Running Smoke is Coming to the Small Screen
A true story about fast cars, organized crime, and a NASCAR driver fighting for the future of his nation
In 2016, a rookie NASCAR driver from the Kahnawà:ke First Nations reserve, outside Montreal, was arrested in one of the biggest police raids in Canadian history. Overnight, Derek White went from an unknown driver to a front page headline.
White was the first indigenous driver to reach the NASCAR Cup Series. But his arrest - for tobacco smuggling - wasn’t a clear-cut crime story. It was a complicated case, hinging on the sovereign rights of the Mohawk Nation, that reached all the way to Canada’s Supreme Court. And White’s future as a race car driver hung in the balance.
In 2022, Campside Media teamed up with iHeart and the Dan Patrick Podcast Network to produce the podcast series Running Smoke, hosted by Rajiv Golla, about Derek White’s incredible saga.
And the CBC announced the documentary will be released in 2027, produced by Muse Entertainment in association with Campside.
Here is the CBC description:
Running Smoke is the thrilling true story of a NASCAR driver, the biggest tobacco-smuggling bust in North American history, and quite possibly the future of Indigenous rights.
Derek White, a Mohawk from Kahnawà:ke was the first Indigenous driver to compete in NASCAR’s premier Sprint Cup Series. Less than a year later, Derek’s dream disintegrates after he was arrested in the largest cross border police sting of its kind.
He was charged with smuggling and defrauding the government and indefinitely suspended from NASCAR. Derek is faced with an existential choice: take a plea deal or fight the charges and the constitution.
Contemplating the rich history of his people and the future of his family, Derek makes a daring decision to risk it all.
The documentary is directed by award-winning filmmaker Alexandra Lazarowich. Producers include Lazarowich, Chad Charlie, Kaniehtiio Horn, Michael Kronish, Jonas Prupas and Joe Tuck. Produced by Muse Entertainment in association with Campside Media.
And while you await the release of the doc, you can listen to the podcast series now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.
Email us with questions or comments: questions@campsidemedia.com.
We hope to see you inside the tent again soon. Subscribe now for updates on Running Smoke and all of Campside’s hit shows.