 The ninth race of the 2026 Skidfin Solutions Championship Series is perhaps the biggest. It’s almost time for the 2026 Bardahl ERCU Gold Cup. The stage is set for Saturday, August 8 at the Bill Mowatt Memorial Race Course at Woodland Creek Park in Lacey. Here is all you need to know to be prepared for most coveted trophy of the year.
As usual, there will be giveaways, prizes, and lunch provided by our sponsors, supporters and the club itself. It's going to be a long day of racing, with the extra set of heats and a high likelihood of a big turnout, so be sure and be prepared. The Gold Cup is the granddaddy of them all in boat racing, so you won't want to miss it! With much appreciation, Jerry & Paul Dunlap, David Heilbrunn and Dennis Caines will do the work to get the race course set in the afternoon on Friday, Aug. 7, so event set up can happen between 6-7 a.m. on Saturday, and open water can be held 7-8 a.m. and we can get an early start to the day. Location Bill Mowatt Memorial Race Course, Woodland Creek Park 6729 Pacific Avenue SE Lacey, WA 98503 Contest Directors ERCU Board of Directors Context The Gold Cup has long been held in high regard. It’s been referred to as “boat racing’s Indy 500” – the granddaddy of them all. It’s no different in model boat racing. In ERCU, the Gold Cup is the most coveted of all trophies. Consistent with boat racing history and the tradition of the Gold Cup, the race is one of endurance and survival. Thus, the course will be longer than others during the 2023 season, and there will be four flights of heats rather than the regular three. Winner-take-all finals will determine the winners of our club’s Gold Cups for 2026. There will be six Gold Cups awarded at the end of the day: 1/10 scale modern; 1/7 scale modern; 1/10 scale classic; 1/7 scale classic; 1/10 scale vintage and 1/7 scale vintage. What to Expect Race Format (All times approximate, and may change) 7-8 a.m. Open water 8:05 a.m. Mandatory Gold Cup Drivers Meeting & heat draw announcement 8:30 a.m. First flight of heats (1/10 modern, 1/7 modern, 1/10 classic, 1/7 classic, 1/10 vintage, 1/7 vintage) 9:45 a.m. Second flight of heats (1/10 modern, 1/7 modern, 1/10 classic, 1/7 classic, 1/10 vintage, 1/7 vintage) 11-11:30 a.m. Lunch break 11:30 a.m. Third flight of heats (1/10 modern, 1/7 modern, 1/10 classic, 1/7 classic, 1/10 vintage, 1/7 vintage) 1:15 p.m. Fourth flight of heats (1/10 modern, 1/7 modern, 1/10 classic, 1/7 classic, 1/10 vintage, 1/7 vintage) 3 p.m. Ted Jones Memorials (consolations) for all appropriate classes. Gold Cup first connie are the Ted Jones Memorial and count as race wins. Winners also move up to the Gold Cup finals as trailer boats. 4 p.m. Winner-take-all Gold Cup Final Heats (1/10 modern, 1/7 modern, 1/10 classic, 1/7 classic, 1/10 vintage, 1/7 vintage) 5 p.m. Club equipment breakdown and packing — ALL HANDS 6 p.m. Awards presentation Pre-Registration Pre-Registration for the 2026 ERCU Bardahl Gold Cup is now open. To find the pre-registration form, navigate your web browser to https://www.ercu-hydros.com/ercu-gold-cup.html, where you will find the pre-registration link in a gray box near the top of the page. Pre-registration will close at 11:59 p.m., Friday, August 7. 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 “ERCU Gold Cup” from the main menu, and “ERCU Gold Cup” 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 Contest Directors: ERCU Board of Directors (Jerry Dunlap, David Heilbrunn, Nelson Holmberg, Mike McIntosh, Craig Mullen, Jim McKeon, Paxton Reunanen) Heat Draws/Scoring: Paxton Reunanen & David Heilbrunn Chief Referee 1/10 Modern: Jerry & Paul Dunlap Chief Referee 1/10 Classic: David Heilbrunn & Mike McIntosh Chief Referee 1/7 Classic: David Heilbrunn & Mike McIntosh Chief Referee 1/10 Vintage: Nelson Holmberg & Craig Mullen Chief Referee 1/7 Vintage: Nelson Holmberg & Carl Lewis Drivers Representatives: Jim Mckeon & Paxton Reunanen Pit Boss: Tom Markos Turn Judges: First and second place finishers will judge the next heat ERCU Gold Cup Defending Champions
Race Format
Post-Race Cleanup and Awards Presentation Club equipment cleanup and re-packing the trailer will take priority once each day’s racing is complete. Once the trailer is re-packed, awards will be presented. Because it's already going to be a long day anyway, we are asking everyone to please chip in as many hands make light (and quick) work. 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. Awards will be given to the first, second and third place finishers, and Bardahl is providing keeper trophies for the first place finisher in each class. Restrooms Restrooms are available in the park 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 to charge your batteries if you need to charge during the day. TOLEDO — Sunshine, smooth water and fast racing produced a full day of memorable action Saturday as the Electric Radio Controlled Unlimiteds brought the annual Seafair Trophy Race to South County Park in Toledo, with dramatic final heats deciding championships across six competitive classes.
