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Catch some Fire and Thunder at MRP

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Derek Snelson is bringing his Warhawk jet funny car to Mission Raceway Park this weekend.

Have you ever seen a race car go over 300 m.p.h.?

This weekend “Smoke, Fire and Thunder” returns to Mission Raceway Park. This event features some of the most diverse and interesting feature classes in all of drag racing. On Saturday, the feature classes run in the evening under the lights; the action starts at noon on Sunday.

Starting with the always popular jet cars, two jet dragsters and two jet funny cars will rip down the quarter-mile at speeds in excess of 300 m.p.h. (500 km/h). Chuck Haynes holds the current track and Canadian record with a 314.57 m.p.h. blast set in 2009. On that run he went 5.003. Last year he went 312 m.p.h..

Haynes has a new car this year after crashing in the early part of the season and hopes to reset the Canadian record.

Two 260 m.p.h. jet funny cars will battle in a Canada versus the U.S.A. competition as Alaska’s Derek Snelson races Saskatchewan’s Kevin Therres.

Both men will have their cars on display at Boston Pizza tomorrow (Aug. 26) evening.

The next feature is another Canada versus America battle. Chilliwack’s Tim Nemeth in his “Iceman” Nitro Mustang will race Mark Sanders in the “Mr. Explosive” Nitro Nova. These cars are loud and fast (five seconds at over 230 m.p.h.).

Just when you think the fun has ended, you realize it has just started, as two amazing race cars will travel from one end of the track to the other (1,320 feet) on their rear wheels. Ed Jones in the Wheelstanding Firetruck will go up against Rick Marcum in his Chevy pick-up. The fire and flame show by Jones is worth the price of admission by itself.

You will also get to see 10 six-second nostalgia funny cars battle it out on Saturday and Sunday. The N.W. BB/ Funny Cars are back for the second time in 2011. These cars are famous for 600-foot-long smoky burnouts and side-by-side six-second 200 m.p.h. runs.

There is a motorcycle stunt team to entertain the kids and adults between all the other action, followed by the ‘Bad Dog’ Pro Street Shootout, which completes its two-race series this weekend with up to a dozen six-second 200 mph door-cars with blowers, nitrous and turbo-charged combinations will battle for the Bad Dog title. The Canada West Doorslammers round out the features classes.

Go to www.missionraceway.com for more info, and don’t forget, kids under 12 are free with an adult admission.