Racing at the Mercury Racing Midwest Challenge in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, has been cancelled, IHRA told the City of Sheboygan this week. It was meant to be the finale of the IHRA Offshore National Championship. Instead the series ends with four completed rounds, a season-opening promise of $2 million in prize money, and a leadership roster that turned over so many times it is difficult to say who was actually in charge by the time the boats stopped racing.
Here is the season in full: the people who came and went, and the racing itself, round by round.
The Leadership Timeline
IHRA entered offshore powerboat racing in late 2025 under owner Darryl Cuttell, announcing a $2 million season purse. Tommy Thomassie was named Executive Vice President and Director of Powerboating on December 31, 2025, brought in to build the programme from nothing in under three months.
He delivered. Sixty-five boats and $214,285 in prize money at the St. Petersburg opener in March. Two weeks later, with New Orleans still to come, Thomassie resigned, citing “a split in our collective vision and execution.” IHRA told him he was not needed in New Orleans.
In May, at Thunder on Cocoa Beach, a record 89-boat fleet turned out. Mid-race, IHRA president Leah Martin was dismissed, a decision she said was made at a hotel meeting the night before, without warning. Her husband Justin, IHRA’s safety director, walked off the pace boat when he heard, delaying the next race by around 15 minutes. Thomassie returned to the organisation the same weekend; Andrew Hubble took over the offshore programme. Days later, Thomassie was gone again. Dustin Farthing, previously IHRA’s President of Sponsorships, was named president shortly afterwards.
By late May, the cracks reached the calendar itself. IHRA terminated its partnership with the Offshore Powerboat Association, the New Jersey organisation that had been running three races, including the well-liked St. Clair River Classic, under the IHRA umbrella. OPA president Nick Smith resigned from his IHRA role. The Freeport Offshore Grand Prix was cancelled outright; St. Clair survived only by reverting to independent OPA sanction, stripped of IHRA points, funding and television coverage.
On June 30, IHRA cut its remaining 2026 offshore, F1 and outlaw drag boat schedules to one event each, citing budgets exceeded early in the season. The Miami World Powerboat Grand Prix and the IHRA Offshore National Championship, the season finale that was to have crowned the year, were both removed from the calendar. Sheboygan, already scheduled for August, became offshore’s only remaining round.
The pattern was not confined to the water. On July 9, IHRA cancelled the rest of its 2026 Nitro Drag Racing Series and laid off staff. This week, IHRA confirmed the remainder of its 2026 Stock Car Series would not go ahead either, telling racers the organisation could not deliver events “at the level our racers deserve.”
Then, this week, Sheboygan itself. IHRA told the City it could not provide the staffing and operational support needed to safely run the boat races. Mayor Ryan Sorenson called it “an incredibly disappointing outcome for our community, local businesses, and the many fans who look forward to this event each year.” The City is working to preserve what land-based activities it can, including the Friday Block Party and the King Park Bites and Brews event.
IHRA confirmed the cancellation directly on July 14, in a statement that framed the decision differently to the City’s account. The organisation said its goal had been to complete the season with one final event, but that following a comprehensive review of its offshore operations, it is unable to continue as the event promoter. The statement did not repeat the City’s account of a staffing and operational shortfall.
IHRA statement, July 14
We know this news will be disappointing to our racers, teams, sponsors, and fans. We sincerely appreciate everyone’s support throughout the 2026 season. While we are unable to move forward with promoting the Sheboygan Midwest Challenge, we are grateful to the City of Sheboygan and all of our partners for their support and understanding.
With Sheboygan gone and no replacement round added, IHRA confirmed the 2026 Offshore National Championship is now decided on points already earned. National champions in each class will be crowned from the final standings recorded at the Shootout Offshore at Lake of the Ozarks on June 13-14, the last completed round of the season. Further detail on the final standings is due through IHRA’s own communication channels.
The IHRA Pro Watercraft Series event that had been scheduled alongside the Sheboygan race weekend is also cancelled. The wider Pro Watercraft Series continues, with its next round in Williamsburg, Virginia, on September 4-6.
