International Hot Rod Association powerboat racing coverage from Powerboat News. Reports on IHRA’s expansion into powerboat competition, event coverage, sanctioning developments, team participation, technical regulations, and the organisation’s entry into marine motorsport.
The International Hot Rod Association’s $650,000 travel money programme has sparked debate amongst American offshore competitors questioning class grouping structures, participation thresholds, and whether equal distribution across boat sizes represents fair compensation.
IHRA’s financial package for the 2026 offshore season includes travel money distributed across seven national races and the World Championship.
The Superstock Racing Group has voted by overwhelming majority to make the International Hot Rod Association its exclusive sanctioning body for the 2026 national championship, committing the class solely to IHRA’s seven-round offshore schedule.
The IHRA F1 Powerboat Series has opened entries for the 2026 season, with competitors now able to register across four classes for an eight-round championship beginning in Bradenton, Florida on February 20 and 21.
Entry fees range from $50 for GT-15 boats to $300 for Formula 1 craft, with Formula Lights and Tri-Hull categories set at $200 per round.
A social media post by 2023 Class 1 World Champions 222 Offshore triggered explosive accusations revealing decades of infighting behind American offshore powerboat racing’s latest division.
Team manager Skye Gregory posted an analysis of the competing sanctioning structures facing teams planning 2026 campaigns, identifying uncertainty about rules, international recognition, media coverage and which competitors will race where.
The International Hot Rod Association has committed $2.
75 million in prize money across three powerboat racing disciplines following its acquisition by Ohio electrical contractor Darryl Cuttell in December 2024.
The International Hot Rod Association has released the official 2026 IHRA Offshore Series National Championship schedule, featuring seven championship rounds across the United States and a World Championship finale at a date and location to be announced.
The International Hot Rod Association has appointed Tommy Thomassie as Executive Vice President, Director of Powerboating, establishing formal leadership for the organisation’s rapidly expanding powerboat portfolio.
The appointment advances IHRA’s long-term vision for offshore powerboat racing and tunnel boat competition, creating a unified leadership structure across multiple powerboat disciplines.
The International Hot Rod Association’s expansion into powerboat racing will launch with its first sanctioned event when the Bradenton Area River Regatta hosts the IHRA F1 Powerboat Series on February 20 and 21, 2026.
The Florida event marks the competitive debut of IHRA’s powerboat operations following its acquisition of the American tunnel boat series earlier this month.
The International Hot Rod Association has completed the acquisition of Memphis International Raceway in Millington, Tennessee, closing on the historic motorsports facility on December 23.
The International Hot Rod Association has announced the launch of the IHRA Pro Watercraft Racing Series, a professional personal watercraft championship featuring $250,000 in prize money and both stand up and runabout competition when it debuts in 2026.
The series represents IHRA’s latest expansion in powerboat racing after the organisation acquired American F1 tunnel boat racing earlier this month with a $500,000 prize fund commitment.
The International Hot Rod Association has doubled its 2026 offshore racing prize purse to $2 million, just weeks after acquiring Powerboat P1 USA and announcing an initial $1 million commitment to the sport.
The organisation confirmed the increased purse following the Key West World Championship, where teams received payment immediately after the awards presentation.
The International Hot Rod Association has acquired Powerboat P1 USA/P1 Offshore in a calculated move to consolidate American offshore racing under fresh leadership, whilst maintaining dialogue with Race World Offshore (RWO) towards potential unification ahead of the 2026 season.
The acquisition, announced yesterday by IHRA owner Darryl Cuttell, arrives just seven days after the drag racing organisation confirmed a $250,000 purse for next month’s Key West World Championships and a $1 million purse for its inaugural 2026 national championship series.
