 Gentleman Jim Latimer couldn't have scripted the final race of the 2023 ERCU Pentair Championship Series any better.
He won. For the first time ever. After a two hour fog delay on Saturday morning, Latimer debuted his 1981 Spirit of the Air Force boat, that had undergone extensive changes from its former life as the U-33. And out of the box, the boat ran great. Latimer scored a class-leading 1,325 points and won the 1/10 scale classic final heat at the Atomic Cup. That classic final was one of the most-contested races of the day in Elma, with Paxton Reunanen taking second with the 1983 Miss Rock KISW and Jerry Dunlap taking third in the 1982 Boat. Tom Markos' 1976 Atlas Van Lines did not finish. But it wasn't the only first first for the day. Bill Mowatt also - finally - won the 1/10 scale vintage final heat with his 1968 Miss Bardahl. On the same day that the hydroplane racing community celebrated the life of Billy Schumacher at the Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum. Mowatt and Reunanen had a great race going in a two-boat shootout after scratches depleted the class to just a deuce. When Reunanen's 1963 Coe-Z-Miss barrel rolled on the second lap, Mowatt just had to finish five laps and was able to do so. Another exciting win went to David Heilbrunn and his 2021 Goodman Real Estate in the 1/7 scale modern class. Heilbrunn drove the only clean race in the final and won after Craig Mullen in the 1980 Pay 'n Pak and Nelson Holmberg in the 2021 Graham Trucking both endured buoy infractions. Mullen in the Pak finished second, followed by the Graham Trucking. It was the final race for the 2021 Goodman Real Estate, as Heilbrunn is nearing completion on a brand new 1/7 scale 2023 Goodman Real Estate boat. Mullen won the 1/7 scale classic crown without running the final. By virtue of being the only boat still able to run in its class, race officials decided to award the win to Mullen - who drove Denise Sjostrom's 1974 Miss U.S. at the Atomic Cup. Later, Mullen also picked up the race win for 1/7 scale vintage - on the water this time - driving John Sjostrom's 1960 Miss Thriftway. Second place went to Dennis Caines in the 1968 Eagle Electric. Third went to Bob Van den Akker's 1962 $ Bill. The only other class of the day was 1/10 scale modern which was won by Reunanen's 2019 Graham Trucking American Dream. Second went to David Newton in his 2003 Miss Budweiser and third went to Holmberg's 2023 Bucket List Racing. Fourth place went to Heilbrunn's 2021 Goodman Real Estate and Briana Burdsall's 1988 Sutphen Spirit was unable to finish. All reviews about the new Elma race site were very positive and many people indicated that they want to race there again in future years.  The 2023 ERCU End of Season Celebration has been confirmed for Saturday, Nov. 4 at 1 p.m. at The Ram in Puyallup.
Our special guest will be Chip Hanauer, arguably the best unlimited hydroplane driver in the history of the sport! The event is set for a lunch this year - trying something new - and members will have the opportunity to order directly off the menu. The Puyallup location of the Ram also has a private room, which has been reserved for us courtesy of Jerry Dunlap and Bill Mowatt. End of Season awards will be handed out during the event, and we’ll have the opportunity to hear some racing stories and perspectives about today’s unlimited hydroplane racing world. More information will be coming soon, so please stay tuned.  The 12th and final race of the 2023 ERCU Pentair Championship Series is the Atomic Cup. This race is set for Saturday, Sept. 30, 2023, at Vance Creek Park in Elma. Here is all you need to know to be prepared for final event of the year.