Title sponsor Mercury Racing issued its own statement on Instagram on July 14, striking a notably different tone to IHRA’s.
Mercury Racing statement, Instagram, July 14
Mercury Racing is disappointed to learn that the International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) has made the decision to cancel the 2026 Midwest Challenge offshore races. We sincerely appreciate the racers, teams, volunteers, sponsors, community partners and fans who planned to be part of this year’s event. Your passion and support continue to drive the offshore racing community forward. Mercury Racing remains committed to supporting the offshore community and we are exploring opportunities to bring high-performance racing back to Wisconsin in 2027.
Mercury Racing’s statement attributes the cancellation directly to an IHRA decision, a more pointed framing than IHRA’s own description of a review that left it unable to continue as promoter. Mercury Racing did not mention IHRA in connection with any 2027 event, leaving open whether a return to Wisconsin would run under the IHRA banner or elsewhere.
Six names moved through senior IHRA offshore or presidential roles between the acquisition and the Sheboygan cancellation: Tommy Thomassie (twice), Leah Martin, Andrew Hubble, Nick Smith and Dustin Farthing. Four completed race weekends is what the season has to show for it.
Round 1: St. Petersburg, March 27-29
The season opener drew 65 boats and paid out $214,285 across 11 classes. Full report: St. Pete Payouts.
| Class | Winner |
| Pro Class 1 | Monster Energy / M CON |
| Super Stock | Team Bermuda |
| Super Cat | Dirty Money Racing |
| Factory Stock | Jackhammer Offshore Racing |
| Modified Vee | NMB RV Resort |
| Bracket 200 | OC Racing |
| Bracket 300 | WeHaulBoats.com |
| Bracket 400 | Team 07 Offshore Racing (Norvill/Foster) |
| Bracket 500 | Back in Action |
| Bracket 600 | Bad Attitude Racing |
| Bracket 700 | Pist’n Broke |
No entries in Super Vee, Extreme or Cat 300 at Round 1.
Round 2: New Orleans, April 10-12
| Class | Winner |
| Pro Class 1 | Monster Energy / M-CON |
| Super Stock | Wozencraft |
| Super Cat | CR Racing |
| Factory Stock | 151 Express |
| Modified Vee | Clouatre Cartel Racing |
| Bracket 200 | OC Racing |
| Bracket 400 | Shocker Offshore |
| Bracket 500 | Back In Action |
| Bracket 600 | Hammerheads |
| Bracket 700 | Pist’n Broke |
Source: official IHRA Offshore Championship standings. No entries recorded in Extreme or Bracket 300 at Round 2.
Round 3: Thunder on Cocoa Beach, May 16-17
A record 89-boat fleet, and the weekend Leah Martin was dismissed. Full reports: Saturday and Sunday results.
| Class | Winner |
| Pro Class 1, Race 1 | Outta Pocket Racing (Kevin Birrell) |
| Pro Class 1, Race 2 | Monster Energy / M CON |
| Super Stock | Team Bermuda |
| Super Cat | Dirty Money Racing |
| Factory Stock | 151 Express |
| Modified Vee | Clouatre Cartel Racing |
| Super V | Wazzup Racing |
| Extreme | Offshore Racing Services |
| Bracket 200 | OC Racing |
| Bracket 300 | Wehaulboats.com |
| Bracket 400 | Shocker (Chris Colson) |
| Bracket 500 | Superboat |
| Bracket 600 | Ride Legal Velocity (Scott McCormick) |
| Bracket 700 | Pist’n Broke |
Round 4: Shootout Offshore, Lake of the Ozarks, June 13-14
Sixty-one entries across eight classes, and two serious accidents without lasting injury. Full report: Shootout Offshore Results.
