6th Annual Monster Energy St. Pete Powerboat Grand Prix: Everything You Need to Know

The 6th Annual Monster Energy St. Petersburg Powerboat Grand Prix brings offshore powerboat and personal watercraft racing to the downtown St Petersburg waterfront from March 27 to 29, opening the IHRA Offshore Series National Championship for 2026. Admission throughout the weekend is free and open to the public.

The event is presented by Visit St. Pete-Clearwater and carries title sponsorship from Monster Energy, which was confirmed this week as the official energy drink of the IHRA Offshore Racing Series. Racing takes place on Saturday and Sunday along the scenic waterfront, with competitors racing for championship points in the series’ opening round.

Saturday results: St. Pete Powerboat Grand Prix: Saturday Results Sunday results: St. Pete Powerboat Grand Prix: Sunday Results

Event Schedule

Subject to change. All times Eastern Daylight Time (EDT, UTC-4).

All times Eastern Daylight Time (EDT, UTC-4). Your time converts automatically to your local timezone.

Prize Money

The 2026 IHRA Offshore Series features a $2 million total prize purse for powerboat teams, with an additional $650,000 in tow money across the season. Personal watercraft competitors race for a separate $250,000 purse.

VIP Tickets and Parking

A limited number of VIP tickets are available for the Pier Teaki hospitality area at the end of St. Pete Pier, directly across from the Start/Finish Line. VIP guests receive complimentary food and beverages and access to the race viewing deck. Reserved parking is available at the base of St. Pete Pier, with a short walk to the VIP areas. Space is limited. Tickets are available at IHRA.com.

TV and Streaming Coverage

Racing will be streamed live on YouTube, and broadcast on Speed Sport 1 and Speed Sport 2.

What the Organisers Say

Craig Campbell, Director of Community and Brand Engagement for Visit St. Pete-Clearwater, highlighted the event’s draw for the region.

“St. Pete-Clearwater is a prime destination for major sporting events year-round, and we’re thrilled to host this year’s championship race. Visitors travel from near and far to experience the speed and excitement of the Grand Prix, all set against the stunning backdrop of downtown St. Pete. The event continues to support local businesses, including retailers, hotels, and restaurants, strengthening our vibrant community.” – Craig Campbell, Director of Community and Brand Engagement, Visit St. Pete-Clearwater

Tommy Thomassie, Executive Vice President and Director of Powerboating for IHRA, said St Petersburg was the right venue to open the series.

“I am very excited that St. Petersburg, FL is the first stop of our Offshore Series National Championship as it is an excellent venue for IHRA to deliver a world-class event for race fans around the globe.” – Tommy Thomassie, Executive Vice President and Director of Powerboating, IHRA

The event is now in its sixth year on the St Petersburg waterfront. For 2026 it operates as the opening round of the IHRA national championship, with the series running seven rounds across the United States before a World Championship finale at a date and location still to be announced.

Attendance and Economic Impact

Organisers are projecting an attendance of more than 60,000 spectators across the weekend, nearly double the turnout recorded at last year’s event. The weekend is expected to generate close to $13 million for the local economy, with competitors travelling to St Petersburg from as far as Belgium, France and Japan.

Dustin Farthing, Managing Director of IHRA, described St Petersburg as the natural home for the series.

“There are a lot of great venues that we travel to, but St. Petersburg has always kind of been the home and what we feel is like a great start and finish place for the series.” – Dustin Farthing, Managing Director, IHRA

Race Course

The racecourse is set in Tampa Bay off the St Petersburg waterfront, configured around seven standard buoys (B1-B7) plus a Dog Leg marker. Class 700, Class 600 and Cat 300 use a shortened course with modified outer markers. A long lap format will be trialled for Pro Class 1 on Saturday, incorporating extended outer markers LLB1-3.

Note: C700/600 B1, C700/600 B2 and the Dog Leg buoy share identical coordinates in the official course data.

Start/Finish   Standard Course (B1-B7)   Shortened Course (Class 700/600)   Long Lap – Pro Class 1, Saturday

Entry List

64 drivers across 12 classes are registered. Rusty Williams has entered both Factory Stock (F-21) and Super Stock (S-21). Shaun Torrente has two Super Stock entries: S-54 (Allied-STR) and S-45 (Club Car Wash-STR).

Class 200

Class 300

Class 400

Class 500

Class 600

Class 700

Factory Stock

Modified V

Pro Class 1

Super Cat

Super Stock

Super Vee

* Rusty Williams has entered both Factory Stock (F-21) and Super Stock (S-21).
† Rob Lockyer is absent this weekend attending to a personal matter in the United Kingdom. Alex Pratt, founder of the Good Boy Vodka brand, steps in as throttleman alongside rookie driver Earl Tucker.