Location Vance Creek Pond #2 Boat Launch Wenzel Slough Road Elma, WA 98541 Contest Director Nelson Holmberg Context The Columbia River towns of Kennewick, Pasco, and Richland first climbed on the unlimited bandwagon in 1966 with the first annual Tri-Cities Atomic Cup. There had been talk of inviting the unlimiteds there as early as 1958. But 1966 was when it finally happened. Bill Brow was the winner that first year, driving Bernie Little's Miss Budweiser. The race remained named the Atomic Cup until 1976 when it was renamed the Columbia Cup. In 2006, when the race lost its title sponsorship from Budweiser, the event was run as the Atomic Cup once again, but with the arrival of Lamb Weston as title sponsor in 2007, it returned to being the Columbia Cup. ERCU last raced in Elma in 2012 and 2013. Ron Forister swept both finals in 2013 with his 1999 Miss Madison and 1971 Miss Madison, respectively. What to Expect (All times approximate, and subject to change)
Pre-Registration Pre-Registration for the Atomic Cup is now open. To find the pre-registration form, navigate your web browser to https://www.ercu-hydros.com/atomic-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 11:00 p.m., Friday, Sept. 29. 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 “Atomic 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 Director: Nelson Holmberg Chief Referee Modern: Bob Van den Akker Chief Referee Classic: David Heilbrunn Chief Referee Vintage: TBA Drivers Representatives: Paxton Reunanen & Craig Mullen Turn Judges: First and second place finishers will judge the next heat Atomic Cup Defending Champions 1/10 Scale Modern: Ron Forister, 1999 Miss Madison 1/10 Scale Vintage: Ron Forister, 1971 Miss Madison Race Format
Flight Schedule
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. Awards will be given to the first, second and third place finishers. 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 long range forecast for September 30 in Elma is 66 degrees and showers with a 58 percent chance of rain with 7 mph winds out of the southwest. Stay tuned for updated forecasts as they become more clear prior to race weekend. 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. Results of the 2023 ERCU Board of Directors election have been tallied and verified by Board Treasurer/Registrar Jim McKeon. The membership has elected Craig Mullen to the board, and has re-elected David Newton, Rick Evans and Nelson Holmberg.
The current board and the new board will meet via Zoom as soon as possible to appoint leaders in each of the board positions. We'll post the announcement of this meeting with a Zoom link when it's scheduled. The meeting will be open to all members of ERCU, if they'd like to attend. The ERCU Board of Directors would like to share deep thanks to Jerry Dunlap for his many years of service to the club by serving on the board. Jerry chose to not run for re-election this year, and his service is deeply appreciated.  Club members who own Craig Bradshaw built boats pose with their crafts as part of the memorial for Craig at the ERCU Gold Cup. The 20th Annual ERCU Gold Cup, presented by Amain Hobbies, was a smashing success for Geoffry Grembowski, who went home with not just a Gold Cup, but also a Ted Jones Memorial -- two race wins in one day!
David Newton won four Gold Cups for the second year in a row, and Mike McIntosh won one as well. Gold Cup weekend kicked off on Saturday morning with time trials that included a total 32 boats. At the end, Mitch Dillard turned in the fastest time trial of the day with his 2016 Miss Ace Hardware. Dillard scored the fast average of two laps at 12.5 seconds, just faster than the 12.6 average by Paul Dunlap in Rick Evans' 1973 Red Man Too. Saturday afternoon featured the first flight of heats for all six classes and a club BBQ in one of the picnic sheds, enjoyed by a few members who chose to participate. Sunday's event started early as pit tents began popping up before the sun did. It was an exciting day! At the end of our drivers meeting on Sunday, Evans shared a very thoughtful remembrance of long-time ERCU member, friend of the club and master boat builder, Craig Bradshaw who had passed away just 10 days earlier. The club also coordinated a photo of all of the Bradshaw-built boats in the pits with their