{"id":224585,"date":"2026-04-09T09:35:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T09:35:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/224585\/"},"modified":"2026-04-09T09:35:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T09:35:11","slug":"irha-hits-st-pete-wot-round-1-delivers-new-orleans-next-the-watercraft-journal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/224585\/","title":{"rendered":"IRHA Hits St. Pete WOT: Round 1 Delivers, New Orleans Next – The Watercraft Journal"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\n\"\"\"\"<\/a>Photo Courtesy IHRA<\/p>\n

The inaugural IHRA Professional Watercraft Series didn\u2019t ease into existence. It showed up at St. Petersburg\u2019s Spa Beach the last weekend of March with over 100 entries across ten classes, a television deal, Monster Energy on the rail, and something the PWC racing world hasn\u2019t felt in a while \u2014 genuine electricity.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn all, St. Pete was by far the best race event I have attended \u2014 at least in the last 30 years,\u201d wrote Gary Burtka, a racer with roughly 250 events to his name, in a post that circulated widely after the weekend. \u201cThis team nailed it.\u201d<\/p>\n

He wasn\u2019t alone. From former world champions to first-timers on the beach, the reaction was nearly uniform: this felt different.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/a>Photo Courtesy Lamar Weldon<\/p>\n

The venue helped. Nestled between a powerboat grand prix and an arts festival on the downtown St. Pete waterfront, the IHRA paddock was a long way from a back-channel boat ramp. Helicopters buzzed overhead filming powerboat footage and occasionally swept across the PWC course. Tourists from Poland wandered over from the art tents. Kids swam in the shallows behind the start line. \u201cWe definitely had our place,\u201d said Lamar Weldon, a racer who spent the weekend on the water as a credentialed course photographer and WCJ\u2019s newest on-scene correspondent. \u201cThere were over 100 jet ski racers out there. We weren\u2019t an afterthought.\u201d<\/p>\n

What set the tone beyond the backdrop was how the organization operated on the ground. Brad and Jaymi Bohat handled race management with a precision that racers noticed \u2014 not from a tower, but trackside, in IHRA jerseys, visibly working. \u201cEvery time I turned around I saw either Dustin, Brad, or Jaymi doing something,\u201d Weldon said. \u201cThey\u2019re hands-on. That makes a difference to the attitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/a>Photo Courtesy Lamar Weldon<\/p>\n

Dustin Farthing, the series founder and a legend in the sport, had done something else other promoters have consistently failed to do: he promoted. In the days before the event, he was in Tampa and St. Pete doing television interviews, building buzz in the mainstream market. The result was a live broadcast on Speed Sport 1, real-time timing at ihrapwc.livemotorsports.com, and a spectator crowd that actually showed up \u2014 and came back the next day.<\/p>\n

On the water, the racing delivered. Coy Curtis dominated Pro Ski GP, sweeping all three motos and leaving little doubt about who starts the season as the one to beat. Jay Finlinson edged Deven Farthing by the narrowest possible margin to take Pro Endurance \u2014 both finished on 59 points after three motos. Garrett Loftin powered through brutal conditions to win Amateur Endurance 300, and River Varner took Women\u2019s Ski GP to head into New Orleans as championship leader.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/a>Photo Courtesy IHRA<\/p>\n

Those conditions were no joke. Saturday brought grey skies, 40 mph gusts, and chop that one racer described as waves \u201cblowing white caps in your face.\u201d Sunday\u2019s Pro Ski GP Moto 3 turned into what the official IHRA page called \u201ca full-on freestyle session.\u201d<\/p>\n

Kayden Baldwin \u2014 son of champion Brian Baldwin \u2014 took a chest-first impact into the bars in Moto 1 and raced several more laps unable to breathe before pulling in. He\u2019ll be in New Orleans. So will Todd Czarcinski, who ran three holeshots on his way to second in Amateur Endurance 300 and showed up to his post-race social media still apparently vibrating: \u201cWow\u2026\u2026Wow!\u201d<\/p>\n

Sport Spec produced one of the weekend\u2019s more unusual storylines \u2014 Matt Johnson, Talan Farthing, and Straus Mernik each took a moto win and ended the weekend on identical points. Johnson takes the overall by tiebreaker, but all three are deadlocked heading into Round 2.<\/p>\n

\"\"\"\"<\/a>Photo Courtesy IHRA<\/p>\n

The overall verdict from the paddock was best put by Sadie Mir, who finished 3rd in Ski GP2 racing sick against a field she called \u201ctruly next level\u201d: \u201cThe fans, atmosphere, professionalism, cash prizes, and social reach is something the USA hasn\u2019t seen in years.\u201d<\/p>\n

Next Stop: New Orleans<\/p>\n

The IHRA National Tour moves to New Orleans next weekend, April 10\u201312, at 7901 Breakwater Drive. Pit gates open Thursday morning at 9 a.m. The schedule mirrors St. Pete\u2019s format with one addition \u2014 dedicated on-course endurance practice Friday afternoon. The Yamaha partnership announced this week adds factory muscle to a series that already showed up swinging. Round 1 set the bar. Round 2 starts Thursday.<\/p>\n

Round 1 Overall Results<\/p>\n

Amateur Endurance 200 (4 entries)
1 #297 BARON MERNIK 75 pts
2 #117 ANDY MARTINEZ 55 pts
3 #71 KEVIN SULLIVAN 52 pts<\/p>\n

Amateur Endurance 300 (32 entries)
1 #114 \u00a0 GARRETT LOFTIN 70 pts
2 #46 TODD CZARCINSKI 45 pts
3 #706 NOAH DALLI 44 pts<\/p>\n

Pro Endurance Overall Results (20 entries)
1 #55\u00a0 JAY FINLINSON 59 pts
2 #6 DEVEN FARTHING 59 pts
3 #373 NOAH SKIPPS 51 pts<\/p>\n

Runabout GP3 (7 entries)
1 v2 JASON SEELEY 161 pts
2 #BR1 MASSIMO CASARINI 149 pts
3 #361 ERIC LAGOPOULOS 146 pts<\/p>\n

Ski GP (20 entries)
1 #155 COY CURTIS 180 pts
2 #100 REVIN HARRIS 159 pts
3 #98 QUINTEN BOSSCHE 125 pts<\/p>\n

Ski GP Womens (4 entries)
1 #23 RIVER VARNER 173 pts
2 v11 EMY GARCIA 156 pts
3 #851 BRITTON REINHARD 154 pts<\/p>\n

Ski GP2 (9 entries)
1 #912 RICK SHERKER 173 pts
2 #27 DAVI PRADO 156 pts
3 #335 SADIE MIR 144 pts<\/p>\n

Ski GP3 (12 entries)
1 #177 KASHE CRAWFORD 168 pts
2 #53 GARY HOLBEIN JR. 154 pts
3 v851 BRITTON REINHARD 139 pts<\/p>\n

Ski Junior (9 entries)
1 #23 CAMERON SPOONER 166 pts
2 #33 CASH MCCLURE 149 pts
3 #11 ANDY GARCIA 147 pts<\/p>\n

Sport Spec (13 entries)
1 #277 MATT JOHNSON 161 pts
2 #521 TALAN FARTHING 161 pts
3 #110 STRAUS MERNIK 161 pts<\/p>\n

Show less<\/p>\n

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