Spencer Love leads the IHRA F1 Powerboat Series championship going into Sunday’s final at the 2026 Red River Rumble, after a Saturday in Shreveport that swung the title battle decisively. Jared Jensen, who arrived as points leader, suffered a motor failure in Heat 2 after the best start of his career and scored just 26 points from two heats. Love won Heat 2 and leaves Saturday with an 18-point advantage.
The Red River presented its best conditions in the event’s three-year history. Overnight rain cleared through the morning, and calm water allowed dock starts for the first time. In previous years, the Red River current had forced rolling starts. By mid-afternoon, temperatures had reached 27°C with sunshine and a building breeze, the humidity that affected the morning session burning off as the day progressed.
The Heat 1 Incident
The opening heat was shaped by a first-lap incident involving Chris Rinker (#52) and Grant Schubert (#13). Rinker recorded no laps completed; Schubert managed one lap in 1:05.493 before his boat began taking on water and had to be withdrawn. The incident also delayed Spencer Love off the dock, her lap 1 time of 1:10.888 dropping her to ninth before she charged back through the field.
Both drivers were confirmed to be racing in reserve equipment for Heat 2. Rinker switched to his Mercury 2-stroke Moore hull, as opposed to the Mercury 4-stroke machine he had campaigned at Port Neches. Schubert borrowed a reserve boat from Jeremiah Mayo, a 4-stroke, having had his own hull rendered unraceable. Officials confirmed that both retained their Heat 1 points but were required to start Heat 2 from the least advantageous positions.
Heat 1 Result
Dylan Anderson won Heat 1, leading throughout 17 laps in 8:32.065. His fastest lap of 28.482 was the quickest of the heat. Love completed her recovery from ninth to finish second, 10.912 seconds behind, with Jared Jensen third and Jeremiah Mayo fourth. Dustin Terry retired after 13 laps with a mechanical problem that ruled him out of Heat 2 entirely. Jimmy Kerr was classified 11th after recording no timed laps.
Heat 1
| Pos | # | Driver | Laps | Time/Gap | Fast Lap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 | Dylan Anderson | 17 | 8:32.065 | 28.482 |
| 2 | 24 | Spencer Love | 17 | +10.912 | 26.581 |
| 3 | 29 | Jared Jensen | 17 | +11.936 | 29.409 |
| 4 | 8 | Jeremiah Mayo | 17 | +13.281 | 27.093 |
| 5 | 34 | Jeff Reno | 16 | +1 lap | 23.529 |
| 6 | 98 | Aiden Benton | 15 | +2 laps | 32.543 |
| 7 | 99 | Travis Yates | 14 | +3 laps | 34.512 |
| 8 | 1 | Dustin Terry | 13 | DNF | 29.616 |
| 9 | 13 | Grant Schubert | 1 | DNF | 1:05.493 |
| 10 | 52 | Chris Rinker | 0 | DNF | — |
| 11 | 71 | Jimmy Kerr | 0 | DNF | — |
Heat 2: Jensen’s Best Start, Then Silence
Heat 2 ran on a reversed grid, with Rinker and Schubert starting from the back following their equipment changes. Jensen, starting sixth, produced what the race commentary described as the best start of his career, clearing the field and leading the first two laps with a margin that suggested he was about to dominate. On lap 3, approaching turns 3 and 4, the power disappeared.
Jensen was asked about it immediately after the heat and he replied:
I felt like we shelled the motor probably. I haven’t been over there checking it out yet. We got a great start off the dock. Couple of laps in and then there was a power loss all of a sudden. It was pretty sudden. So I’m thinking that we’re probably not going to be in luck with that motor.
Jensen completed three laps and retired, classified 10th. His backup motor goes on for Sunday’s Heat 3 and the Formula 1 final. Whether it carries the same performance is the question his camp will be working through overnight.
Love, starting seventh on the reversed grid, moved to second by lap 3 and took the lead shortly after. She held it to the flag, completing 15 laps in 8:33.658. Jeremiah Mayo finished 1.181 seconds behind in second. Chris Rinker, starting from the back of the grid in his reserve 2-stroke hull, drove through the field to finish third in 8:37.361, one of the performances of the day. Anderson finished fourth, 6.394 seconds off the lead.
Heat 2
| Pos | # | Driver | Laps | Time/Gap | Fast Lap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | Spencer Love | 15 | 8:33.658 | 30.530 |
| 2 | 8 | Jeremiah Mayo | 15 | +1.181 | 30.007 |
| 3 | 52 | Chris Rinker | 15 | +3.703 | 30.830 |
| 4 | 17 | Dylan Anderson | 15 | +6.394 | 30.129 |
| 5 | 71 | Jimmy Kerr | 15 | +26.515 | 31.121 |
| 6 | 13 | Grant Schubert | 15 | +27.712 | 31.431 |
| 7 | 34 | Jeff Reno | 14 | +1 lap | 32.197 |
| 8 | 99 | Travis Yates | 14 | +1 lap | 32.867 |
| 9 | 98 | Aiden Benton | 13 | +2 laps | 33.400 |
| 10 | 29 | Jared Jensen | 3 | DNF | 29.993 |
Championship
After two heats at Shreveport, Spencer Love leads the IHRA F1 championship by 18 points from Jared Jensen, with Chris Rinker a further 31 back in third. Anderson has moved up to fifth overall after his Heat 1 victory.
| Pos | # | Driver | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 | Spencer Love | 604 |
| 2 | 29 | Jared Jensen | 586 |
| 3 | 52 | Chris Rinker | 555 |
| 4 | 8 | Jeremiah Mayo | 544 |
| 5 | 17 | Dylan Anderson | 518 |
Standings estimated from official results pending confirmation from IHRA.
With 200 points available on Sunday, 50 from Heat 3 and 150 from the final, the championship remains open. Jensen needs Love to finish lower than second in the final to take the lead back. Three rounds remain after Shreveport.
Supporting Classes
In Formula Lights, Shelby Love won Heat 1 from the front, but Jose Mendana reversed the result in Heat 2 to take the win. The championship battle going into Sunday is extraordinarily close. Schmerbauch leads on 89 combined heat points from Love and Mendana on 87 and McKee on 86, with the final still to run. The Talent Cup was won in Heat 1 by Jaxon Kresse, with Addy Love second by 1.586 seconds. Aaron Green took Tri-Hull Heat 1.
Sunday
Heat 3 runs in the morning for all classes before the afternoon finals. The Formula 1 final is scheduled for 3:15 pm CDT (9:15 pm BST). Weather on Sunday is forecast dry with a high of 29°C.
IHRA F1 Coverage on Powerboat News
Full championship standings, race results and event guides.
Championship Standings
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.
