Some highlight captures from Mission Raceway’s Smoke Fire Thunder event — this past weekend….
Traditionally headlined by Jet Cars and other exhibition machines, the 2026 edition Smoke Fire Thunder show also featured competitive racing across multiple classes. But when there’s “Thunder,” there’s always the chance of rain — and the final elimination rounds were ultimately stalled by weather. (Remaining rounds are expected to be completed at the West Coast Outlaw Shootout at the end of September.)
Pro Mod continues to be a class in decline, and this weekend’s four‑car field made that more evident than ever. The Yeti Pro Mod, driven by Chevy Reeves, fought hard to make the event but suffered mechanical issues during Thursday’s Test & Tune and never made Friday qualifying. The class did reach the final, where Dale Pederson (above) claimed the win over Nick Duda.
In contrast, Outlaw 275 was thriving with 14 cars on the property. Eliminations ran to the quarter finals Saturday night, with familiar contenders Chris Gould, Justin Gallant, Tyler Stamler, and John Cuglietta all advancing past Round 1. Best E.T. so far belongs to Washington’s Zac Cain (photo above) with a 4.2748, while Chris Gould holds top MPH at 174.96.
The Western Canadian Nitro Bikes (Top Fuel Harley) continued their third round of the series with an impressive seven‑bike bracket — likely the strongest turnout in years. Austin Christopher has dominated the class recently, but this season Nate Gagnon is surging, taking a win at Door Wars and now posting the best eliminations E.T. at 6.2893. Christopher holds top MPH at 222.99 and will meet Pete Waugh in the semis, who leads reaction times at .0446. On the other side of the ladder, Nate will face Jim Shellenberg at the Outlaw Shootout.
The Doorslammer class brought 12 entries reaching the quarter finals with Rod Leclaire posting the best E.T. at 6.6978 and top MPH at 203.07. Poe Freeborn grabbed bragging rights for best reaction time with a razor‑sharp .0020.
Top Comp still has a semifinal left to run. Notable contenders include former Jr. racer Linkin Scherk, who currently holds best E.T. at 4.8609, Dane Lachelt with top MPH at 149.46, plus Emily Gerard and Monique Ambrous (from Indiana, driving a Justin Bond dragster). Another semifinal coming to watch will feature Pro Mod racers David Kowalski vs. Justin Bond.
Electronics saw a busy 29‑car field, though quarter‑final action was limited by weather. Ted Buss leads E.T. at 9.0834, while Colton Morin holds top MPH at 172.94.
Dave Jung continues to shine in Non‑Electronics with his Super Stock legal Camaro — including a killer .0018 reaction time. David Trimble and Shalyn Svetec round out the top three, with more eliminations still to come.
Junior Dragster remains one of Mission Raceway’s strongest classes, with 26 entries across Lightning and Thunder. Bentley Johnson leads Lightning, while Alex Green (above photo) is the standout in Thunder — and with Nate and Jack Green also in the semifinals, an all‑Green final is very possible!
Other Exhibition Vehicles included vintage dragsters, altered fuel cars, and a new Nostalgic Funny Car, “Sweet Barry Whine” driven by Daniel Rodrigue. The Corvette acquired last year, features stunning paintwork — and it’s quick. On the modern side, Max Yaremko (from Alberta – below) made several strong TAFC passes, but did have a minor scare during Thursday testing when he brushed a pylon near the wall, resulting in only duct‑tape‑level damage.
Let’s be honest — for this event the Jet Cars are the main draw. Five were on site: Bone Shaker, Hocus Pokus, Tomahawk, Hyperdrive, and Pyromaniac. All ran strong until Sunday afternoon. The “Hocus Pokus” suffered a dramatic top‑end incident after getting caught in Hyperdrive’s jet wash. The chute lifted the car like a paraglider and sent it into the wall. (YouTube : HERE) Thankfully, driver Mark Stevens walked away!
Post and photos by Les Puchala
