Personal watercraft racers are getting ready to fire up a brand-new championship as the IHRA Pro Watercraft Series officially launches its inaugural season later this month in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Early buzz around the tour has already begun building among racers preparing for the first round.

The waterfront city will host Round One of the 2026 IHRA Pro Watercraft National Tour from March 26–29, kicking off what organizers hope will be a major new chapter for professional PWC racing.

For three days, many of the sport’s fastest riders will battle along the St. Petersburg waterfront as the road toward the IHRA World Cup begins.

The event opens Thursday with racer check-in, technical inspection, and pit setup before the competition ramps up Friday with the first racing sessions and select qualifying rounds. The weekend culminates Saturday and Sunday as riders line up for championship motos that will determine the first winners of the new national tour.

A Monster Energy Racer Party scheduled for Friday evening will give competitors a chance to relax and connect after the opening day of competition before the intensity of the weekend racing schedule.

For riders chasing an IHRA championship, the season opener represents the first chance to build momentum in what is expected to be a highly competitive inaugural tour.

IHRA recently added another incentive for racers with a special season-long giveaway in partnership with AP Designs, one of the most respected helmet painters in motorsports.

Founded by longtime artist Alex Paul, AP Designs has deep roots in personal watercraft racing, having painted helmets for many of the sport’s top riders over the past three decades.

To celebrate the launch of the new series, four custom-painted helmet certificates will be awarded during the 2026 season finale at the IHRA World Cup in Lake Havasu.

Season champions in Ski GP2, Sport Spec, and Amateur Enduro 300 will each receive one of the custom helmets, while a fourth certificate will be raffled off among IHRA racers based on their total race entries throughout the season. The more events a racer enters, the better their chances of taking home a one-of-a-kind piece of motorsports art.

With a new national tour, strong early buzz from racers, and incentives aimed directly at competitors, the IHRA Pro Watercraft Series is poised to kick off the 2026 racing season with serious momentum when the green flag drops in St. Petersburg later this month.

 

 

 

Â