2026 Festival of Power: Results from Santa Pod Raceway
SantaPod Raceway
April 3-5, 2026
Steam Rocket Bike
Top Fuel Motorcycle
Midgley Leads Challenging Top Fuel Bike Field at Santa Pod
The Top Fuel Motorcycle class at the Festival of Power faced tricky conditions throughout qualifying at Santa Pod Raceway, with all three competitors—Neil Midgley, Jiri Lukes, and Ryan Davidson—battling to put together clean, full passes.
Early qualifying rounds were marked by aborted runs and early shut-offs. Jiri Lukes opened the weekend with a shut-off pass, while Midgley also lifted early in Q1. Davidson followed with a partial run aboard the Meteor Missile, as teams worked to get a handle on track conditions.
Q2 saw continued challenges, with Lukes forced to abort after drifting toward the centerline. Despite incomplete passes, positions shuffled as Davidson briefly moved into second before Lukes reclaimed the spot in later sessions.
As the weekend progressed, Midgley began to separate himself. His strongest performance came in Q2 with a 4.0237-second pass at 159.98 mph (1/8-mile), establishing a clear benchmark for the field. Lukes showed flashes of pace, including a 4.2451 in Q4, while Davidson improved steadily but continued to fight traction issues.
By Sunday’s time trials, Midgley confirmed his position at the top with a 4.4097 at 119.56 mph on a solo pass, even after a chute deployment issue on shutdown. Davidson also made progress, recording a 4.6365 at 109.53 mph as he worked toward licensing requirements.
Overall, the Top Fuel Bike class was defined less by outright numbers and more by adaptability, with Midgley emerging as the most consistent performer in a weekend where clean runs were at a premium.
Funnybike
Farrugia Tops Olie in Headline Funny Bike Showdown at Santa Pod
The Funny Bike class at the Festival of Power delivered one of the weekend’s standout storylines, with a transatlantic-style clash between Holland’s Mike Olie and Malta’s Luke Farrugia headlining the action.
Olie came out swinging in qualifying, laying down a 6.486 at 201.54 mph to secure the No.1 spot and reinforce his reputation aboard the world’s quickest and fastest turbocharged Kawasaki ZX-14 Funny Bike. Farrugia, meanwhile, continued to impress in just his rookie outing, qualifying second with a strong 6.514 at a class-leading 208.91 mph on the Warpspeed Racing GSX1400 turbo platform.
Eliminations saw both riders advance through the rounds, but the ladder was plagued by attrition, with multiple competitors sidelined by mechanical issues. Olie maintained consistency through the early rounds, while Farrugia capitalized on both performance and reliability to reach the final.
In the decisive matchup, Farrugia delivered when it counted—running a quicker and cleaner 4.113 (1/8-mile) pass to defeat Olie’s 4.298, sealing the event win and announcing himself as a serious contender in the class.
The contrast in machinery added another layer to the battle, with Farrugia’s 6-speed GSX1400 setup going head-to-head against Olie’s 3-speed ZX-14 configuration—two different approaches producing elite-level performance.
With a rookie taking down the world’s benchmark machine, the Funny Bike class leaves Santa Pod with momentum—and a rivalry that’s just getting started.
Super Street Bike
Mechaell Dominates Super Street Bike Field at Santa Pod
The Super Street Bike class at the Festival of Power saw a commanding performance from Jake Mechaell, who backed up his No.1 qualifying position with a clean run through eliminations to secure the win.
Mechaell set the pace early with a 6.6956 at 219.28 mph—comfortably the quickest and fastest pass of the field. Daniel Donat Lences followed in the No.2 spot with a 6.7927 at 217.01 mph, while Alan Morrison and Josh Stubbins rounded out a competitive top four, all running solid low-7 to high-6 second passes.
On race day, Mechaell benefited from a first-round bye but showed consistency in the later rounds, running a strong 4.6240 (1/8-mile equivalent) in round two to advance. In the semifinals, he delivered another controlled pass, running 4.6614 to move into the final.
On the other side of the ladder, Donat Lences and Morrison battled through tight matchups, with Morrison advancing before being sidelined with a mechanical issue in the semifinals—handing Mechaell a clear path to the final.
With no opponent able to challenge in the final round, Mechaell completed the sweep, combining top-end performance with consistency to take the Super Street Bike victory.
From qualifying dominance to race-day execution, Mechaell controlled the class from start to finish, setting the benchmark for the field heading deeper into the 2026 season.
Comp Bike
Cordelle Converts No.1 Qualifier into Comp Bike Victory at Santa Pod
The Comp Bike class at the Festival of Power delivered a tight field and a decisive performance from Jasmine Cordelle, who turned a No.1 qualifying effort into a clean sweep on race day.
