Festival of Power launches Santa Pod’s 60th Anniversary season

THE FESTIVAL OF POWER
Santa Pod Raceway
Fri.3-Sun.5 April 2026

The Festival of Power launches Santa Pod Raceway’s 60th Anniversary season with an Easter weekend chock-full of family entertainments underpinned by championship drag racing on two and four wheels.

On-track, fast and loud action is the order of the day. Four supercharged, nitro-burning Funny Cars are the headline act, battling for the early lead in 2026’s Funny Car Cup. These volatile beasts each punch out more than 10,000 horsepower and shake the ground. The class speed record stands at over 300mph.

A pair of similarly powered Top Fuel Dragsters will limber up in preparation for the coming season’s FIA European Championship. From Sweden comes the reigning champion, Susanne Callin, piloting Santa Pod’s own Slick Tricks Racing dragster. From Scotland comes a Top Fuel newcomer: Colin Millar is already a famous face whose Flyin’ Fyfer is one of the dominant entries in the wild Outlaw Anglia class. Now the Scotsman bids to earn a Top Fuel licence with a graduated series of observed runs throughout the weekend.

No less fast and loud, the Festival of Power is renowned for the spectacle of its flame-and-thunder Jet Car show – and there will be an extraordinary motorcycle powered by steam, yes, steam. See it to believe it.

Martin Hill’s Fireforce Jet Car stable will be represented by Fireforce 3, a Jet Funny Car, and Fireforce 5, a Jet Dragster. Roger Goring brings his Firestorm Jet Funny down from Yorkshire and Julian Webb’s Spiderman is another Jet Dragster. Oklahoma Willy is the name of a gleaming, road-legal Volkswagen pickup that motors up to the start line under its own piston power then lights up the Rolls-Royce fighter jet engine sitting behind the driver’s cab for a flame-throwing, afterburner-popping display as its blasts towards the finish line.

A motorcycle driven by steam? Whoever would have thought of that? Graham Sykes did. Yorkshireman Sykes is one of those canny engineers who sees the world from a different angle and has designed and built a steam-powered rocket bike that can actually out-accelerate a Top Fuel Dragster. It’s a spectacular sight when it goes and it’s as net-zero as any powered vehicle can be.

Ebullient Pro Mod cars contesting the opening round of the FuelTech Motorsport UK British Drag Racing Championship headline a full programme of national championship classes on two and four wheels. There’s an entry list of almost 300 and free access to the paddock allows spectators a close-up view of all the pitside activities.

Off-track, the Live Action Arena is a focus for Monster Truck and stunt riding and driving displays. World record-holding stunt driver Terry Grant will be in action with his eye-popping precision driving show and Moto Syndicate is a brand-new FMX crew featuring former Red Bull and Nitro Circus performers, while Fusion Extreme puts on a pedal-powered jump box and ramp show.

Sim Drive Five let you race sitting still, courtesy of their cutting-edge race simulators, or you can indulge in a little Bull Axe Throwing, while a Dinosaur Walkabout, Mini Monster Trucks, inflatables, a climbing wall and visits from Bing and Peppa Pig are among the attractions to entertain the kids, plus an array of funfair rides. Camping for free overnight? There’s an abundance of food and drink to sustain you and live music to keep you dancing the night away once the racing winds down.

The Festival of Power is an event for all the family – championship drag racing on the track and all manner of entertainments alongside. The Festival takes place over Easter weekend, from Friday 3rd to Sunday 5th April (not Easter Monday).

Tickets are bookable only online or by phone – visit https://santapodtickets.com/p/fop or telephone the Box Office at 01234 782828. Full event information can be found at https://santapod.co.uk/events/festival-of-power/#StarsOfTheShow.

Photos attached:
1. Funny Cars in action.
2. Oklahoma Willy – jet-engined VW bus – road-legal too!
3. Force of Nature – Graham Sykes’ steam-driven motorcycle.
[ Pictures:  / Santa Pod ]