Sports

Despite a triple-digit heat wave and the sinking of a boat on the first race of the event, the 2022 Smoke on the Water Drag Boat Races was deemed a success by race organizers.

Hundreds of race fans flocked to Lake El Reno for the three days of the event.

The first day was open to the public as drivers spent five hours making test passes down the 1,000-foot course.

The final two days were paid admission which drew repeat visitors and newcomers to the event.

Janet Ebert is aware of the inherent dangers of crashing in the sport of drag boat racing and watches nervously every time her husband, Todd flies down the water.

“We’ve been lucky for a long time and we always say a little prayer before every race,” said Janet.

The Wamego, Kan., couple’s luck, spanning more than three decades, came to an end over the weekend at the 2022 Smoke on the Water Drag Boat Races on Lake El Reno.

On the event’s first pass, Todd was thrown out of his boat shortly after crossing the finish line of the 1,000-foot course.

To say that Brock and Wacey Snider are anxious to race in this weekend’s Smoke on the Water Drag Boat Races on Lake El Reno would be an understatement.

“We are super-excited. We’ve been looking forward to this race for a year,” said Brock.

The father and son duo from Mustang are no strangers to competitive power sports, be it on land, having traveled the United States with a pair of KTM motorcycles doing cross-country events.

If results from the summer months are any indication, El Reno High School will again be one of the top teams to contend for a state title when trapshooting season returns.

El Reno was invited to a pair of charitable fundraising sporting clay shoots in June, winning both, while gaining experience for eight different competitors.

El Reno’s Jimmy Johnston tries to keep the nose of his boat down as he flies off the starting line during last year’s Smoke on the Water Drag Boat Races.

This year’s event starts Friday with testing and races kick off Saturday at noon on Lake El Reno.

Having spent years watching her dad race jet boats on the Southern Drag Boat Association circuit, it was only natural that El Reno’s Radley Miller would catch the bug to jump into the driver’s seat.

“I don’t know when it started. I just liked going to the lake and watching him race. It’s fun to watch him,” said Radley.

There’s just one little problem - Radley is just 12 years old. Four years too young to be a SDBA boat driver and six years shy of racing in the higher-powered classes like her father, Matt Miller.

Northeast

Birch: July 10.
Elevation is .5 ft. below normal, water temperature 85°F and stained.
Blue and channel catfish fair on cut bait around channels, points. Crappie fair on jigs and minnows around brush structure.

Though it was a small sampling of games to survey, El Reno High School baseball coach Keith Hill says his program and its group of younger players grew over the summer.

“This summer was a good starting point to build from as long as we don’t get complacent and level off or slip back,” said Hill.

El Reno’s varsity 1 team dropped a one-run game to the Oklahoma City Broncos, a home-schooled program, to start the Red Dirt League season.

The Indians then reeled off five straight victories to finish with a 5-1 record in the RDL’s Wooden Bat Division.

If you are a fan of drag boat racing, you will have only one chance this year to catch some of the quickest non-capsule crafts fly across Lake El Reno.

The 2022 Smoke on the Water, set for July 22-24, will be the lone show on local waters after the Southern Drag Boat Association removed the Hunter Showdown from its 2022 schedule.

The showdown, held on Lake El Reno in early fall, was one of the final points races on the SDBA schedule the last two years.

Fueled by a second straight walk-off single, El Reno High School’s baseball team closed out its summer schedule with a 12-11 come-from-behind win over Shawnee.

The Indians finished the summer on a five-game win streak and went 5-1 in the Wooden Bat Division of the Red Dirt League standings. There were no playoffs for the RDL this season.

“We played well this summer and I’m very proud of the team and excited to see where this momentum takes us moving forward,” said El Reno head coach Keith Hill.