| Class | Winner |
| Pro Class 1 | Monster Energy / M-CON |
| Super Stock | Nuff Said / Hamilton Princess |
| Super Cat | Dirty Money Racing |
| Factory Stock | Monster Energy / M-CON |
| Modified Vee | Boatfloater.com |
| Super V | Knucklehead Racing |
| Extreme | American Custom Marine |
| Class 200 | Victory Racing |
| Class 300 | Team Woody |
| Class 400 | Jerry Hartman Racing / XINSURANCE |
| Class 500 | Back In Action |
| Class 600 | Dirty Martini Racing |
| Class 700 | Team Progression / Redrum |
Final 2026 Offshore Standings
National champions in each class are crowned from these final points, covering all four completed rounds: St. Petersburg, New Orleans, Thunder on Cocoa Beach and the Shootout Offshore at Lake of the Ozarks. Full weekly breakdowns are maintained on the 2026 IHRA Offshore Championship Standings page.
Pro Class 1
| Pos | # | Team | St. Pete | New Orleans | Cocoa Beach | Lake Ozarks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Monster Energy/M-CON | 100.5 | 106.0 | 96.5 | 104.0 | 407.0 |
| 2 | 5 | WHM Motorsports | 74.0 | 83.5 | 71.0 | 89.0 | 317.5 |
| 3 | 3 | BPR/Dirty Money Racing | 53.0 | 81.5 | 96.5 | 72.0 | 303.0 |
| 4 | 10 | Outta Pocket Racing/XINSURANCE | 80.0 | 87.5 | 47.5 | 85.5 | 300.5 |
| 5 | 07 | Discrete Offshore Racing | 62.0 | 65.0 | 80.0 | 81.5 | 288.5 |
| 6 | 32 | MTI/GC Racing | 91.0 | 74.5 | 78.5 | – | 244.0 |
| 7 | 11 | XINSURANCE North | 80.0 | 74.0 | 71.0 | – | 225.0 |
Super Cat
| Pos | # | Team | St. Pete | New Orleans | Cocoa Beach | Lake Ozarks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Dirty Money Racing | 105 | 72 | 105 | 103 | 385 |
| 2 | 8 | CR Racing | 73 | 104 | 94 | 92 | 363 |
| 3 | 54 | CJ Grant Racing/Graydel | 94 | 93 | 73 | 77 | 337 |
| 4 | 77 | EWB Racing | 0 | 85 | 79 | 84 | 248 |
| 5 | 10 | Howe2Live Offshore | 79 | 78 | 86 | – | 243 |
| 6 | 6 | Wicked | 86 | – | 67 | – | 153 |
Extreme
| Pos | # | Team | St. Pete | New Orleans | Cocoa Beach | Lake Ozarks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 | Offshore Racing Services | – | – | 100 | – | 100 |
| 2 | 12 | American Custom Marine | – | – | – | 100 | 100 |
Factory Stock
| Pos | # | Team | St. Pete | New Orleans | Cocoa Beach | Lake Ozarks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 42 | Jackhammer/Manatee Marine | 105 | 86 | 97 | 86 | 374 |
| 2 | 21 | Say Less MF | 86 | 94 | 89 | 73 | 342 |
| 3 | 44 | LWR Lake Wiley Racing | 94 | 73 | 76 | 94 | 337 |
| 4 | 5 | MFR/Mead Family Racing | 79 | 79 | 54 | 79 | 291 |
| 5 | 66 | 151 Express | 67 | 105 | 108 | – | 280 |
| 6 | 70 | HBS Motorsports | – | – | 82 | 67 | 149 |
| 7 | 25 | Goodboy Vodka | 73 | 67 | – | – | 140 |
| 8 | 6 | Monster Energy/M-CON | – | – | – | 105 | 105 |
| 9 | 36 | Gladiator/Canados | – | – | 70 | – | 70 |
| 10 | 22 | AL & AL Racing | – | – | 64 | – | 64 |
| 11 | 40 | Montlick Injury Attorneys | – | – | 59 | – | 59 |
Super Stock
