ADRENALIN ON WHEELS.

Byline: Chris Hansen The Register-Guard

Billed as both "firebreathing" and "mudslinging," it's no wonder sprint cars have a tendency to steal the spotlight.

With their intense bursts of speed in the short straights, the appearance of being out of control going around the curves and the wickedly unpredictable nature of racing, sprint cars are a main attraction wherever they go.

At Cottage Grove Speedway, it's no different.

"The phone rings off the hook for the sprint cars," track co-owner Lori Leach said.

Fans should get their fill this weekend, as the speedway hosts the Burnett Racing Sprint Car Challenge on Saturday and Sunday, with a fireworks show following the races Sunday.

The event will feature both the high-end 360s - the size of the engine, in cubic inches - as well as the smaller and slower Limited sprints, with approximately 33 cars entered in the 360s and 25 in the Limited. Race time is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Sprint cars travel at speeds that can reach the mid-90s down the chutes, and covering one lap of the quarter-mile oval dirt track at Cottage Grove can take as little as 12 seconds.

"They go fast, they flip high and people love them," Leach said.

The car itself resembles a go-kart ready for battle, fortified with body armor, oversized back tires and a wing on top to create a downforce in the turns that keeps the cars on the ground.

"If your car is working well, it's easy to drive," said retired sprint car racer Kevin Etchison, a six-time champion who now is helping launch his 16-year-old son Braden's 360 career. "If your car isn't working well, it's a handful."

The cars also have a tendency to spit flames when the methane fuel ignites in the engine - hence the firebreathing reference - and they churn up bits of loose, hard mud from the track that fly onto an audience as eager for a dirt bath as those who cheer on watermelon-smashing comedian Gallagher from the front row.

But however much debris the fans get in the stands, the drivers get it worse. If they're lucky, they will only get coated with mud, or run out of tear-off visor shields. But it can get dangerous.

"I once had a piece hit me and nearly break my nose," said Etchison, who has also been reduced to driving one-handed while wiping his visor with the other.

Even so, getting dirty is half the fun.

"I like the dirt," said Eugene racer Melissa Yates, 21, who has been competing in the 360 sprints since she was 15. "I've never raced on asphalt and I never want to."

Yates is currently the only female driver in Oregon, Washington and California. She is third in the point standings at Cottage Grove.

"You have to be able to race with the guys to get their respect," Yates said. "And I don't get treated any differently."

Without any crashes or cautions, the 30-lap race would end in 10 minutes.

But with sprint cars, rarely is there a race without crashes or cautions. With a typical field of 16 cars packed together on a small track, and at the speeds they drive, accidents are bound to happen.

"One misjudgment and you'll catch a wheel and you'll flip," Etchison said.

Of course, the prospect of a crash creates the intensity that leads to the adrenalin rush that keeps both fans and drivers coming back for more.

"Everyone likes to see a good crash I'm sure," said Danny Horner, 23, a Cottage Grove resident who is in his first season driving the 360s after winning the speedway's Limited sprint championship the last three years. "I mean, you hate to see it happen, but it's still cool to watch."

Unless you're the one footing the bills.

An average race-ready car costs $20,000, while the custom-made engines run between $30,000 and $40,000. All four tires, which go for $185 each, need to be changed before each race and sometimes once during.

"Racing is pretty tough on the car," Etchison said.

To the drivers, it's worth every dollar. "The speed," Yates said, "is a rush."

CAPTION(S):

Sprint cars can exceed 90 mph and require a large top-mounted wing to stay grounded in turns.