MOTOR RACING / VINCE KOWALICK : Kiedrowski’s Motocross Hopes Riding on Home-Track Advantage

Hi, neighbor.

Soon, Mike Kiedrowski will be delivering the salutation from atop his Kawasaki dirt bike while buzzing across the friendly confines of his five-acre back yard in Canyon Country.

But that’s the way motocross riders--good riders--do things on the American Motorcycle Assn. National Motocross Series. Buy a house, build your own track behind it, train for the next scheduled race. . . .

“Fly to the race, win the race, fly home,” Kiedrowski said.

So far, Kiedrowski has had to do without a home track on which to train while construction of his home track has inched along. Nevertheless, Kiedrowski has posted two victories to assume the points lead of the AMA’S 500cc series after three of five events.

Kiedrowski, 23, a lifelong Santa Clarita Valley resident and 1987 graduate of Canyon High, has ridden to victories in Washougal, Wash., and last weekend at Binghamton, N.Y. The series’ next race is scheduled for Sept. 27 at Delmont, Pa.

Kiedrowski also competes in the AMA’s 125cc and 250cc series. Kiedrowski, who has raced professionally since 1986, won the 125cc championship in 1989.

In between, Kiedrowski spends his time plotting his home course, which will cost an estimated $30,000 to build.

“When I bought my house, my plans were to build a track,” Kiedrowski said. “All of the top riders have their own tracks. Maybe that’s why they have had an edge on me.”

Kiedrowski tearing through the dirt on a tranquil weekend morning could make his neighbors a bit edgy. But so far, none have registered any complaints. Just a few requests.

“They have no problem with it,” Kiedrowski said. “As long as I’m not riding in the evening or in the morning.”

Tall order: The big question entering tonight’s final points race of the season in Saugus Speedway’s Sportsman division is: Can Lance Hooper of Palmdale win the championship against steep odds?

Hooper, the division’s defending champion, trails Gary Sigman of Carson by 26 points. To even have a chance at winning the championship, Hooper must win tonight’s trophy dash, a heat race, and the 40-lap main event. Even if Hooper accomplishes the aforementioned hat trick, Sigman still can prevent Hooper from winning based on his own performance in those events.

Driven to succeed: Ron Hornaday Jr. of Palmdale holds several significant records on the NASCAR Southwest Tour. The only thing Hornaday has not held is a championship trophy.

That could change. After 12 of 18 scheduled events, Hornaday, 34, a former Modified division champion at Saugus Speedway, is the tour’s points leader.

During the season, Hornaday has established all-time tour records for starts (82), consecutive starts (80), top-10 finishes (55) and most races having held the lead (33). Moreover, Hornaday, who joined the tour in 1988, is the only driver in tour history to post a victory in every year he has competed.

Hornaday has finished second on the tour in each of the past two seasons.

Prime time: Greg Kauffman of Ojai, a 38-year-old stock car mechanic who is blind, will be featured this fall on an hourlong CBS series titled “How’d They Do That?” The program is scheduled to make its debut this fall with sportscaster Pat O’Brien as host. A broadcast time has not yet been scheduled for the segment featuring Kauffman.

A network camera crew interviewed Kauffman recently during a scheduled running of the Street Stock division at Ventura Raceway. Kauffman is the car owner and chief mechanic for Paul Moore of Oak View, the Street Stock division’s defending champion and current points leader.

Tribute: Ventura’s program tonight of United States Auto Club Midgets and three-quarter Midgets will include a tribute to Ron (Sleepy) Tripp of Costa Mesa, the winningest driver in USAC Midgets history.

Tripp, 39, the series’ three-time defending champion and current points leader after 22 of 31 events, has won eight USAC championships and 148 main events in his 30-year career.

Tonight’s program marks the USAC series’ ninth of 11 visits to Ventura’s quarter-mile dirt oval this season.

“It’s mainly to acknowledge the fact that he has made his career what it is,” Ventura promoter Jim Naylor said. “I mean, everybody has gone to watch Sleepy. We’ll have tons of letters and plaques for him all night long.”

Those in attendance will receive photographs of Tripp. Tripp also will be available to sign autographs.

Miscellany: The Antelope Valley Fairgrounds in Lancaster will play host to motocross and three-quarter Midget races Sunday afternoon. Information: 805-948-6077. . . . L.A. County Raceway in Palmdale is gearing up for next weekend’s annual running of the Palmdale Meet by staging the Winston Drag Racing Series Top Alcohol Dragster and Top Alcohol Funny Car qualifying. The first round of elimination is tonight at 8. The Palmdale event typically attracts hundreds of dragsters from throughout the Western United States.