H1 Unlimited teams return to the water this Saturday, May 30, for a day of preseason testing at Columbia Park in Tri-Cities, Washington. The session marks the unofficial start of the 2026 season, with the course open from 8:00 AM Pacific Time.
The first competitive round, the APBA Gold Cup at Madison, Indiana, follows on July 3-5.
U-6 Miss Madison Joins the Pacific Northwest Events
The U-6 Miss Madison has confirmed plans to compete at both the Apollo Columbia Cup in Tri-Cities and the Apollo Mechanical Cup at Seafair in Seattle this July, bringing the expected fleet for both Pacific Northwest events to nine boats.
The entry is made possible through the support of Royer Corporation and Goodman Real Estate. Brandon Kennedy will drive.
The Shane Storyline
Seven-time champion Jimmy Shane arrives with an unusual task. He is expected to test two different U-27 Miss Apollo hulls during the session – the blue “Sharky” hull (#2024-27) and the white hull (#2007-06) that Dave Villwock campaigned at Guntersville in 2025. Which boat Shane takes forward into the season will be one of the defining questions of the weekend.
U-40 Bucket List Racing Returns
Dylan Runne and the U-40 Bucket List Racing team are back on the water after sitting out the entire 2025 season. Saturday is the first public look at how their comeback campaign has taken shape.
Boats Expected in Tri-Cities and Seattle
| # | Boat | Driver |
|---|---|---|
| U-00 | Maverick | J. Michael Kelly |
| U-1 | BWR Racing | Andrew Tate |
| U-3 | Tahoe Miss | Corey Peabody |
| U-6 | Miss Madison | Brandon Kennedy |
| U-11 | Miss FLAV-R-PAC | Jamie Nilsen |
| U-12 | Graham Trucking | Jeff Bernard |
| U-21 | Spirit of America | Gunnar O’Farrell |
| U-27 | Miss Apollo | Jimmy Shane |
| U-40 | Bucket List Racing | Dylan Runne |
Schedule of Events
All times Pacific Daylight Time (PDT, UTC-7). Your local time is shown in the right column.
| Session | PDT (UTC-7) | Your time |
|---|---|---|
| Drivers meeting | 7:30 AM | 7:30 AM PDT |
| Green Flag on course | 8:00 AM | 8:00 AM PDT |
| Break on water | 12:00 PM | 12:00 PM PDT |
| Green Flag on course | 1:00 PM | 1:00 PM PDT |
| Course closes | 5:00 PM | 5:00 PM PDT |
How to Watch
H1 Unlimited will carry live coverage of the testing session on its YouTube channel at youtube.com/h1unlimited. Updates throughout the day will also be available across H1 Unlimited social media channels.
Follow H1 Unlimited on Powerboat News
Full coverage of the 2026 season, from preseason testing through to the Bill Muncey Cup in San Diego in September.
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John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.
His involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.
He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.
In September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
