 LACEY — The 18th Annual Roger Newton Memorial made waves this year at the Bill Mowatt Memorial Race Course! With 52 entries, the day was packed with thrilling heats, surprise flips, smoky motors, and enough hydro buzz to power a blender.
Lunchtime was a delicious pit stop thanks to Rachael, Larry, and Denise Goldman firing up the grill and serving hot dogs like true pros. The smell alone could’ve drawn in a whole new set of fans from across the lake! Style Points Awarded! This year featured a new crowd-favorite award: “Best Dressed”, honoring the racer who showed the most hydro spirit. The runaway winner? Paxton Reunenen, who pulled off not one, but multiple wardrobe changes — highlighted by a full-on Chip Hanauer racing suit and helmet. Toilet Trophy Time As always, one of the most prestigious (or maybe infamous) awards of the day was the Toilet Trophy, given to the racer with the roughest luck. This year, Denise Sjostrom claimed the title when her gorgeous 1990 Oh Boy! Oberto hydro decided to go sightseeing and slammed the beach. Ouch. Best of Scale Awards Every year the top 3 scale boats in attendance are recognized. It was a hard decision, but guest judge Rich Matkin deemed the following the true best of scale!
Now… On to the Racing Recap! 1/10-Scale Modern
1/7-Scale Modern/Classic
1/10-Scale Classic
1/7-Scale Vintage
1/10-Scale Vintage
New Faces, Same Hydro Fun! We were pumped to welcome racers for the first time this year: Ron Daum, Mick Shutt, and Mike Dunn (who flew up from California — now that’s dedication). Thanks for making it an unforgettable event. Already counting down to next year’s Roger Newton Memorial. Until then . . . keep the props spinning and the flips intentional!  The seventh race of the 2025 ERCU Championship Series season is the Roger Newton Memorial, set for Saturday, July 28, 2025, at the Bill Mowatt Memorial Race Course in Woodland Creek Park, Lacey. Here is all you need to know to be prepared for the seventh event of the year.
LOCATION Bill Mowatt Memorial Race Course at Woodland Creek Park 6729 Pacific Ave SE Lacey, WA 98503 CONTEST DIRECTOR David Newton CONTEXT This will mark the 17th running of the Roger Newton Memorial. Roger Newton, club founder and hall of fame RC scale racer, passed away in the summer of 2008. Since then, the club has been dedicated to racing in his honor. Roger spent his life promoting and racing scale RC hydroplanes of all sizes. In the early 1970’s he created Newton Marine, a side business that sells 1/8-scale hydroplane plans. He then created R/C Unlimiteds in 1976, the first club dedicated to racing nothing but scale hydroplane models. He helped to form Classic Thunder in 1994 and then created ERCU in 2003. He was influential with scale RC racing around the world and spent his life fulfilling that dream. David Newton will again direct the race. This will be a race you won’t want to miss! WHAT TO EXPECT (All times approximate, and subject to change)
PRE-REGISTRATION Pre-Registration for the Roger Newton Memorial is now open. To find the pre-registration form, navigate your web browser to https://www.ercu-hydros.com/roger-newton-memorial.html, where you will find the pre-registration link in a blue box just under the race site map. Pre-registration will close at 10 p.m., Friday, June 27. After that deadline, please register in person on site before 8:30 a.m. You can also find pre-registration by going to www.ercu-hydros.com, then selecting “Schedule” from the main menu, and “Roger Newton Memorial” from the schedule itself. 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 the testing period. 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. RACE OFFICIALS
ROGER NEWTON MEMORIAL DEFENDING CHAMPIONS
RACE FORMAT
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, first connie and Triple Crown winners. 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. WEATHER FORECAST The forecast for the Roger Newton Memorial is mostly cloudy skies and 74 degrees with a 8 mph breeze out of the southwest and a 10 percent chance of rain. RESTROOMS Public restrooms are available on site, at the east end of the parking lot. ELECTRICITY There is no access to electricity in the pits. It would be wise to bring a generator or other power source to charge your batteries if you need to during the day.  MARYSVILLE -- The whine of electric motors and the shimmer of the north lake at Gissberg Twin Lakes Park brought more than just horsepower to Marysville on Saturday.