owners and drivers. This photo will be shared with Craig's daughter Stacy and his grandson Kyson. Despite 45 boats having been registered for the race, when it came time for the Ted Jones Memorial first consolations, there were only two first connies to be run. In the 1/10 scale modern Jones Memorial, driving his 2017 Spirit of Detroit, Grembowski outlasted Chuck Murray's 2000 Miss Elam Plus to win and claim an official race win and earn the right to start the Gold Cup final as a trailer. Briana Burdsall's 1988 Sutphen Spirit and Tom Markos' 2015 Graham Trucking (driven by Nelson Holmberg) did not finish. In the 1/10 scale classic Ted Jones Memorial, just one boat finished. That boat was Markos' 1976 Atlas Van Lines, again with Holmberg at the helm. Burdsall's 1979 Squire Shop, Murray's 1983 Miss Houston and Evans' 1972 Notre Dame (driven by Dunlap) did not finish. The Jones Memorial win marked Markos' first-ever ERCU win as a boat owner, and put the boat in the Gold Cup final as the trailer. The connies led into to a crazy 1/10 scale modern final heat that saw one boat scratch and allow the trailer to move up, and two boats not finish the heat. After Dillard scratched his Miss Ace Hardware due to a failed receiver, Grembowski moved to the front line to start. When boats tangled and started falling out, Grembowski did the best job of avoiding chaos and put his Spirit of Detroit out front. For three laps, he was under pressure from Holmberg in the 2023 Bucket List Racing, which was eventually passed by Mike Hughes in the 1991 Winston Eagle to take second place. Bucket List was third. DNFs went to Paxton Reunanen's 2019 Graham Trucking American Dream and to David Heilbrunn's 2021 Goodman Real Estate. Three boats competed for the 1/7 scale modern ERCU Gold Cup, but "competed" is probably a term used too generously. In Saturday's heat, no boat finished the modern heat. On Sunday, there were four DNFs in the three heats, and the final was run with just two boats when the 2021 Graham Trucking didn't start due to bad batteries. David Heilbrunn's 2021 Goodman Real Estate had an early lead on Mike McIntosh's 1980 Pay 'n Pak, but was penalized a lap for missing a buoy and the Pak cruised to the easy win. In 1/10 scale classic, Newton literally lapped most of the field with Chuck Murray's 1976 Olympia Beer. By the third lap, the race was more or less over. The only boats Newton didn't lap - Reunanen's 1983 Miss Rock KISW and Dillard's 1975 Pay 'n Pak - were second and third respectively. Holmberg drove Markos' Atlas to fourth and Jerry Dunlap was fifth with the 1986 Boat while Paul Dunlap was sixth with the Red Man. For the second time in two years, Bill Mowatt was a hired gun in 1/7 scale. Last year, Mowatt won his first ERCU race by claiming the 1/7 scale modern Gold Cup with John & Denise Sjostrom's 1990 Oh Boy! Oberto. On Sunday afternoon, Mowatt struck gold again driving Newton's 1970 Pride of Pay 'n Pak (hemi). He held off a good race from Reunanen, who piloted Ron Hartley's 1974 Lincoln Thrift once again. Rob Edwards' 1982 Gilmore Special was unable to finish. Tenth scale vintage was - surprise - dominated by Newton, who turned in a perfect weekend (fastest time trial and four heat wins, plus the final) with Kerry Kjos' 1960 Miss Thriftway. Paul Dunlap made a race of it with his 1964 Miss Exide, but it wasn't enough in the end. Third went to Mowatt and his 1968 Miss Bardahl. Fourth was the consistent John Earnest with his 1962 Dewey's Lumberville. Renunanen (Coe-Z-Miss) and Grembowski ($ Bill) did not finish. The final race of the day, the 1/7 scale vintage final heat was another one that Newton took command of and won with his 1958 Hawaii Kai III. Second went to McIntosh's 1973 Miss Island Security Systems while third was Dennis Caines with his 1968 Eagle Electric. Terry Harmer's 1986 Miss Bahia didn't finish. All in all, it was a terrific weekend of racing with lots of reports of people having fun.  The 11th race of the 2023 ERCU Pentair Championship Series is perhaps the biggest. It’s finally time for the 2023 ERCU Gold Cup, presented by Amain Hobbies. This is a two-day event, set for Saturday, Sept. 16 and Sunday, Sept. 17, 2023, at Woodland Creek Park in Lacey. Here is all you need to know to be prepared for most coveted event of the year.
