LONDON (Reuters) - China led a rise in global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions to a record high in 2012, casting doubt over the chances of limiting global warming to what scientists regard as an acceptable level.

Falls in CO2 emissions by the United States and Europe were offset by China, lifting worldwide emissions by 1.4 percent to 31.6 billion tonnes, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Monday.

Scientists have said that the rise in global average temperature needs to be limited to less than 2 degrees Celsius this century to prevent climate effects such as crop failure and melting glaciers, but that would require emissions to be kept to about 44 billion tonnes of CO2 equivalent by 2020.

The IEA said that the world is on a path to an average temperature rise of between 3.6 and 5.3 degrees Celsius.

China's CO2 emissions rose by 300 million tonnes last year, but the 3.8 percent gain was one of the lowest it has achieved in a decade, reflecting the nation's efforts to adopt renewable sources and improve energy efficiency.

Japan's emissions, meanwhile, rose by 70 million tonnes, or 5.8 percent, as efforts to improve energy efficiency failed to offset increasing use of fossil fuels after the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, the IEA said.

In the United States, a switch from coal to gas in power generation helped to reduce emissions by 200 million tonnes, or 3.8 percent, bringing them back to the level of the mid-1990s.

Even though the use of coal increased in some European countries because of low prices, emissions in Europe declined by 50 million tonnes, or 1.4 percent, because of the economic slowdown, growth in renewables and emissions caps on industrial and power companies.

FOUR-POINT PLAN

IEA chief economist Fatih Birol told Reuters that he does not expect any EU country to be able to produce substantial amounts of shale gas, as the United States has done, before 2020.

"After 2020, if there are increases in shale use in EU countries such as Britain, Poland and Germany, and it replaced coal like in the U.S., there would be a greater reduction in emissions," he said.

The IEA urged governments to adopt quickly four policies that would ensure climate goals could be reached without harming economic growth. They are: improving energy efficiency in buildings, industry and transport; limiting the construction and use of inefficient power plants; halving methane emissions; and partially phasing out fossil fuel subsidies.

The agency said that the coal industry in particular needs to take the development of carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology more seriously to ensure cleaner use of the fossil fuel.

CCS buries and traps CO2 underground but it is not yet a commercially viable proposition.

"Realistically, we need to see CCS penetrate within the next 10 years - certainly no later than 2025 - or the fossil fuel industry will be caught unprepared," Birol said.

International negotiators are in Bonn, Germany, until Friday for United Nations talks aimed getting a new global climate treaty signed by 2015 and in force by 2020.

U.N. climate chief Christiana Figueres said that the IEA report comes at a crucial time for the talks.

"Once again we are reminded that the gap can be closed this decade, using proven technologies and known policies, and without harming economic growth in any region," she said.

The Indians (30-30) have lost five on the trot, allowing the Tigers (33-26) to open up a three and a half game lead in the division.

Victor Martinez finished a triple shy of the cycle, hammering an important home run for Detroit against his former team.

National League Central leaders St. Louis strengthened their position with a 9-2 demolition of Cincinnati.

The Cardinals (40-21) were the first in the majors to 40 wins thanks to David Freese, Jon Jay and Pete Kozma, who combined for six hits and seven RBIs to give St. Louis a four game lead over the Reds (36-25) and Pittsburgh Pirates.

Russell Martin scored a run and drove in another as the Pirates produced a major league leading 10th shutout, beating the Chicago Cubs 2-0.

Francisco Liriano pitched seven innings allowing just two hits, striking out eight as the Pirates (36-25) stayed in touch while the Cubs (24-34) sunk deeper in the mire.

It took a Desmond Jennings two-run homer in the bottom of the seventh to interrupt Jason Hammel's shutout bid and help edge the Tampa Bay Rays to a 2-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

Tampa Bay (33-27) are fourth in the AL East but still have the Orioles (34-27), New York Yankees (35-26) and Red Sox (37-24) within reach. The Yankees fell 4-1 to Seattle (27-35).

The other AL East team, Toronto (26-34), upset the Texas Rangers (36-24) 6-1, helped by a Melky Cabrera home run, one of three hits to go with his two RBIs.

It allowed the Oakland Athletics (38-25) to steal the AL West lead after their 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox (25-34).

