the On Wheels Now online radio show – the longest-running motorsports radio show in Las Vegas – Campout and ReliableBanner.com.
May 8 results The Bullring at LVMS
30-lap feature
Chris Trickle; 2. Keaton Swane (-3.229 seconds); 3. Stan Mullis (-4.078); 4. Bill Black (-4.647); 5. Gary Wyatt (-9.051); 6. Mark Allison (-12.656); 7. Mike Egurola (-13.606); 8. Lisa Bogart (-14.121); 9. Court Connell (-16.237); 10. Arlie Daniel (16.535); 11. Sean Davis (-1 lap); 12. Mike Riefler (-16 laps).
2021 Late Model Truck Series schedule
June TBD
Sept. 4 Throwback Night The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas
Oct. TBD
Nov. 6 West Coast Short Track Championships The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Las Vegas
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