Drag on the economy

Sitting in the grass near the Woodburn Dragstrip's starting line, Lacey, a 7-yearold Jack Russell terrier, remained oblivious to the sonic cocktail of squealing tires and thunderous engine roars.

For that, Lacey can thank her co-owners Rick and Cherri Mauch. As Cherri prepared to watch Rick Mauch's 1980 El Camino zoom down the quarter-mile strip, Lacey wore a carefully crafted set of doggie earmuffs customized to fit her tiny head.

"She needs them, because we're out here every weekend," said Cherri, shouting over the din. "This is what we do from May until October."

The avid drag-racing aficionados help comprise a huge hidden part of the Oregon economy The Woodburn Dragstrip, with little marketing or media attention, annually hosts more than 200,000 fans and participants, said Jay Livingston, the track's new general manager.

Mark Wigginton, manager of the Portland

International Raceway, estimated that the attendance figures easily translate into a $20 million influx into the Woodburn economy each year.

"We're the best-kept secret in the area," Livingston said.

Indeed, Oregon appears to be going race-car crazy. NASCAR officials are considering several potential track sites in the Northwest, and many Portland-area televisions will be tuned to this weekend's Indianapolis 500. The Portland International Raceway continues to draw heavy participation in its weekend drag races and other events.

Woodburn's gate has increased between 5 percent and 20 percent each of the last 15 years, Livingston said. The racetrack kicked off the competitive season with its Baxter/Leif's Season Opener on May 22.

Livingston, who took over the track this year from his father Jim, doesn't disclose track revenues, but said the track is profitable.

"There's a...