 The third race of the 2026 Skidfin Solutions Championship Series is the Presidents Cup presented by Pirtek is set for Saturday May 2, 2026, at Eileen Rinehart Riverfront Park in Ellensburg. Here is everything you need to know to get prepared for our third event of the year.
Location Eileen Rinehart Riverfront Park (upper pond) 1081 Umptanum Road Ellensburg, WA 98926 Contest Director Paxton Reunanen Context The Presidents Cup is one of the most historic and prestigious trophies in all H1 Unlimited hydroplane racing and is recognized as the second-most coveted prize after the APBA Gold Cup. The darkest day in unlimited racing history occurred at the 1966 President’s Cup on the Potomac, where three legendary drivers — Ron Musson (Miss Bardahl), Rex Manchester (Notre Dame), and Don Wilson (Miss Texaco) — were killed in a single day, leading to major safety overhauls in the sport. Rex Manchester was the father of our very own Mark Manchester. Bill Muncey is the most successful driver in the cup's history, winning six times between 1956 and 1977. Chuck Thompson won three consecutive races (1950–52) in Miss Pepsi. While the Gold Cup (established 1904) is the oldest, the President’s Cup represents a significant part of the "triple crown" of historic hydroplane racing, which also includes the H1 National High Points Championship. Registration Pre-Registration for the Presidents Cup is now open. To find the pre-registration form, navigate your web browser to https://www.ercu-hydros.com/presidents-cup.html, where you will find the pre-registration link in a blue box just under the header photo. You may also pre-pay your entry fees online by following at 10 p.m., Friday, May 1, 2026. PayPal directions at the bottom of the page. Pre-registration will close After that deadline, please register in person on site before 8:30 a.m. Race Officials
What to Expect (All times approximate, and subject to change)
Race Format
Flight Schedule
Race Day Morning It will be our intent to have the course open by 8 a.m. so that testing can commence once boats are registered for the event. Boat owners should prepare to have time for inspections and to be ready to race. The water will be open for testing until approximately 9 a.m. Drivers Meeting The drivers meeting is mandatory for ALL divisions and all classes and will begin at the scorer’s table within five minutes of the closing of time trials. Drivers who do not attend the drivers meeting will be scratched from the first heat regardless of whether they are pre-registered and pre-paid. Drivers arriving after the drivers meeting will not be added to the event until the draw for the second flight of heats. Presidents Cup Defending Champions
Inspections In 2026, ERCU inspection team will endeavor to inspect/test all boats before the first race each boat runs at. Please print out the Hull Inspection Form, found on the “Resources” tab of the club website (www.ercu-hydros.com) and complete the member information at the top of page one prior to arriving at the race site. Please also remember to bring a photo of the real boat (a photo on your phone or tablet is acceptable) that your boat models. Visiting drivers ERCU welcomes new members to the club and visiting racers from other clubs. Rookie driver testing will be offered during the open water period or lunch break as needed. The course will be closed for rookie driver tests. Visiting racers may not take home an ERCU perpetual trophy, in the event they win the race. Post-Race Cleanup and Awards Presentation Club equipment cleanup and re-packing the trailer will take priority once the race is over. Once the trailer is re-packed, awards will be presented. Awards will be given to the first, second and third place finishers. In the event that the club has perpetual trophies for a race, those will also be presented at the end of the day. All members have a responsibility to help with set up and breakdown of club equipment. As a courtesy to your fellow racers, please stick around for the awards presentation whether you’ve won one or not. Restrooms There are no public restroom facilities close to our race site at Eileen Rhinhart Riverfront Park. A portable bathroom will be provided and will be located on the backside of the upper pond parking lot. Electricity There is no access to electricity in the pits. It would be wise to bring a generator or other power source if you will need to charge batteries during the day.  OLYMPIA — Roostertails flew high and the grandstands stayed buzzing as the ERCU Skidfin Solutions Championship Series delivered one of its most memorable race days of the season at Scott Lake Park in Olympia.
And what a day it was! Hosted as the featured attraction of the Scott Lake Spring Fair by Dennis Neill Caines, the event drew a packed field of 51 boats into the pits and an even larger wave of community support along the shoreline. From the first heat to the final, fans were treated to tight racing, dramatic lane battles, and championship-caliber performances under clear spring skies. The Spring Fair atmosphere elevated the entire experience. A lively car show lined the park, Blown Income Racing’s GP-20 drew steady crowds throughout the day, and families filled the venue with energy — kids bouncing between heats in the inflatable play area while others grabbed food and settled in for the action. The turnout made one thing clear: the Scott Lake community showed up in force, and ERCU delivered right back. When it came time for the final heats, the intensity ratcheted up. In the 1/10 modern final, Nelson Holmberg piloted his 2023 Flav-R-Pac to its first-ever race win, followed by David Heilbrunn's 2015 Dalton Industries in second place. Paxton Reunanen was unable to start the final with his brand new 2015 Albert Lee. Next, Reunanen started a sweep of three final heat wins when he won the 1/7 scale modern final with his 2023 Beacon Plumbing. Heilbrunn was again second, with his 2023 Goodman Real Estate. David Newton, driving Mike McIntosh's 1989 Winston Eagle, had a good day scoring 925 points but was unable to finish the final heat. The 1/10 classic final offered some drama, when Holmberg's 1986 Squire Shop Brittania surprised Reunanen, driving the 1983 Miss Rock KISW. Holmberg slipped inside on the first turn of the second lap and grabbed the lead from the Rock, holding command of the race for another lap until missing the apex pin in turn one and suffering a lap penalty. Reunanen's steady pace proved to be the winning formula, while John Havens Jr was second with his 1976 Olympia Beer (backup) and Paul Dunlap driving Tom Markos' 1971 Country Boy rounded out the podium in third. The lap penalty pushed Holmberg back to the fourth and final finisher. Reunanen's streak of final heat wins continued in the 1/7 scale classic and 1/10 scale vintage as he drove Mike McIntosh's 1977 Natural Light to a win in the big boat classic and Kerry Kjos's 1960 Miss Thriftway to the win in 1/10 vintage. Newton claimed his own win, driving the 1958 Hawaii Kai III to victory in the 1/7 vintage final. Across all of the finals, one theme stood out: precision won the day. Drivers who avoided penalties, hit their marks, and kept their boats composed in traffic found themselves at the front when it mattered most. While trophies were handed out at the end of the day, the real victory extended beyond the racecourse. With 51 boats in attendance and a community fully engaged, the event marked a milestone moment for ERCU’s continued growth. The partnership with the Scott Lake Spring Fair created a festival-like environment that introduced new fans to the sport while giving longtime members a race day to remember. From the pits to the shoreline, the message was clear — this wasn’t just a race. It was a celebration. And if Scott Lake proved anything, it’s that the momentum behind ERCU is only getting stronger.  The second race of the 2026 Skidfin Solutions Championship Series is the Diamond Cup, set for Saturday April 18, 2026, at Scott Lake Park in Olympia. Here is everything you need to know to get prepared for our first event of the year.
