Dick Terrell from Gas City

RBurns17 · 5/27/16, 3:41 PM

I'm sure a lot of you know Dick who worked at Gas City and was a staple around sprint car races for years. I had seen a thread with people inquiring about his illness earlier this month and I just thought I would update those who know him as he was a close family friend and sadly passed away last night.

Dick lived for sprint car racing and I'm sure more than most of you have crossed paths with him in some capacity. It's not hard to come up with an abundance of flattering adjectives to describe the man he was, but even if you had just briefly met him you would find them as no surprise because he was as genuine a person that you could ever meet, but dedicated is probably the most fitting. He has had tremendous dedication to the sport and it gives me some measure of satisfaction that he was able to make it out to one last race last weekend, as it was where he loved to be more than anywhere else.

Charles Nungester · 5/27/16, 3:52 PM

I can't say I knew him well but met and talked with him numerous times. He even helped me with my car at Bloomington. I got the feeling if you knew him for ten minutes, You'd of known exactly who he was. A good man, willing to help anyone who didn't cross him.

I got the feeling from the update earlier this year that something might be majorly wrong, But Im glad he got out even a few days before to be around the people and sport he loved. Knowing him, He was trying to help. This is the second friend that was a staple of Gas City Speedway who's passed now and I've only been there about 10 times that always made me feel welcome and at home being there.

Rest Peacefully Dick Terrell! While you can. Im sure you can watch all the races now!

Jerry Shaw · 5/27/16, 4:16 PM

There a lot of superlatives you could use to describe Dick Terrell. Smart would be one of them, because he knew so much about racing and life in general. Genuine, as RBurns said, because he was the real deal. When he said something, you could take that to the bank. He was such a well respected man around this racing scene. And he was just a good and decent man. I learned so many things from talking to Dick and am so lucky to have been a friend of his. As I'm sure there are hundreds of people thinking, right now.

Rest in peace.

dirt_trackgurl006 · 5/27/16, 7:18 PM

My family and I would like to send our thoughts and prayers are to Dick's family, friends and the entire community today. Dick was a great friend and was extremely helpful and nice to my father, Gail and I.
He will be greatly missed by the entire racing family.
Kasi Chapman

wildman92 · 5/27/16, 7:29 PM

Will miss seeing Dick on his perch at LPS. Rest in peace and enjoy the view. We all will miss you.

ronmil · 5/27/16, 9:27 PM

So sorry that he has passed but we can take comfort knowing that he is in a better place now. I am glad that I was able to visit with him on my last trip to LPS. Rest in peace, my friend!

Dirtfan · 5/28/16, 12:56 AM

Very sad news no doubt. I visited with Dick @ TSS on April 16th, he shared with me what was going on in his life, I asked is there anything that I can do, he said no, he just wanted to attend as many races that he could this year," I don't want anyone feeling sorry for me, it's getting close to my time to go, when I'm gone I want everyone to have a party and drink a beer for me".
I never saw him that he didn't have a smile and a handshake and he'd ask do you guys have seats. Last week a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to go to Kokomo with him Sunday, I said sure, see some racing and talk to Dick as I knew he would be there. We got to see him but he wasn't well at all.
A good guy and a great friend to a lot of people, and as we all know, he Loved Sprint Car Racing.

Gods Speed to You Big Dog, May You Rest In Peace.

dirtnonwingfan · 5/28/16, 1:35 AM

I'm so sorry to hear this. The fact that we knew this was coming sooner rather than later doesn't make it any easier. I echo all the good things related above. My thoughts and prayers to Dick's family and friends.

Dblchkrs · 5/28/16, 2:40 PM

Rest easy my friend! You will be missed!

bni69 · 5/29/16, 4:59 PM

Our thoughts and prayers to Dick's family. He was a great friend as well as a great volunteer at Gas City I-69 Speedway.

Thomason Family, Canaday Family, and Nichols Family