MOTOR SPORTS / BRYAN RODGERS : With Some Help, McCormick Turns Back Formidable Foe

Each time Richard McCormick takes to the track, the 37 year-old Granada Hills driver is in for a battle.

Yet no matter how intense the competition, he knows he’s defeated his toughest opponent.

After a promising 1990 season in Three-Quarter Midget racing where McCormick finished second in the rookie of the year competition, he was diagnosed with leukemia.

Because none of his siblings matched his blood type, a nationwide search for a donor was launched.

Fortunately for McCormick, a match was located from a woman in St. Paul, Minn., and he underwent bone marrow transplant surgery at the City of Hope Hospital in Duarte.

Now that his cancer is in its fourth year of remission, McCormick is making a successful comeback in United States Auto Club midget racing.

In July, he posted three consecutive victories and last weekend he took third in an asphalt feature at Lakeport Speedway in Northern California.

“It’s great to be back behind the wheel,” McCormick said. “While I was in the hospital I watched a lot of racing on television and it was an inspiration for me to get better.”

Within 100 days of being hospitalized, McCormick returned to work in the motion picture business as a grip.

But the desire to drive still ran deep for McCormick. So after receiving permission from his doctors, he competed in a race in September of 1991.

“I finished 11th or 12th and it wasn’t a strong showing,” McCormick said. “I was still kind of weak.”

McCormick made attempts at joining the circuit the next season, but the effects of chemotherapy limited him to only 10 races.

“I refer to those days as ‘chemo days,’ ” McCormick said. “You just don’t have the strength or stamina to do things and it’s frustrating.”

McCormick, a former professional motocross rider, plans to drive midget cars next season.

When the midget series circuit visited Saugus Speedway in May, he took third place.

McCormick still has two goals in mind.

First, he would like to meet the woman who saved his life.

“She’s married with kids and lives in Minnesota, so she hasn’t been able to come to California,” McCormick said. “But one day I’d like to see her face to face.”

And his other goal?

“We’re going to get back to Ventura Raceway and win some more races.”

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Ronnie Hornaday III’s bid to win four consecutive Street Stock feature races at Kern County Raceway failed last week when Reseda driver T.K. Karvasek took the checkered flag.

Karvasek was one of the hottest drivers at Saugus Speedway when the track abruptly closed in July.

But Hornaday wasn’t shut out completely. The 16-year-old Highland High student managed to take the Trophy Dash and was third in the Street Stock feature.

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Local drivers are making an impact across the nation, with several competitors among the points leaders in their respective divisions.

Lance Hooper of Palmdale is leading the Southwest Tour and has won consecutive tour races.

Another Palmdale driver, Ron Hornaday Jr., is fourth in the NASCAR SuperTrucks series with Bill Sedgwick of Agua Dulce fifth.

Top Fuel driver Larry Dixon of North Hills is third in his class, while Funny Car driver Cruz Pedregon holds a similar position.

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Tracy Jewett and her brother, Jim, continue to play leapfrog atop the points standings in the Pony Stock division at Ventura Raceway.

A second-place finish in Thursday night’s feature enabled Tracy to take the points lead for the eighth time.

* Contributing: Darin Esper.