SAN DIEGO, California – Six competitive Unlimited hydroplanes will compete on Mission Bay September 18–20 as San Diego Bayfair hosts the final round of the 2026 H1 Unlimited season. With just 180 points separating Jimmy Shane and Andrew Tate, the weekend will determine the National High Points Championship while also awarding the Bill Muncey Cup.
Shane enters the finale with 5,129 points aboard the U-27 Miss Apollo, ahead of Tate’s 4,949 in the U-1 BWR Racing. After winning the opening two events in Madison and Tri-Cities, Shane saw Tate respond with a victory in Seattle. Their close contest now moves to Mission Bay, where qualifying and heat results will be critical to the championship outcome.
The competition for third in the standings is even closer. Corey Peabody holds the position with 3,711 points aboard the U-3 Tahoe Miss, only 109 ahead of Strong Racing teammate J. Michael Kelly and the U-00 Maverick.
Both drivers have recent winning experience in San Diego. Peabody claimed victory in 2024, while Kelly won last year’s event and established a San Diego five-lap heat speed record of 152.818 mph. That history makes both drivers contenders for the Bill Muncey Cup as they pursue a strong finish in the season standings.
Jamie Nilsen and Dylan Runne complete a six-boat field that has become increasingly competitive throughout the season. Their teams’ recent performances suggest that the battle at the front could extend well beyond the two championship leaders.
Nilsen, fifth in the standings with 3,047 points, guided the U-11 Miss FLAV-R-PAC to third place in Tri-Cities and fourth in Seattle. Those consecutive results reflect the team’s progress in speed and consistency, placing the U-11 among the boats capable of challenging for a podium finish in San Diego.
Runne arrives with 2,736 points and momentum from a third-place finish in Seattle aboard the U-40 Bucket List Racing. The result marked the team’s first podium of the 2026 season and rewarded the work of Runne and his crew. San Diego offers another opportunity to build on that performance and close the season with a strong result.
With recent race winners and podium finishers throughout the field, all six entries could influence both the weekend’s racing and the final championship standings.
On-water activity begins Friday, September 18, with testing and qualifying. Saturday’s schedule includes two rounds of heat racing and a driver autograph session from 1:00 to 1:50 p.m. Racing continues Sunday with the third round of heats, followed by the Bill Muncey Cup final, scheduled for 3:50 p.m.
All times are Pacific and subject to change.
Fans can find San Diego Bayfair event information here and follow the racing live on the H1 Unlimited YouTube channel.