| Pos | # | Team | St. Pete | New Orleans | Cocoa Beach | Lake Ozarks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | S-25 | Team Bermuda | 115 | 104 | 115 | 104 | 438 |
| 2 | S-54 | Allied/STR Powerboats | 104 | 89 | 89 | 96 | 378 |
| 3 | S-8 | Wozencraft | 96 | 115 | 96 | 56 | 363 |
| 4 | S-12 | Hamilton Princess/Nuff Said | 77 | 83 | 77 | 115 | 352 |
| 5 | S-43 | Valvoline/Celsius/Team Ignite | 66 | 96 | 66 | 89 | 317 |
| 6 | S-17 | Team Allen Lawn Care and Landscaping | 48 | 66 | 83 | 77 | 274 |
| 7 | S-28 | Diggin Deep | 61 | 71 | 56 | 83 | 271 |
| 8 | S-89 | Raymarine/Big East Construction | 89 | 77 | 36 | 31 | 233 |
| 9 | S-33 | Savage Racing | 36 | 61 | 51 | 66 | 214 |
| 10 | S-55 | Mom Ain’t Happy | 83 | 51 | – | 71 | 205 |
| 11 | S-14 | Atlas | 46 | 46 | 71 | 26 | 189 |
| 12 | S-7 | HBS Motorsports | 41 | 31 | 61 | 46 | 179 |
| 13 | S-88 | XINSURANCE/Moxie | 71 | 56 | 41 | – | 168 |
| 14 | S-21 | Say Less MF | 56 | 41 | – | 61 | 158 |
| 15 | S-74 | XINSURANCE/Team Bad Decisions | 31 | 36 | 26 | 36 | 129 |
| 16 | S-45 | Club Car Wash | 26 | 26 | 26 | 41 | 119 |
| 17 | S-77 | Northwing Offshore | – | – | 104 | – | 104 |
| 18 | S-23 | Speedmaster Performance | – | – | – | 51 | 51 |
| 19 | S-11 | Huk Racing Powered By Proflex | – | – | 46 | – | 46 |
Super Vee
| Pos | # | Team | Cocoa Beach | Lake Ozarks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 | Knucklehead Racing | 77 | 101 | 178 |
| 2 | 71 | Twisted Racing | 84 | 90 | 174 |
| 3 | 3 | Wazzup | 103 | – | 103 |
| 4 | 52 | DSK Marine | 92 | – | 92 |
No entries at Rounds 1 or 2.
Modified Vee
| Pos | # | Team | St. Pete | New Orleans | Cocoa Beach | Lake Ozarks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 74 | Clouatre Cartel Racing | 83 | 102 | 107 | 85 | 377 |
| 2 | 33 | NMB RV Resort | 102 | 91 | 69 | 93 | 355 |
| 3 | 2 | Boatfloater.com | 91 | 83 | 63 | 104 | 341 |
| 4 | 47 | Relentless | – | – | 81 | 72 | 153 |
| 5 | 55 | Fuel 1 Team | – | – | 75 | 78 | 153 |
| 6 | 32 | Speed Marine | – | – | 96 | – | 96 |
| 7 | 42 | Safe Cash/XINSURANCE | – | – | 88 | – | 88 |
| 8 | 51 | El Bandito | – | – | 58 | – | 58 |
Class 200
| Pos | # | Team | St. Pete | New Orleans | Cocoa Beach | Lake Ozarks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 269 | Victory USA | 84 | 91 | 83 | 101 | 359 |
| 2 | 221 | OC Racing | 103 | 102 | 102 | – | 307 |
| 3 | 208 | Justice League | 92 | 83 | 91 | – | 266 |
| 4 | 211 | I’m The Wild One | – | – | – | 90 | 90 |
| 5 | 252 | DSK Marine | 77 | – | – | – | 77 |
Class 300
| Pos | # | Team | St. Pete | New Orleans | Cocoa Beach | Lake Ozarks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 327 | Team Woody Racing | 90 | – | 90 | 100 | 280 |
| 2 | 313 | WeHaulBoats.com | 101 | – | 101 | – | 202 |
Class 400
| Pos | # | Team | St. Pete | New Orleans | Cocoa Beach | Lake Ozarks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 421 | Shocker Offshore | 83 | 102 | 105 | 77 | 367 |