Nolan Arenado produced a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth to help the Colorado Rockies (33-29) to a 10-9 win over San Diego (28-33) in the NL West.

But the Arizona Diamondbacks (35-26) stayed on top with 3-1 win over San Francisco (31-29) while the Los Angeles Dodgers (27-33) beat the high flying Atlanta Braves (37-24) for the second night running with a 2-1 win in 10 innings after Skip Schumaker scored on a wild pitch.

(Reporting by Ben Everill in Los Angeles; Editing by Peter Rutherford)

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CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida (Reuters) - In a scene right out of Star Trek, a Texas company is developing a 3-D food printer for astronauts to create custom meals on the fly.

With support from NASA, the firm, Systems and Materials Research Corp of Austin, intends to design, build and test a food printer that can work in space.

"This project is to demonstrate we can create and change the nutrition of the food and be able to print it in a low-gravity environment," the company's research director and lead chemist, David Irvin, told Reuters.

Three-dimensional printers create solid objects by depositing droplets of material one layer at a time.

Systems and Materials intends to create nutritionally rich, aesthetically appealing and tasty synthetic food by combining powdered proteins, starches, fats and flavors with water or oil to produce a wide array of digital recipes.

All the ingredients are designed for extremely long shelf-lives, making them suitable for long stays in space.

"The 3-D printing system will provide hot and quick food in addition to personalized nutrition, flavor and taste," the company wrote in its proposal to NASA.

"The biggest advantage of 3-D printed food technology will be zero waste, which is essential in long-distance space missions," it added.

Ultimately, the company sees food printers as a way to help feed a world population that is estimated to reach 12 billion by the end of the century. The technology may also have implications for the military.

"A 3D-printed food system can reduce military logistics, disposal waste, increase operational efficiency and mission effectiveness especially during wartime," the company said.

"In addition, 3-D printed food can provide optimal nutrient to the soldiers depending on their personal needs and level of physical activities."

Eventually Irvin sees a day when food printers will play a role in everyday diet and nutrition.

"The initial plan is to work with NASA and the astronauts and then as things become commercially viable, we will definitely consider weight loss and weight gain" applications, Irvin said.

The company's six-month, Small Business Innovation Research study contract, worth up to $125,000, is pending, said NASA spokesman Allard Beutel.

"These are very early stage concepts that may or may not mature into actual systems. This technology may result in a Phase 2 study, which will still be several years from flight hardware," Beutel added.

(Editing by Kevin Gray and Christopher Wilson)

He just can't. Not yet, at least.

Maybe Hamlin has to learn to win at Dover before he can truly embrace the mile concrete oval.

Hamlin has been tormented for years by the track and voiced his disdain for Dover as finishes in the 30s or worse piled up. Hamlin also knows he can't focus on the past disappointments. He has to conquer his Dover demons and try and win there if he wants to keep his long shot bid to make Chase alive.

Winning the pole for Sunday's race was a nice start.

Hamlin, actually, has won the last two poles at Dover and parlayed his top spot into an eighth-place finish in the September race. The top-10 snapped a streak of three straight double-digit finishes at the Monster Mile. Hamlin had a four-race stretch from 2007-09 where he finished no better than 36th.

Those are usually the results for a driver like Casey Mears, not someone like Hamlin, who is always in the thick of the championship hunt.

His average Dover finish of 19.6 is the worst of any track.

But two poles and a top 10 could be the start of a new era for Hamlin.

"We possibly could have turned the corner here," Hamlin said. "We'll actually see the results on Sunday."

Hamlin needs a big payoff in the form of a checkered flag at the 400-mile race. Hamlin's four-race absence because of his back injury has him needing wins to make the Chase and race for his first career championship.

Hamlin's fourth-place finish last week at Charlotte Motor Speedway moved him up three spots to 24th in the standings, 53 points out of 20th position, where he'd need to be to be eligible for one of two wild-card slots in the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. He is 97 points out of the top 10 and an automatic berth in the Chase.

Hamlin is ready drive for wins, not just a solid points day.

"We're going to need to win races, so we're going to do everything we can to try to get that," he said. "I''ll be as aggressive as I can, so I'm treating this as more of an offensive race than a defensive one, for sure."

