Forum: HoseHeads Sprint Car General Forum (go)
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RIP to one of the greats, Rick Ferkel.   Link is to an Open Red Interview he did back in 2018.  

https://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars/open-red-ep-91-rick-ferkel-2/

Open Red Ep 91 - Rick Ferkel | World of Outlaws

RIP

Sad to hear this.  RIP Rick - thank you for the memories - you were one of the best.  Badass racer, great person.

Rick was all about supporting the sport and you just never would know where he might show up to race.

Truly an ambassador to the sport and about as down to earth as they come.

May peace come to find Rick's family and huge group of friends at this difficult time.

I need to dig through my pics to find the one I took from the LoneStar Sprint Nationals with Shirley Kear and Rick talking in the Kear's Speed Shop display in the pits.  It was a great memory of how laid back and happy he was.

For now, here's a pic of the shirt he gave this to me...first time out of the bag. (next post)

RIP Rick.

One of the originals.  Sad to hear this. Good speed

In the late 70's, I think it was fall of 1978, the year the World of Outlaws got started, our local track, Black Hills Speedway in Rapid City S.D. had a big race. They called it the Outlaw Open and it paid $1500 to win!!! Rick had made a commitment to the race and his name was used a lot in the prerace advertising. Then Rick had a change of plans and told the track he was heading to a different race instead. When he found out they had used his name in the advertising, he said "if you used my name, I will be there". 
 

It was a big deal. Unfortunately, Rick crashed in his heat and was done for the night- except for the hundreds of autographs he signed after the races. Somewhere I probably still have a program signed by Rick Ferkel 40+ years ago. 

The really cool thing I seen today was people from one end of the nation to the other sharing stories aout Rick and what a great driver and an ambassador to the sport he was. Seen him countless times in Pa and winning a race at Lincoln. RIP Rick.

Rick was amazing race car driver and worked on his stuff all the way.

Never forget seing him run Calistoga for the first time.

He set fast time !!! haha

The next time he showed up he not only set fast time he WON!!!

I will never forget seeing him running on the fence at Calistoga coming from 18th to win .

Great racing at a time when there was no wings on sprint cars.

RIP Rick Ferkel "0"

Rick and Kear's put Tiffin, Ohio on the racing map. I'm guessing there are no video's, but the show Rick put on at the 1976 Knoxville Nationals has to be one of the most incredile races ever. With Chris Economaki in the mike. He didn't win, but he was the show. You had to be there.

A legend. In and out of the car.

Thanks for all you gave us. RIP Rick!

RIP Rick won of the old school Original Best!!

My sympathy goes out to his family and close friends as well as all those who saw him do his thing in a sprint car.  One giant of a man, both on the track and in the driver's seat.  He was a big big guy. If someone was mad at him for an on-track dispute, they'd walk down to his pit and take one look at him and walk away.  Think he was 6'6" and had to be a solid 225+. Saw him win a $5,000 to win race in Minot,ND, he was played up big in the Minot Daily News and the fans showed up.  This was maybe 1969 give give or take a year or two. ANd $5,000 back then was a lot of money would be like $40,000 today.   

Lawlessness + liberalism = HELL -  NYC, Detroit, Chicago, 
Seattle, LA  Who the H runs those cities. 

R.I.P  Great guy loved to watch him wheel a sprinter!