KENNEWICK, Wash. –The 2026 Apollo Columbia Cup delivered exactly what fans have come to expect from H1 Unlimited: close competition, changing storylines, and championship-caliber racing on the Columbia River.
While Jimmy Shane and the U-27 Miss Apollo ultimately swept the weekend by capturing the Apollo Columbia Cup, the results tell only part of the story. Several teams showed race-winning speed throughout the weekend, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting battle in Seattle.
Sunday began with an unexpected development when the U-1 Miss BWR Racing was disqualified from Heat 3A after the team failed to ensure the data box was functioning properly once installed. As a result, no data could be transmitted to the Tech Truck, resulting in a disqualification. The revised results awarded the Heat 3A victory to Corey Peabody and the U-3 Tahoe Miss presented by Beacon Plumbing, with Brandon Kennedy U-6 Goodman Real Estate presents Royer Miss Madison finishing second, Dylan Runne U-40 Bucket List third, and Gunnar O’Farrell U-21 Beacon Plumbing presents Ronald McDonald House fourth.
The final rounds of heat racing continued to shuffle the standings as teams fought for one of six spots in the championship final. Lane choice became critical, with every point carrying significant weight.
Behind Shane, Andrew Tate rebounded from the earlier Heat 3A disqualification to finish second aboard the U-1 Miss BWR Racing, an impressive recovery that kept him firmly in the championship fight. Jamie Nilsen delivered one of the standout performances of the weekend, guiding the U-11 FLAV-R-PAC to third place after showing tremendous speed throughout Sunday’s racing. J. Michael Kelly finished fourth in the U-00 Maverick presented by Beacon Plumbing.
One of the biggest stories of the weekend belonged to Jamie Nilsen and the entire U-11 FLAV-R-PAC team. After showing improved pace throughout qualifying and heat racing, the team translated that speed into one of its strongest performances of the season, proving they have the potential to challenge the front-runners in the races ahead.
From the first test session to the checkered flag, the Columbia River once again provided outstanding racing under excellent weather conditions. H1 Unlimited extends its sincere thanks to the Tri City Water Follies, the hundreds of volunteers, race officials, safety crews, sponsors, and every team whose hard work made another successful Apollo Columbia Cup possible.
The H1 teams now heads west for the season’s next stop as the fleet prepares for Seafair Weekend in Seattle. Shane leaves Tri-Cities with the trophy, but with several teams carrying newfound speed and confidence, another victory will be far from guaranteed.
