Back at Saugus, Tripp Seeks Another Boost Toward Title

Sleepy Tripp is poised to try the same move he made last year that led to his winning a third consecutive United States Auto Club Western States midget championship, his seventh in the 10-year history of the series.

Saugus Speedway on Saturday night is the next stop on the USAC schedule, and it was at Saugus last year that the veteran driver from Costa Mesa started a five-race winning streak that enabled him to overtake Robby Flock of Temecula and win going away.

After seven races this season, Flock leads Tripp in points, 165-155, followed by Jay Drake, a former two-time three-quarter midget champion from Val Verde, Calif., with 147. Page Jones and Australian Warrenne Ekins are tied at 131, but Ekins has returned home.

Tripp won both races at Saugus last year, although he had a helping hand in the first race when Lloyd Hemman of Madera, after finishing first, was disqualified because of an illegal chassis.

Tripp, who won USAC national championships in 1975 and 1976 before returning home to run in the Western States series, gave this year’s competitors a head start when he missed the season opener at Phoenix while racing in Australia and New Zealand. Since then, he has a victory and a second at Ventura, and a third in the most recent race at Bakersfield Speedway in Oildale.

Tripp’s triumph at Ventura on April 24 extended his USAC Western States regional record to 95 victories and his overall USAC record to 151 in main events.

Flock, the Western States champion in 1986 and 1989, won his only race at Bakersfield, but earned his season edge with a second, fourth, fifth and seventh elsewhere.

Last week’s race at Ventura was rained out and has been rescheduled for June 26.

Three-quarter midgets will also race at Saugus, along with NASCAR pro stocks, mini stocks and pro-four modifieds. To cap the evening, a stock car train race is scheduled.

Scott Hansen of Simi Valley is leading the three-quarter midget standings. Last year’s champion, Rick Hendrix, also from Simi Valley, joined Drake in moving up to the full midget ranks. Hansen leads Kenny White of Ventura, 268-219, after winning at Ventura and Bakersfield.

Hansen, a charter member of the USAC TQ series, has 12 victories in his career, second only to Gary Schroeder’s 15.

Motorsports Notes

POWERBOATS--The second event of the Budweiser Jet Sports Tour will be held this weekend at Puddingstone Lake in San Dimas. Featured will be the Westcoast Performance Nationals, part of a 10-race series sanctioned by the International Jet Sports Boating Assn. Defending national champions are Victor Sheldon of Vista and four-time winner Christy Carlson of San Diego. Both ride Kawasakis. Amateur finals will be held Saturday, with professional finals Sunday in closed course, slalom and freestyle events. Puddingstone Lake is in Frank G. Bonelli Regional Park. . . . The National Jet Boat Assn. races scheduled for Saturday and Sunday on Castaic Lake have been canceled, according to the lake operators.

Chip Hanauer became the first driver to win nine American Power Boat Assn. unlimited hydroplane Gold Cup races when he swept four heats and the main event before 575,000 last Sunday on the Detroit River. Hanauer, driving Miss Budweiser, had been tied with the late Bill Muncey with eight Gold Cups each. The unlimiteds will run Sunday in Miami and will be at San Diego’s Mission Bay on Sept. 19.

STOCK CARS--The NASCAR Southwest Tour race, rained out last Saturday night at Bakersfield’s Mesa Marin Raceway, has been rescheduled for July 31. . . . Winston West drivers, headed by series leaders Rick Carelli and Hershel McGriff, will be at Tucson Raceway Park on Saturday night for a 200-lap main event. McGriff, formerly of Oregon, now lives in Green Valley, Ariz., near Tucson. He trails Carelli in points, 685-657.

Late model stocks, rained out last week in Southern California everywhere but Blythe Speedway, will try again Saturday night at Cajon Speedway, Bakersfield Speedway and Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino. . . . Round 4 of the Kragen championship series for late models is set for Saturday night at Santa Maria Speedway. . . . Imperial Raceway, near El Centro, will hold its final Desert Valleys Racing Assn. program Saturday night for modifieds and street stocks.

MOTOCROSS--Jeremy McGrath of Murrieta, who has broken all Supercross records with 10 victories this season, will go for No. 11 Saturday night at Sam Boyd Silver Bowl in Las Vegas. It is the final event of the Camel Supercross series. . . . A combination motocross/off-road program is scheduled Saturday night at Ventura Raceway.

MISCELLANY--The American Nostalgia Racing Assn. will hold its June meet on Saturday night at the Los Angeles County Raceway in Palmdale. More than 200 entries are expected, including top-fuel leader Bob Hallock of Costa Mesa. . . . The California Sports Car Club will hold its Solo II championships Sunday at Devore.