He's in a hole after being sidelined for four races with a compression fracture in his lower spine following a March 24 crash involving former teammate Joey Logano. His Joe Gibbs Racing team has done all it can to make him comfortable in the No. 11 Toyota. He switched up his seat belt configuration, had air bags stuffed into the driver's seat to assist with comfort and there's padding to help support his still achy back.

"I'm pretty comfortable right now, really as comfortable as I've been," Hamlin said.

The adjustments to his seat certainly haven't affected his performance. Hamlin has moved up seven spots to 24th place in the standings since his return. JGR teammate Kyle Busch is the only driver 11th to 20th in the standings with a victory.

Hamlin, who won five times last season, has 20th in sight and one of his favorite tracks up next Pocono Raceway. He has four career wins at Pocono.

"We're going to have to capitalize on our money tracks," Hamlin said. "We're going to have to win at those race tracks, and sneak a few in here and there when we don't expect it. We're doing everything we can. If we come up short, then we come up short."

Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson are the only two drivers to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup every year they've been eligible.

The Chase may as well have already started for Hamlin.

Not only does he need to win, he has to hope that many former Cup champions stuck in the 11th to 20th spots also don't drive their way into Victory Lane. Jeff Gordon, Kurt Busch and Tony Stewart are among the drivers who need a win to help solidify a wild-card spot.

"If you go for wins, then you're going to run well and finish consistent," Busch said.

With the way Hamlin has been running, he should crack the top 20.

One big win sure would help.

"We just need to win everything we can," he said.

___

Follow Dan Gelston on Twitter: http://twitter.com/APGelston

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap.com) - Once he wraps the villainous role of the Rhino in "The Amazing Spider-Man 2," Oscar nominee Paul Giamatti will play Brian Wilson's therapist Dr. Eugene Landy in Bill Pohlad's indie movie "Love & Mercy."

John Cusack and Paul Dano are set to star as the troubled Beach Boys frontman during different points in his remarkable life.

A co-production between Pohlad's River Road Entertainment and John Wells Productions, "Love & Mercy" will take an unconventional look at Wilson's life and explore his legendary battle with mental illness, as well as the love that keeps him alive.

While Landy primarily served as Wilson's therapist, he also wormed his way into the artist's life to an unhealthy and perhaps unethical degree.

Pohlad is producing with John Wells and Claire Rudnick Polstein of John Wells Productions. Oren Moverman ("The Messenger") wrote the script and will executive produce with Jim Lefkowitz. Atticus Ross ("The Social Network") will work on the sound design of the film and the soundtrack.

"Love & Mercy," which is expected to start production this summer, marks a return to directing for Pohlad, who wrote, directed and co-produced his first feature film "Old Explorers" after forming River Road Entertainment. He has also directed and produced a number of commercial and documentary film projects throughout the years.

Giamatti, who received an Oscar nomination for his rousing turn in "Cinderella Man," is in for another busy awards season with key supporting roles in Disney's "Saving Mr. Banks" and Steve McQueen's "Twelve Years a Slave." He also plays Abraham Zapruder in the JFK assassination movie "Parkland."

Giamatti will soon be seen as Friar Laurence in "Romeo and Juliet," and he also voices a role in DreamWorks Animation's "Turbo," which speeds into theaters on July 17 via 20th Century Fox. He's represented by UTA and Kipperman Management.

TORONTO (Reuters) - The Federal Reserve is poised to evaluate and potentially make changes to its massive monetary stimulus, a top Fed official who is critical of the Fed's bond-buying program said on Tuesday.

To counter the financial crisis, the Fed dropped short-term interest rates to near zero in late 2008 and has since bought more than $2.5 trillion in bonds to bolster what has been an anemic economic recovery. Financial markets have been increasingly on edge on expectations that the Fed is ready to start scrolling back on its stimulus.

"The plot now thickens," Richard Fisher, president of the Dallas Federal Reserve Bank, said. He likened developments in the Fed's monetary policy to a Shakespearean play starring a "daring captain," Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, steering the ship of the U.S. economy.

"Act IV, just beginning, will involve the drama of introspection, with the FOMC evaluating the utility of its navigational tactics, and, perhaps, fine-tuning them, if not altering the course," Fisher said, referring to the Fed's policy-setting Federal Open Market Committee, in remarks prepared for delivery to the C.D. Howe Institute Directors' Dinner in Toronto. Fisher is not a voting member of the committee this year.