As the ERCU Championship Series hit the halfway mark of its 2025 season, 42 boats — the biggest turnout this season — made waves in the Jack Regas Memorial, delivering high-speed drama, surprise performances and a taste of the future with the debut of 3D-printed hulls. The sixth stop on the 12-race calendar saw competition in five classes. In 1/10-scale modern, six boats took to the water, including two brand-new, 3D-printed hulls piloted by top drivers Paxton Reunanen and David Newton. Newton’s 2025 Goodman Real Estate proved stable, fast and ultimately dominant, sweeping the class with a perfect day, including the final heat win. The race also welcomed H1 Unlimited U-40 co-owner Sharon Stocklin, who watched closely throughout the day as the sport's evolution began to take shape. Veteran racers Nelson Holmberg (2024 Flav-R-Pac) and Tyler McKeon (2024 Bucket List) each claimed two preliminary heat wins but couldn’t keep pace with Newton’s groundbreaking craft. McKeon took second in the final, followed by David Heilbrunn’s 2015 Dalton Industries in third. Flav-R-Pac's skid fin connected with something in the water at the apex of turn one and rolled the boat onto its lid during the mill. In the combined 1/7-scale modern/classic class, McKeon was flawless. His 2010 Peters & May posted a perfect 1,600-point day, taking all three prelims and the final. Gary Simmons made a splash in his season debut aboard Mike McIntosh’s Beacon Plumbing, winning two heats and placing third in the final. Holmberg, driving Aaron Olson’s 1980 Pay ‘n Pak, took second. Six competitors squared off in the 1/10 classic class, but none could touch Reunanen’s 1983 Rock. He notched another perfect score with three prelim wins and a victory in the final over McKeon’s 1977 Natural Light and John Havens Jr., who made an impressive class debut in the 1981 Spirit of the Air Force. Reunanen repeated the feat in 1/10 vintage with his 1960 Gale’s Roostertail, collecting his second perfect day. Chuck Murray (Savair’s Mist), Heilbrunn (Blue Chip) and Holmberg (Pay ‘n Save) also scored heat wins. David Newton subbed in for his son Dray in the final, steering the Squire Shop to second behind Reunanen, with Heilbrunn’s Blue Chip taking third. Parity defined the 1/7 vintage class, where eleven boats battled in tightly contested prelims. Bob Van den Akker (Seattle Too) and McKeon (Lapeer) each took two heat wins, while others — including Terry Harmer (Probe) and Jim McKeon (Maverick) — also picked up victories. In a thrilling final, McKeon’s Lapeer edged Harmer and Van den Akker to secure the win. The ERCU tour now heads into the season's second half, with momentum, innovation and tight championship races building as the chase for the checkers continues. Next up is ERCU’s first visit to Lacey this year, for the Roger Newton Memorial which will be run on the Bill Mowatt Memorial Race Course. Pre-registration is open now by clicking here, and the race circular will be posted soon.  The sixth race of the 2025 ERCU Championship Series season is the Jack Regas Memorial, presented by Spartacus Boatworks and is set for Saturday, June 14, at Twin Lakes Park in Marysville. Here is all you need to know to be prepared for the sixth event of the year.
LOCATION Gissberg Twin Lakes Park, 16324 Twin Lakes Ave., Marysville, WA 98271 CONTEXT This race had been known as the ERCU Apple Cup since its inception in 2010, when Ben Keller created the event, complete with an exhibition race drawing as many boats as possible that ran in the 1957 Apple Cup in Chelan, Wash., to recreate that final heat. After Jack Regas passed away in early 2014, Keller requested permission from the ERCU Contest Board to change the name of the event to the Jack Regas Memorial, in honor of the onetime Hawaii Kai III driver, who had not only met with Keller to see his models of the “Pink Lady” but also followed the boat’s seasons in ERCU and ESU. After ERCU high points championships in 2011 and 2012, Keller presented Regas with plaques commemorating the wins. Jack Regas meant a lot to not only the Hawaii Kai history, Keller, and Choral Enterprises, but also to unlimited hydroplane racing in general. ERCU is proud to have an event named for his memory. REGISTRATION Pre-Registration for the Jack Regas Memorial at Twin Lakes is now open. To find the pre-registration form, navigate your web browser to https://www.ercu-hydros.com/jack-regas-memorial.html where you will find the pre-registration link in a blue box just under the race site map. You may also pre-pay your entry fees online by following the PayPal directions at the bottom of the page. Pre-registration will close at 10 p.m., FRIDAY, June 13, 2025. 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. 2024 JACK REGAS MEMORIAL RESULTS
INSPECTIONS In 2025, all boats will be inspected before the first race they run at. We ask that you print out the Hull Inspection Form 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. 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 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, winners. 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 Public restrooms are available on site and 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.  LONGVIEW – Forecasts for a perfect weather race day certainly encouraged ERCU members to travel to Cowlitz County’s biggest city on Saturday.