| 2 | 409 | Jerry Hartman Racing/XINSURANCE | 91 | 83 | 89 | 103 | 366 |
| 3 | 407 | Team UK Offshore | 102 | 91 | 73 | – | 266 |
| 4 | 435 | Killin It Racing | – | – | 79 | 92 | 171 |
| 5 | 436 | Unleashed Racing | – | – | 94 | – | 94 |
| 6 | 417 | LOZ App | – | – | – | 84 | 84 |
| 7 | 499 | Burning Man | – | – | 67 | – | 67 |
Class 500
| Pos | # | Team | St. Pete | New Orleans | Cocoa Beach | Lake Ozarks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 576 | Back In Action | 106 | 103 | 82 | 103 | 394 |
| 2 | 588 | Fuel 1 Team | 95 | 84 | 70 | 92 | 341 |
| 3 | 517 | Blackbeard Offshore Racing | 80 | 77 | 76 | 84 | 317 |
| 4 | 568 | Superboat | 68 | – | 108 | 77 | 253 |
| 5 | 577 | YabbaDabbaDoo | 74 | 92 | 64 | – | 230 |
| 6 | 549 | Whiskey Throttle Racing | 87 | – | 54 | – | 141 |
| 7 | 574 | TFR/XINSURANCE | – | – | 97 | – | 97 |
| 8 | 522 | Rum Runners | – | – | 92 | – | 92 |
| 9 | 562 | On Edge | 62 | – | – | – | 62 |
| 10 | 511 | Tuff Noogies | – | – | 59 | – | 59 |
Class 600
| Pos | # | Team | St. Pete | New Orleans | Cocoa Beach | Lake Ozarks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 602 | Ultimate Boat Racing Experience | 72 | 78 | 80 | 85 | 315 |
| 2 | 611 | Ride Legal Velocity | 93 | 86 | 106 | – | 285 |
| 3 | 628 | Hammerheads | 85 | 104 | 95 | – | 284 |
| 4 | 688 | Bad Attitude Racing | 104 | – | 74 | 93 | 271 |
| 5 | 605 | Islandscapes | 78 | 93 | 62 | – | 233 |
| 6 | 603 | Ultimate Boat Racing Experience | – | – | 90 | 78 | 168 |
| 7 | 609 | Team First Responders | – | 72 | 62 | – | 134 |
| 8 | 620 | Dirty Martini Racing | – | – | – | 104 | 104 |
| 9 | 616 | Punchin Hulls | – | – | – | 72 | 72 |
Class 700
| Pos | # | Team | St. Pete | New Orleans | Cocoa Beach | Lake Ozarks | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 744 | Pist’n Broke | 105 | 103 | 109 | 79 | 396 |
| 2 | 730 | REDRUM Team Progression | 94 | 84 | 93 | 105 | 376 |
| 3 | 789 | Dirt Legal Velocity | 86 | 92 | 77 | 73 | 328 |
| 4 | 777 | Mad Max Racing | 73 | 77 | 83 | 94 | 327 |
| 5 | 742 | Safe Cash/XINSURANCE | 67 | – | 98 | – | 165 |
| 6 | 727 | Yacht Mgmt Racing Team | 79 | – | 65 | – | 144 |
| 7 | 717 | Proven Marine | – | – | 50 | 86 | 136 |
| 8 | 700 | The Punisher | – | – | 60 | 67 | 127 |
| 9 | 746 | Fuel 1 Team | – | – | 71 | – | 71 |
| 10 | 767 | Irish Kevin’s Key West | – | – | 55 | – | 55 |
The Numbers That Stand Out
Monster Energy / M CON won Pro Class 1 at three of the four rounds and finished no worse than second at Cocoa Beach. Pist’n Broke won Bracket 700 at every round they contested it. Back In Action won Bracket 500 at three of four rounds. Whatever else fell apart around the series, the racing itself, when it happened, was competitive and consistent at the front of several fields.
IHRA Offshore Coverage on Powerboat News
Every race report, standings update and leadership story from the 2026 season.
IHRA Offshore Coverage
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.