"Only time will reveal the efficacy of current policy and whether the risks that I and more experienced observers like Paul Volcker fret over are as substantial as we surmise, or whether we have made much ado about nothing," he added. Volcker was the chairman of the Fed from 1979 to 1987.

NO QE TO INFINITY

Fisher is a longtime critic of the Fed's current bond-buying program, the Fed's third round of quantitative easing, known as QE3. He argues it has done little to help the economy and poses a risk of doing great harm.

He told the Toronto audience there was a "practical limit" to the size of the Fed's balance sheet and investors should not expect "QE infinity."

He later told journalists he had advocated for the Fed to begin slowing the rate of purchases of mortgage-backed securities, but not stop them.

Asked if he was concerned about the impact of rising bond yields on the economy, he said it should be monitored but that policymakers could not let markets dictate policy.

"We cannot live in fear that gee whiz, the market is going to be unhappy that we are not giving them more monetary cocaine," he said.

Fisher said he was not surprised to see a rise in bond yields given that they are near historically low levels, adding that as a former hedge fund manager he would be cautious.

Last week Volcker, who led the U.S. central bank's aggressive battle against inflation, also sounded a warning on QE3, saying that central banks are often too late in removing stimulus.

Fisher on Tuesday did not repeat his call, made most recently last month, for the central bank to cut back immediately on its $85 billion in monthly bond purchases, though he did reiterate his concerns.

While chances are "extremely low" that monetary policies will help push inflation above the Fed's 2 percent target this year, the bond-buying program is, "at best, pushing on a string and, at worst, building up kindling for speculation and, eventually, a massive shipboard fire of inflation," he said.

He noted that while there was disinflation in some categories such as food, he was not worried as this was emboldening consumers.

Uncertainty over U.S. fiscal policy is keeping businesses from hiring, he added, negating the power of the Fed's super-easy policies.

Even so, recent job gains and retail sales suggest the recovery is strong enough "to propel hopes that consumption will help employment growth gradually improve over the long term," Fisher said.

Unemployment is expected to remain at 7.5 percent when the U.S. government releases its May jobs report this Friday.

Bernanke last month said the central bank needs to see further signs of traction before easing up on its monetary stimulus, but also said a decision to do so could be made at one of the Fed's "next few meetings" if the economy looked set to gain momentum.

(With additional reporting by Ann Saphir; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)

When people cut in front of an RV or a large truck and slam on their brakes, it puts many people's lives in danger. There is a reason we leave that large space between our RV and the vehicle in front of us. It provides us room to stop as well as the ability to see what's happening in the traffic ahead.

Your readers should also know that even though we RV-ers have mirrors and possibly rear video cameras, there are many blind spots -- especially if the car behind us is following too close or weaving in and out of lanes.

The bottom line is: Be safe. Be courteous. Drive like your life and the lives of others are in your control because it is literally true. -- HAPPY CAMPER, PASCO, WASH.

DEAR HAPPY CAMPER: I'm glad you wrote because I have received several letters recently, asking me to alert my readers about the risk of driving too close to RVs and fifth-wheel vehicles. Too many motorists don't realize that it's impossible to stop suddenly while pulling a load that weighs several tons. A word to the wise ...

DEAR ABBY: A woman here at work constantly asks to borrow money. The first time she did it, she caught me off guard and I gave her $20. The second time she sent me an email asking for a loan, I replied that I only had a few dollars.

I'm not the only person she asks. Five other people in our department have told me she has hit them up too. One of them reported her to our HR manager, but it hasn't stopped her. To be fair, she did return the $20 I loaned her, but isn't this akin to a hostile work environment?

We all avoid her because we know she'll ask for money, but we also have to work with her every day. Times are tough for everyone, and it's irritating that she thinks she's the only one with money problems.

Is there anything we can do short of ganging up on her and telling her to leave us all alone? -- ALSO FEELING THE PINCH IN UTAH

DEAR ALSO FEELING THE PINCH: The next time the woman asks for a loan, tell her you're not in the loan business, and that you're not the only one who feels put upon. Suggest that unless she wants to become an outcast she will stop asking for money because it has made everyone uncomfortable. If she persists after that, report what she's doing to HR as a group.

DEAR ABBY: I have a friend who was raised Catholic. I'm not Catholic, and every time I attend a wedding or funeral for one of her family members I feel uncomfortable and awkward. I often sit in the very back pew to go unnoticed.