Location Scott Lake Park, 2520 Scotlac Drive SW, Olympia WA 98512 Contest Director Dennis Caines Context For a decade, the North Idaho resort town of Coeur d’Alene, had played host to “Water Racing’s Greatest Show” – the Unlimited hydroplanes – starting in 1958. The Coeur d’Alene race always attracted a large crowd of spectators. And a lot of people from Seattle could be counted upon to line the shores of Lake Coeur d’Alene for the annual Diamond Cup. In 2013, the Diamond Cup was reborn for another go with teams based in Madison, Ind.; Decatur, Ind.; Reading, Penn. and Seattle. Unfortunately, it lasted just one season. That race, over Labor Day Weekend, was won by the Indiana-based U-5 Graham Trucking which enjoyed its only perfect weekend of the season, on its way to the 2013 national championship with Jimmy Shane at the helm. The ERCU Diamond Cup has been run every year but three across the 26-year history of the club. The Diamond Cup is one of the club’s “nomad” races, having been run in numerous locations from Longview to Friday Harbor and now in ERCU Diamond Cup Nomad tradition will see its fourth annual race at Scott Lake in Olympia. Rick Lentz purchased and donated perpetual trophies years ago with the Lucite at the head of the trophy engraved with an image of the original Diamond Cup that was awarded in Coeur d’Alene in its early years. Registration Pre-Registration for the Diamond Cup is now open. To find the pre-registration form, navigate your web browser to https://www.ercu-hydros.com/diamond-cup.html, where you will find the pre-registration link in a blue box just under the header photo. You may also pre-pay your entry fees online by following at 10 p.m., Friday, April 17, 2026. PayPal directions at the bottom of the page. Pre-registration will close After that deadline, please register in person on site before 8:30 a.m. Race Officials
What to Expect (All times approximate, and subject to change)
Race Format
Flight Schedule
Heat Draws Heat draws will be completed just prior to the drivers meeting. The first heat draw will be conducted at approximately 9 a.m. and will be read verbally at the drivers meeting as a roll call. Succeeding heat draws will be conducted between flights. All heat draws will be printed and posted, and displayed on the TV screen, whenever possible. No re-draws of heats will be done. Starting Clock A 1-minute 30-second clock will start as soon as all drivers are in the driving area and will not be stopped for any reason other than health or safety (including stubborn waterfowl). Please plan ahead for your upcoming heats, including getting your own spotter, and be ready when the chase boat comes back. A trailer boat shall not cross the start line less than five seconds after the start gun. Rookie drivers who have not yet earned 1,200 career points must start from the trailer position. Race Day Morning It will be our intent to have the course open by 8 a.m. so that testing can commence once boats are registered for the event. Boat owners should prepare to have time for inspections and to be ready to race. The water will be open for testing until approximately 9 a.m. Drivers Meeting The drivers meeting is mandatory for ALL divisions and all classes and will begin at the scorer’s table within five minutes of the closing of time trials. Drivers who do not attend the drivers meeting will be scratched from the first heat regardless of whether they are pre-registered and pre-paid. Drivers arriving after the drivers meeting will not be added to the event until the draw for the second flight of heats. Diamond Cup Defending Champions
Inspections In 2026, ERCU inspection team will endeavor to inspect/test all boats before the first race each boat runs at. Please print out the Hull Inspection Form, found on the “Resources” tab of the club website (www.ercu-hydros.com) and complete the member information at the top of page one prior to arriving at the race site. Please also remember to bring a photo of the real boat (a photo on your phone or tablet is acceptable) that your boat models. Visiting drivers ERCU welcomes new members to the club and visiting racers from other clubs. Rookie driver testing will be offered during the open water period or lunch break as needed. The course will be closed for rookie driver tests. Visiting racers may not take home an ERCU perpetual trophy, in the event they win the race. Post-Race Cleanup and Awards Presentation Club equipment cleanup and re-packing the trailer will take priority once the race is over. Once the trailer is re-packed, awards will be presented. Awards will be given to the first, second and third place finishers. In the event that the club has perpetual trophies for a race, those will also be presented at the end of the day. All members have a responsibility to help with set up and breakdown of club equipment. As a courtesy to your fellow racers, please stick around for the awards presentation whether you’ve won one or not. Restrooms There are public restroom facilities on site at Scott Lake Park and they are expected to be open. Electricity There is no access to electricity in the pits. It would be wise to bring a generator or other power source if you will need to charge batteries during the day. |
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