While preliminary heats set the stage in the points race format, the afternoon finals determined the trophy winners, rewarding drivers who could deliver when the pressure was highest. In 1/10 scale modern, David Heilbrunn's Dalton Industries was a rocket all day, gaining two heat wins and a DNF before a second in the final to clinch the race win. That consistency was rewarded in the final when Heilbrunn was able to run a comfortable cruise enough to finish second. By doing so, he held off Nelson Holmberg's 2023 Flav-R-Pac for the points race win, 1,100-1,000. Holmberg benefited from the cruise to win the final heat. Tom Markos rounded out the podium in the 2015 Graham Trucking with 850 points. The 1/10 classic class featured one of the day's strongest performances as Paul Dunlap drove the 1971 Country Boy to a dominant, and perfect, 1,600-point victory after sweeping every preliminary heat and the final. Nelson Holmberg's 1986 Squire Shop finished second with 1,400 points, while Wayne Beeson's 1976 Mark 'n Pak claimed third with 1,094 points. Scott Whitestine was equally impressive in 1/7 classic, guiding the 1972 Notre Dame to 1,600 boat points and another wire-to-wire victory. Dennis Caines finished second aboard the 1975 Pay 'n Pak with 1,269 points, followed by Wayne Beeson's 1976 Mark 'n Pak at 1,050 points. The 1/10 vintage division produced one of the day's closest championship battles. Dunlap's 1964 Miss Exide held off Heilbrunn's 1965 Blue Chip, finishing with 1,295 boat points to Blue Chip's 1,194. Utah visitor Ken Boyle - in the Pacific Northwest for the NAMBA Nationals next week - ran his 1972 Timex to a podium finish, taking third with 1,050 points. The Miss Exide captured the final heat to seal the championship. In 1/7 vintage, Whitestine added another trophy by steering the 1962 Notre Dame to 1,325 boat points. Joey Caines' 1970 Pay 'n Pak finished second with 1,200 points, while John Havens guided the 1962 Miss U.S. to third with 1,100 points. Havens' Miss U.S. won the final heat, but Whitestine's consistency throughout the day proved enough to secure the overall Seafair Trophy championship. The lone 1/7 modern entry still running at the end of the day was John Havens in the 1991 American Spirit, finishing with 525 boat points. It was Havens' first career race win in ERCU. Saturday's racing once again showcased one of ERCU's unique formats, where consistent preliminary performances build the foundation, but championship finals often produce the day's biggest drama. Several classes saw drivers rise to victory in the finals, while others relied on dominant preliminary performances to withstand late challenges and carry home Seafair Trophy hardware.  Now that all seven boats present in Madison have attempted to qualify (in fact, qualified), there are seven new legal registrations available in ERCU (both 1/10 and 1/7 scales) and they are as follows:
If you'd like to register one of these 2026 beauties, please click on this link to do so. https://www.ercu-hydros.com/registration.html
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