The Catholic Church offers beautiful, unique customs that I am simply ignorant about -- like when to sit, kneel, recite, take bread, etc. I feel if I don't comply with customs at these events, I might come off as rude or disrespectful. On the other hand, if I do try, my ignorance may appear just as rude and disrespectful.

What is the right thing to do in situations like these? I want to be respectful of any religion. -- MANNERLY IN INDIANA

DEAR MANNERLY: No rule of etiquette demands that you participate in the rituals of another person's religion. If you feel uncomfortable sitting while others kneel or stand, then follow their lead. Or, continue to sit quietly at the back of the church as you are doing, which is perfectly acceptable. However, only members of the congregation in good standing should take communion.

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby ator P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

To receive a collection of Abby's most memorable -- and most frequently requested -- poems and essays, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $7 (U.S. funds) to: Dear Abby -- Keepers Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447. Shipping and handling are included in the price.

(Reuters) - Sprint Nextel Corp and Japan's SoftBank Corp said on Wednesday they had reached a national security agreement with U.S. authorities, overcoming a major hurdle for the Japanese company's $20.1 billion bid to control the wireless carrier.

Even with that approval, there are still a number of regulatory, congressional and investor hurdles facing SoftBank before it can close on its plan to break into the U.S. market. One influential U.S. senator said on Wednesday he was "carefully examining" the approval to see if it eased his security concerns.

The companies said they had received notice from the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) that it had completed its national security review of the proposed deal and there were no unresolved issues.

The approval was a blow to Dish Network, which launched an unsolicited $25 billion offer for Sprint in April.

Dish has mounted an aggressive lobbying campaign, trying to convince Washington decision-makers that foreign ownership of Sprint posed threats to U.S. national security.

In a statement late on Wednesday, Dish said the CFIUS agreement failed to address the relevant national security concerns, and the company called on Congress to conduct a review of the whole process.

On paper, all that stands in SoftBank's way now is approval from the government's "Team Telecom" security panel, the Federal Communications Commission and Sprint shareholders.

Dish, however, has been drumming up worries about the deal among lawmakers, regulators and investors, and now hopes those concerns could delay the FCC vote long enough for the shareholders to vote on June 12 on SoftBank's bid.

The FCC's transactions team is still reviewing SoftBank's bid for its market impact and no draft approval has yet circulated among the three commissioners' offices, two FCC sources said on Wednesday. A non-binding 180-day deadline for completing the review expires on Wednesday but the agency routinely extends flexible timelines.

The FCC traditionally can be reluctant to act in a way that would influence shareholders, and it remained unclear whether acting Chairwoman Mignon Clyburn's office would choose to follow CFIUS and act before a shareholder vote.

The chair's office declined comment.

NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERNS

To alleviate some national security concerns, SoftBank and Sprint agreed to several conditions, including giving the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice the power to review and veto new equipment purchases in certain circumstances.

Sprint disclosed some of the conditions in its filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday. The companies would also appoint a new Sprint board member, to be approved by the U.S. government, to oversee national security compliance.

As part of the deal with CFIUS, sources previously told Reuters that SoftBank had also agreed to remove equipment made by China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd from Sprint and Clearwire Corp's networks if the deal was completed by the end of 2016.

Last week, Clearwire's board recommended Sprint's sweetened buyout offer for the company after Sprint raised its bid.

The question remains whether CFIUS approval with such conditions will ease the concerns of Senators Charles Schumer and John McCain, both of whom have sent letters to the FCC calling for careful scrutiny of SoftBank's offer on national security grounds.

"CFIUS has agreed that there are security concerns here, and we're carefully examining the conditions they've imposed to address them," Schumer said in a statement issued by his office.

One analyst said that in the end, even with those concerns, SoftBank was likely to win the approvals it needs.

"McCain and Schumer are not your average senators, so their concerns will definitely get maximum attention at the agencies. But Japan is considered a friendly country, an ally and unless there's more to come on the national security issue, I suspect regulators will end up greenlighting the deal," said Paul Gallant, a telecom policy analyst at Guggenheim Partners.

Japanese mobile operator SoftBank agreed to buy a 70 percent stake in Sprint last October.

