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ALTON - Dylan Anderson won the 2026 IHRA Formula 1 Powerboat Series championship Sunday, July 19, 2026, at the Alton Powerboat Nationals on the Mississippi River, securing his first series title after early leader Spencer Love suffered a mechanical failure in the closing stages of the season-deciding final.
Anderson, of Anderson Marine and from Nashville, Tennessee, crossed the line 1.47 seconds ahead of Jared Jensen in the Formula 1 final. Chris Rinker finished third. The result ended a run of near misses for Anderson, who had finished second in the championship multiple times previously.
Love started from pole and led early, with the top four in the championship separated by 38 points entering the race. Anderson moved into second and stayed close before Love’s boat suddenly lost power, ending his title challenge. Anderson then inherited the lead and held off Jensen to the finish, with the gap between them staying at about two seconds in the closing laps.
“I’ve had second in the championship, I don’t even know how many times, three or four,” Anderson said. “So to win a championship, finish it off on a win here too, and really happy to be able to get it done with my friends and family and all the sponsors who help us.”
Earlier Sunday, Grant Schubert led qualifying heat three ahead of Jensen, Love, Anderson and Rinker before the top contenders battled again in the final.
Alton also decided the other three IHRA Formula One Powerboat Series championships the same afternoon.
Jake McKee claimed the Formula Lights title, his first series championship, after finishing fourth in a final won by Jared Wallach ahead of Jose Mendana Jr. McKee entered the race with a lead of just more than 100 points and started fifth on the grid.
Cole Wehring secured the Tri-Hull championship with a third-place finish in a final won by Neal Marsh. Wehring led the points standings entering the weekend and held on despite what was described as a difficult qualifying day Saturday.
In the first season of the Talent Cup class, Luke Brown won the winner-take-all final to become the inaugural champion, passing Addy Love, who had entered the race with a narrow points advantage.
The Alton event carried added significance after IHRA reduced its remaining 2026 schedule earlier in the season because of budget issues confirmed by the organization. What had been planned as an eight-round Formula 1 calendar ended as a five-round series, making the Alton Powerboat Nationals both Round 5 and the championship decider.
