Sleepy Tripp

Ron "Sleepy" Tripp is an American Hall of Fame midget car driver. Tripp got his nickname as a youth when he would fall asleep in his quarter midget car while waiting for his next race to start.

Tripp won the 1975 and 1976 United States Automobile Club (USAC) National Midget championships. He stayed on the national tour for several more years before he started racing in the Western States series, on the West Coast. He consistently placed first or second in the series points, winning championships in 1983, 1985, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991 and 1992. He reached his 100th win May 2, 1998 at Ventura Raceway. Sleepy sits on top of the Western States feature list with 104 wins.

He also had 59 National Midget car victories, which places him fifth on USAC's all-time National Midget Car series feature winners list. And those 59 National USAC total victories, placing him 11th on USAC's all-time National career feature victory leaders list. His combined National, Western and Regional USAC wins have him the winningst driver in midgets. With over 250 career wins to his name.

"Sleepy" was born Ronald James Tripp to parents Barbara and Gerald Tripp, August 13, 1953, and he was raised with his older brother, Bob and younger sister, Karen in Costa Mesa, California. Growing up in a racing family had the boys racing at a very young age, winning their way into the record books. The boys raced in Quarter midgets, winning numerous trophies along the way. They then tried their hand in motorcycles, before jumping up to the full-size midget cars. During Sleepy's high school years, he was a wrestler and accomplished football star at Newport Harbor High School, being named MVP and Captain for their 1970 League Championship football season. Last played in July 1971 at the Aloha All Star Football Classic at Honolulu Stadium. Has been married to Erin since Nov 1982, whom he met in New Zealand while racing and they have one daughter, Shay. Both of Sleepy's parents have since passed and the boys still work together at their families electrical contracting business.

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