MOTOR RACING / PAUL OLSON : Hansen Had to Tinker With His Attitude

All race cars require some fine-tuning to remain competitive.

However, it took a little more than a simple carburetor adjustment to propel Simi Valley’s Scott Hansen to the top of the U.S. Auto Club’s Western States Series three-quarter Midget division points standings.

It took a major attitude adjustment by the 29-year-old driver to quit fighting himself, the officials and other drivers, to finally reach the point where a championship title could be in his grasp down the long racing road later this summer.

“In the past I got more involved in arguing with the USAC about rules and stuff,” Hansen said. “But this year I have a new attitude. I made some adjustments and keep my mouth shut so I can concentrate on racing and not get personally upset about the official calls.”

Hansen has main-event wins at Ventura Raceway and Oildale near Bakersfield this year, seven top-three finishes, one dismal 14th-place finish and a 10th-place showing after fighting mechanical problems at Saugus Speedway last week.

Despite last week’s problems, Hansen, who has led the three-quarter Midget points standings since early in the season, maintains a comfortable 46-point lead over Kenny White of Ventura at the season’s midway point. He will race at the Silver State Speedway in Carson City, Nev., tonight.

Hansen’s new attitude also has caught the attention of USAC officials. USAC Western States coordinator Dick Hindman is relieved to see the changes.

“His attitude got in the way more than I think he even knew,” Hindman said. “He has had suspensions in the past that hurt his chances to compete for a championship. And we have had our share of run-ins, but at the same time I have been one of his biggest supporters.”

With 10 years of racing experience--and his troubles--behind him, Hansen emphasizes that if he remains consistent, the points title will be his.

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Add Hansen: Scott is not the only Hansen in Simi Valley bidding for a season points championship.

Older brother Rob, 35, is on top of the California Dwarf Car Assn. standings while preparing to enter the CDCA regional race at Ventura Raceway on June 26.

Hansen is one of only a few Valley-area drivers in the Dwarf car class, but his past years of experience in a three-quarter Midget have given him an edge in this growing class of racing.

“I’m sure my TQ experience has helped me,” Hansen said.

“These cars are a lot more stable, so I really go hard into the corners and the other drivers who haven’t raced Midgets before don’t drive the Dwarf cars hard enough.”

Hansen, who has won two races at Ventura, will race in next week’s main event that will feature drivers from the San Joaquin Valley to San Diego.

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Like father, like daughter: Wally Pankratz of Orange finished third in the USAC Midget main event at Saugus last week. And just like dear old dad, daughter Rande, of Atascadero, finished third in the three-quarter Midget main that ran just before her father’s race.

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Double trouble: Sleepy Tripp of Costa Mesa, the seven-time and defending USAC Western States Midget champion, became the first USAC double main-event winner of the season with a win at Saugus last week. Tripp’s other victory came earlier in the season at Ventura.

The Saugus win added to the 39-year-old Tripp’s already impressive record that includes 96 Western States victories, 152 USAC-sanctioned wins and 235 victories overall.

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Old-timers ride again: The second Antique Flat Track Motorcycle show returns to Ventura Raceway tonight at 7. Vintage speedway bikes from the 1920s-’60s will compete for trophies only. A sidecar class and a division for riders more than 50 years old also are on the slate.

A special $1,000 purse race for 883 Harley-Davidson racers also is scheduled.

More than 100 riders are expected before a capacity crowd. On Sunday, the antique motorcycles will be on display in the center of the Ventura County Fairgrounds.

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Hot to trot: Sportsman, Street Stocks and Grand American Modifieds finally will return to racing at Saugus tonight at 7.

Drivers in these divisions have had to sit on the sidelines since late May. The June 5 racing date was rained out by the surprise storm that hit Southern California.