Then everything changed. Chamber of Commerce weather welcomed ERCU to Lake Sacajawea Park for the 52nd running of the Stan Sayres Memorial, presented by Skidfin Consulting, but clouds rolled in quickly, keeping temperatures cool. So did the ERCU 2025-style winds. Nevertheless, it was a fun day of racing with a total of 39 boats in the pits. By comparison to the winds at Waughop and Ellensburg, this day seemed like a refreshing walk in the park. The day began with 1/10 modern which on this day would be the lightest attended class with just five boats. Five great boats and drivers all head-to-head, mano a mano through three preliminary heats in preparation for the winner takes all final. Paxton Reunanen’s Graham Trucking American Dream swept each of his prelims with a perfect 1,200 points and hands down the odds-on favorite to win the final. Chuck Murray’s 2000 Elam took second place in Heat 1 and Nelson Holmberg with his 2024 Flav-R-Pac finished second in heats 2 & 3. All five crew chief, drivers, owners were preparing for the final when word came that Elam would be a scratch. Four boats started the final but just one boat would be running to compete all five laps. For the second straight week, David Heilbrunn came away with a race win, this time in his 2015 Dalton Industries boat. His boat, as a result of the win, maintains a razor slim 325-point lead in 1/10 modern boat season standings after five races. Next up was 1/10 classic with seven boats on hand for heats 1A and 1B which were won by Holmberg in his newly-acquired 1976 Atlas Van Lines and Mike Walcker with his 1973 Red Man Too, respectively. Homberg would go on to win his heats 2A and 3A poised for the final with a perfect day going. Murray would win Heat 2B with his 1976 Olympia Beer and Jerry Dunlap with the 1983 Coors Light would take the checker for 3B. The Atlas, Coors and Oly would be joined for the final by Dray Newton and his 1986 Squire Shop along with Gary Dawn’s 1982 Gilmore Special. The final was a dandy where five boats started, five raced hard, five finished and the podium was topped by Holmberg and his Atlas Van Lines. Second and third place went to beer boats, Dunlap’s Coors the Murray’s Oly. The 1/10 vintage class featured eight beautiful boats and no ugly ones. Heats 1A, 2B and 3B were each won by Reunanen driving Kerry Kjos 1960 Miss Thriftway. Murray’s 1964 Savair’s Mist won heat 1B and Heilbrunn’s Blue Chip would take the checkers in both 2A and 3A. Reunanen and Heilbrunn qualified for entry in the final and were joined by Paul Dunlap driving the Exide, John Earnest Gale V and Holmberg Pay ‘n Save. All five started and all five finished with Paul Dunlap emerging triumphant in his first heat win of the day albeit this was the all-important winner takes all final. Nicely done team Dunlap! Second went to Reunanen/Kjos and the bronze was captured by Holmberg’s Earnest-built Pay ‘n Save. This was notably the second race this season where team Dunlap did nothing more early on but to punch a ticket to the final and then come out and take the final convincingly. Next up came the big boats, 1/7 scale modern/classic classes combined. Ten, count them, 10 boats on hand calling for flights of three races, A, B and C heats. Mike McIntosh’s 2023 Beacon Plumbing couldn’t have asked for a better start winning all three of his preliminary heats. Craig Mullen’s 1971 Pay ‘n Pak went backwards when launched for heat 1C. He would get things figured out quickly and returned to take the checkers in his second and third heat. The other prelim winners taking one of their three heats were: John Sjostrom Miss U.S., Jim McKeon Budweiser, David Heilbrunn Goodman Real Estate and Denise Sjostrom with her Oh Boy! Oberto. The bottom four boats on points after three would slug it out in the consolation heat. Goodman Real Estate jumped the start tried hard but couldn’t catch all the way up to the leader. Near the end lap four Goodman lost its grip in turn four and hopped out to make contact with Oberto. Oberto survived the collision and was not too worse for the wear, but the contact may have cost them the consolation victory. Havens Jr. took the connie win and advanced to the five-boat final. The final was a good race between Mullen’s Pay ‘n Pak and Sjostrom’s Miss US. McIntosh Beacon Plumbing became disabled for a DNF, and the Mullen’s Pak takes the checkers, McKeon, Budweiser crossed second and Sjostrom’s Miss U.S. would take third. In 1/7 vintage, David Newton did what he seemingly always does. Dominate. He and his 1956 Hawaii Kai III would sweep the checkers for all three preliminary heats. Meanwhile none of the additional preliminary heat winners won more than one of their three prelim heats. The additional preliminary heat winners were 1A - Bob VandenAkker, 1966 $ Bill, 1C - Dennis Caines 1968 Eagle Electric, 2B Rob Edwards 1969 Pay ‘n Pak, 2C Paxton Reunanen 1982 Island Security, 3A John Havens Jr. Miss US 1 and 3B John Sjostrom 1960 Thriftway. The top five in points after three prelims advanced to the final and four boats would square off in the consolation heat with one final spot in the winner takes all final at stake. Not one of the four would survive the five laps to finish the connie with all four securing front row seats as spectators. Five boats made the start. Edwards Pay ‘n Pak disabled early leaving Newton Hawaii Kai, VandenAkker $ Bill, Sjostrom Thriftway and Havens Miss U.S. battled for the five and Newton emerged from the spray to take the checkers, second was $ Bill and third was secured by Sjostrom in the Thriftway. The club’s focus now turns north to Twin Lakes Park in Marysville for the sixth race, the halfway point of the 2025 ERCU Championship Series. June 14 will be the Jack Regas Memorial presented by Spartacus Boatworks. Pre-registration is open now and can be accessed through this link. |
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