Sprint shares rose 0.1 percent to $7.28 on Wednesday, while Dish fell 2.2 percent to $39.25.

(Additional reporting by Sayantani Ghosh in Bangalore; Editing by Joyjeet Das, Chizu Nomiyama and Tim Dobbyn)

He places the cigarette through a hole he carved in his helmet for a quick toke and exhales.

The green flag hits and out the window goes the cigarette butt and back to racing goes Trickle.

"Dick always had a cigarette lighter in his car," said fellow NASCAR driver Geoff Bodine.

Trickle was a unique driver with a unique name who found cult-like status before his death Thursday.

Trickle, whose larger-than-life personality and penchant for fun won him legions of fans despite a lack of success beyond the nation's small tracks, died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, authorities said. He was 71.

The Lincoln County Sheriff's Office said authorities received a call believed to be from Trickle, who said "there would be a dead body and it would be his." Authorities tried to call the number back, but no one answered.

Trickle's body was found near his pickup truck at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Boger City, N.C., about 40 miles northwest of Charlotte. Sheriff's Lieutenant Tim Johnson said foul play was not suspected.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Dick Trickle on his passing today," NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France said. "Dick was a legend in the short-track racing community, particularly in his home state of Wisconsin, and he was a true fan favorite.Personalities like Dick Trickle helped shape our sport. He will be missed."

Trickle earned his reputation as a successful short track driver before joining the Winston Cup series and earning rookie of the year in 1989 at age 48.

He competed in more than 300 Cup races. Although he never won a Cup race and won only two Busch Series races, Trickle earned cult status in the 1990s.

Former ESPN anchor Keith Olbermann would regularly mention where Trickle finished after talking about each NASCAR race. It caught on and drew snickers from race fans around the country.

Bodine said there was only one way to describe Trickle, a native of Wisconsin Rapids, Wis.

"Fun," Bodine said. "Just plain fun."

Trickle was never one to be told how to live his life.

"It's all just sad," Bodine said in a telephone interview. "We don't understand why he would do this. Hopefully we will all learn why he would do that. There was something that triggered him to take his own life. We are all really saddened by this in the racing community."

NASCAR does not keep track of short-track records, but according to the (Milwaukee) Journal-Sentinel, Trickle won more than 1,000 short-track races throughout the country during his prime. He was a seven-time winner in the regional ARTGO Challenge Series in the late 1970s and mid '80s. Trickle also captured the ASA AC-Delco Challenge Series in back-to-back years in 1984-85 before turning to Cup racing.

"Dick Trickle was one of the best race drivers of the '80s, no one knew how many races he won," said Humpy Wheeler, the former president of Charlotte Motor Speedway. "He was right there with Red Farmer and other short track drivers the wins kind of got so big that they blended into each other. He was a product of the rich Wisconsin soil, where they race eight races a week in the season, and he could win all of them."

Wheeler said he asked Trickle to try NASCAR in the 1980s, but Trickle initially declined because he was so successful on the short track circuit.

"He could not make enough money then as he could on those Midwest tracks, so he deferred," Wheeler recalled. "For a guy who really won at least 700 races, I could see why. In those days, unless you were a top Cup driver, you couldn't win enough money to overcompensate for that."

Trickle eventually did move to NASCAR, settling into Iron Station, N.C., where he lived for more than 20 years. Bodine said Trickle was full of stories and popular because of it.

"People everywhere knew his name," Bodine said. "That's why they used his likeness in that movie 'Days of Thunder.' He was such a character."

The main character in that popular niche racing movie, played by Tom Cruise, was named Cole Trickle.

Bodine said that a few years ago he had to back out of a celebrity cruise for patients who were on kidney dialysis. He asked Trickle to fill in.

"He made such an impression on people on that ship that everyone wanted to know when Dick was coming back," Bodine said. "They loved him. They tell me he was the last man to leave most of the bars on the ship and I believe it."

Bodine also recalled inviting Trickle to compete in one of his bobsled events in 2004 at Lake Placid, N.Y.

He said Trickle went down the first time and crashed. After being cleared by doctors to continue, Trickle tried again and crashed in the same place.

"They were doing interviews with him on TV and he was like, 'I don't know what happened, I did the exact same thing I did the first time,'" Bodine said. "And we're all looking at him like, 'Hey Dick, maybe that was the problem.'"