Cordelle set the benchmark early with a 7.3238 at 162.48 mph to lead qualifying, narrowly ahead of Graham Dance and Paul Hambidge, both of whom showed strong pace with runs in the 7.37–7.38 range. Patrick Rawnsley and Chris Neary rounded out a competitive top five, with several riders capable of making a deep run.
Eliminations quickly became a mix of performance and attrition. Cordelle benefited from a first-round bye and carried momentum into round two, where he delivered a controlled pass to move into the semifinals. On the opposite side, Hambidge advanced after Dance was sidelined with mechanical issues, while earlier rounds also saw breakouts and aborted runs shake up the ladder.
In the final, Cordelle faced Hambidge in a matchup between two of the quickest bikes in the field. Cordelle stayed consistent under pressure, running 4.5016 (1/8-mile) to Hambidge’s 4.8498, sealing the win with a stronger pass and better execution.
From top qualifier to event winner, Cordelle’s performance highlighted the importance of consistency and race management in a class where several contenders had the pace—but not all could make it to the final.
8.50 Bike
Morris Capitalizes for 8.50 Bike Win at Santa Pod
The 8.50 Bike class at the Festival of Power delivered classic bracket racing at Santa Pod Raceway, where consistency and survival proved just as important as outright performance.
Peter Wise led qualifying with a sharp 8.5378 on the 8.50 index at 167.91 mph, setting the tone as the rider to beat. Paul Morris qualified second with an 8.5920, positioning himself well for eliminations, while Gary Hester and Paul Hazell rounded out a competitive top four.
Eliminations quickly turned into a battle of attrition. Wise advanced early and looked strong through the opening rounds, but his run came to an abrupt end in the semifinals with a mechanical issue, opening the door on the top side of the ladder.
On the bottom half, Morris methodically worked through the rounds, using consistent reaction times and controlled passes to stay in contention. With multiple byes and breakouts shaping the ladder, race management became critical.
In the final, Morris faced Gary Hester, who had also capitalized on opportunities to advance. Morris stayed composed and delivered a clean, winning pass—running 5.8907 (1/8-mile equivalent) to Hester’s troubled 6.9349—to secure the victory.
Despite not topping the qualifying sheets, Morris proved that execution wins races, turning a No.2 starting position into a class victory in a field where anything could happen.
9.50 Bike
Mechaell Takes the Win in Tight 9.50 Bike Battle at Festival of Power
The 9.50 Bike class at Santa Pod’s Festival of Power delivered a competitive season opener, with a stacked field and changing conditions keeping racers on their toes.
Dion Hartley set the pace in qualifying with a near-perfect 9.509, edging Hayden Mechaell into the No.2 spot after a calculated gamble saw him run a 9.498. The ladder then shifted dramatically as eliminations were shortened to the 1/8-mile due to wind, forcing teams to adapt quickly to a tighter 6.05 index.
Mechaell worked through the field, taking out Harvey Taylor in round one before delivering a standout reaction time and a near-dead-on 6.055 pass to defeat Thomas Cook-Abbott in the semis.
That set up a final between the top two qualifiers—Hartley and Mechaell. In a decisive matchup, Mechaell stayed disciplined on the index, running 6.08 while pushing Hartley into a breakout to secure the win and kick off his 2026 campaign in style.
Strong showings across the class—including returns from Alex Hope and Hartley, plus progress from Matt Gatland—highlighted a healthy and competitive field to start the season.
ET BIKE
Butt Seals ET Bike Victory in Packed Festival of Power Field
The ET Bike class at the Festival of Power at Santa Pod Raceway delivered a deep and competitive field, with 18 riders qualifying and a wide range of dial-ins setting up a true bracket-style battle.
Scott Collier led qualifying with a razor-close 9.7284 on a 9.72 index, while Phil Pratt and Peter Harrison rounded out the top three with equally tight packages. Across the board, the field showed strong consistency, with several riders within hundredths of their dial-ins—highlighting just how tight the margins were heading into eliminations.
Once the ladder kicked off, the race quickly became a test of consistency and survival. Michael Gooding made an early move by taking out the No.1 qualifier, while N. Playdon and Pratt advanced through the top half of the ladder. On the bottom side, Declan Butt began building momentum, working through rounds with disciplined riding and clean execution.
As eliminations progressed, Butt continued to deliver consistent passes, advancing through a bracket that saw multiple byes and tight matchups. In the final rounds, he outlasted the field to secure the event win, capitalizing on both performance and race management to take the top spot.
The ET Bike class once again proved that precision beats outright speed, with dial-in accuracy, reaction time, and consistency deciding the outcome over raw MPH.