Canada’s Wildest Wednesday: MIDAS Hot August Night Set to Light Up RAD Torque Raceway

The wait is almost over for one of Canada’s most thrilling, over-the-top motorsports spectacles. On Wednesday, August 13, RAD Torque Raceway will once again ignite as the annual MIDAS Hot August Night roars back into Edmonton with everything fans have come to love – and then some.

Now in its 25th-plus year, Hot August Night is more than just a drag race. It’s a one-night-only entertainment explosion, custom-built to deliver maximum impact from start to finish. Inspired by the legendary showmanship of Bill Bader, this midweek motorsports festival has carved out a unique space in Canadian racing culture, attracting a crowd that’s as hungry for spectacle as they are for speed.

“I was born 25 years ago on this exact race night, and since then it has had a special meaning to me,” said RAD Torque Raceway’s Chevy Reeves. “This one’s always going to be close to the heart.”

What makes Hot August Night stand apart isn’t just the fact it lands on a Wednesday – it’s that it leans all the way into the entertainment-first ethos. The lineup reads like a highlight reel of the wildest, loudest machines on earth: Jet Cars, Nitro Nostalgia Funny Cars, Alcohol Funny Cars, Pro Mods, X275 Radial Shootouts, Turbo Diesel Drag Semis, Alcohol Dragsters, and even the high-stakes Cops vs. Outlaws match races. It’s a full-throttle affair designed for maximum drama.

“This event isn’t just about putting on a show – it’s about doing right by the racers who make it happen,” Reeves explained. “We’ve got guaranteed payouts, epic fans, and a vibe you don’t find anywhere else.”

The racing program isn’t just for the headliners, either. Local heroes in the Heavy Metal Mayhem bracket series will battle it out for $5,000 guaranteed under the lights, showcasing the backbone of grassroots Canadian drag racing in front of what’s expected to be a 10,000-plus strong crowd. Add in the Nitro Ratz Jr. Dragster shootout and a tight 3-round shootout format for the door car classes, and you’ve got real racing stakes behind all the sizzle.

And when the racing rests, the show goes on. Harley stunt riders, Freestyle Motocross, drifting exhibitions, a mini golf course, food truck heaven, and a motorsports-themed midway make Hot August Night a destination for fans of all ages – not just the diehards. The evening ends with the now-iconic Jet Car Fire & Fireworks Finale, where fireballs and camera flashes fill the sky as the grandstands erupt.

“This is a race night, but it’s also a show night,” Reeves added. “We want people to leave here with their hearts racing and their faces sore from smiling.”

With competitors and performers traveling in from across the U.S. and Canada, this year’s edition of Hot August Night promises to be the biggest and most explosive yet. There’s no “catch the rest this weekend” option – August 13 is the only chance to be part of it. It’s a Wednesday-night war cry in the middle of the summer, and there’s simply nothing else like it.

Tickets are on sale now, and if history is any indication, you’ll want to get yours before they’re gone. Because when the sun sets on RAD Torque Raceway that Wednesday night, the sky will light up, the ground will shake, and drag racing will put on the show of the summer.

This story was originally published on August 7, 2025.