H1 Unlimited introduced a new scoring system for 2026, Total Weekend Points, which combines Time Trials, preliminary heats and the Final into one running total across each race weekend. Four events count toward the season championship.
Round 1 (Madison): Jimmy Shane leads Total Weekend Points after winning the APBA Gold Cup in the U-27 Miss Apollo, his sixth Gold Cup and first H1 Unlimited race since 2022. Andrew Tate sits second in points despite a bearing out penalty dropping him to fifth in the race classification. Full report: Jimmy Shane Wins Gold Cup in Madison Comeback.
2026 Season Schedule
| Round | Event | Location | Dates | Status |
| – | Preseason Testing (non-scoring) | Tri-Cities, WA | May 30 | Complete |
| 1 | APBA Gold Cup | Madison, IN | July 3-5 | Complete |
| 2 | Columbia Cup | Tri-Cities, WA | July 24-26 | Upcoming |
| 3 | Apollo Mechanical Cup | Seattle, WA | July 31-August 2 | Upcoming |
| 4 | Bill Muncey Cup | San Diego, CA | September 18-20 | Upcoming |
Round 1: APBA Gold Cup, Madison
Final classification, July 5. Andrew Tate crossed the line second in the Final but was handed a bearing out penalty, dropping him to fifth in the official result.
| Pos | Driver | Boat |
| 1 | Jimmy Shane | U-27 Miss Apollo |
| 2 | Corey Peabody | U-3 Tahoe Miss |
| 3 | J. Michael Kelly | U-00 Maverick |
| 4 | Brandon Kennedy | U-6 Royer Miss Madison (Trailer) |
| 5 | Andrew Tate | U-1 BWR Racing (bearing out penalty, crossed 2nd) |
2026 High Points Standings
Total Weekend Points after Round 1, the APBA Gold Cup at Madison. Source: H1 Unlimited official standings graphic.
| Pos | Driver | Boat | Team | Madison | Season Total |
| 1 | Jimmy Shane | U-27 Miss Apollo | BWR Racing | 1,680 | 1,680 |
| 2 | Andrew Tate | U-1 BWR Racing | BWR Racing | 1,569 | 1,569 |
| 3 | J. Michael Kelly | U-00 Maverick | Strong Racing | 1,345 | 1,345 |
| 4 | Corey Peabody | U-3 Tahoe Miss | Strong Racing | 1,340 | 1,340 |
| 5 | Brandon Kennedy | U-6 Royer | Miss Madison Racing | 897 | 897 |
| 6 | Jamie Nilsen | U-11 Flav-R-Pac | Unlimited Racing Group | 494 | 494 |
| 7 | Dylan Runne | U-40 Bucket List Racing | Bucket List Racing | 385 | 385 |
Standings will be updated after Round 2, the Columbia Cup at Tri-Cities.
How Total Weekend Points Work
Time Trial points set the base of each boat’s weekend total. The fastest qualifier earns 200 points, sliding down to 85 points for ninth; from tenth onwards each place is worth five points fewer than the one above it. Those points then carry forward through the preliminary heats and into the Final, with heat placement and lane selection determined by the running total rather than a draw.
| Time Trial Place | Points |
| 1st | 200 |
| 2nd | 180 |
| 3rd | 160 |
| 4th | 140 |
| 5th | 120 |
| 6th | 100 |
| 7th | 95 |
| 8th | 90 |
| 9th | 85 |
| 10th onwards | -5 from position above |
The boat leading Total Weekend Points at any event may select Lane 1 once and Lane 2 once across all Finals during the season.
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