Location Longs Pond at 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 2023. There will be five 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. The club is doing its best to make sure all of the actual cups are present at the event to be awarded in person. What to Expect (All times approximate, and subject to change) Saturday, Sept. 16 9 a.m. - Set racecourse/club equipment, registration & heat draws 10-11 a.m. - Open water 11-11:30 - Lunch during time trials (participants provide their own lunch on Saturday) 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. - Optional time trials (two runs for each boat in a period of at least an hour). Fastest qualifier in each class wins the Bill Muncey Memorial fastest qualifier award. Points will be awarded for positions in time trials as follows:
1 p.m. - 1/10 Scale Modern Heat 1A, followed by first flight heats for all other classes/divisions. 3 p.m. - Clean up pits, club equipment 4-6 p.m. - BBQ dinner, hangout and swap meet, at Woodland Creek Park Sunday, Sept. 17 7-8 a.m. - Open Water 8-8:15 a.m. - ERCU Gold Cup Drivers Meeting (mandatory for those in attendance) 8:30 a.m. - Heat 2A, 2B, etc. (1/10 modern; 1/7 modern; 1/10 classic; 1/7 classic; 1/10 vintage; 1/7 vintage) 9:30 a.m. - Heat 3A, 3B, etc. (1/10 modern; 1/7 modern; 1/10 classic; 1/7 classic; 1/10 vintage; 1/7 vintage) 11:30 a.m. - Lunch break (club provides lunch for all members in attendance) Noon - Heat 4A, 4B, etc. (1/10 modern; 1/7 modern; 1/10 classic; 1/7 classic; 1/10 vintage; 1/7 vintage) 1:30 p.m. - Ted Jones Memorials for all appropriate classes. (Gold Cup First Connies are the Ted Jones Memorial and count as a race win. Winners move up as trailer in Gold Cup Final) 2:30 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) 3:30 p.m. - Club equipment breakdown and packing – ALL HANDS 4:30 p.m. - Awards Presentation Pre-Registration Pre-Registration for the ERCU 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, Sept. 16. 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 “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, Rick Evans, Nelson Holmberg, Jim McKeon, Bill Mowatt, David Newton, Paxton Reunanen) Course Marshals (setting buoys, chase boat): Paul Dunlap & Paxton Reunanen Heat Draws/Scoring: Nelson Holmberg & Bill Mowatt Chief Referee Modern: Rick Evans (1/10 scale), David Newton (1/7 scale) Chief Referee Classic: David Heilbrunn Chief Referee Vintage: Mike Hughes Drivers Representatives: Craig Mullen & Chuck Murray Pit Boss: Tom Markos Turn Judges: First and second place finishers will judge the next heat ERCU Gold Cup Defending Champions 1/10 Scale Modern: Mike Hughes, 1991 Winston Eagle 1/7 Scale Modern: Bill Mowatt, 1990 Oh Boy! Roberto (Owner: John & Denise Sjostrom) 1/10 Scale Classic: David Newton, 1979 Squire Shop (Owner: Paxton Reunanen) 1/7 Scale Classic: David Newton, 1970 Pride of Pay ’n Pak 1/10 Scale Vintage: David Newton, 1960 Miss Thriftway (Owner: Kerry Kjos) 1/7 Scale Vintage: Craig Mullen, 1958 Hawaii Kai III (Owners: Craig Mullen & Ben Keller) Race Format
Flight Schedule
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. Awards will be given to the first, second and third place finishers. 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 Saturday is clear skies, 77 degrees with a 6 percent chance of rain and 6 mph winds out of the north east. Sunday’s forecast is 74 degrees with a 6 percent chance of rain and 7 mph winds out of the west southwest. Restrooms Clean public 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.  It's a sad day in ERCU as we learned today that long-time member and friend of the club Craig Bradshaw has passed away. Craig did a lot to promote the hobby, shared lots of ideas of potential new race sites, ways to make boats go faster, and to promote model boat racing to kids - in particular the 1/10 scale boats he loved.
Craig came into the club and immediately went to work building boats. He refined his boats to a point where he'd developed molds for modern, vintage and classic hulls that were the best carbon fiber hulls available. His work was immaculate and of the highest quality. He also did a lot for many members over the years, sometimes barely covering his costs - especially for his time. Craig also served on the club's board, created the Governor's Cup in our club, and obtained perpetual trophies for that race. He was inducted into the ERCU Hall of Fame in 2013. For his career in ERCU, Bradshaw scored a total of 113,637 and collected six race wins. His West Coast Custom Boats hulls make up a large majority of the ERCU fleet, and will help Craig be remembered for a long time into the future. We in ERCU send our love and thoughts to the all of Craig's family and friends and we will honor Craig during our upcoming ERCU Gold Cup, Sept. 16-17 at Woodland Creek Park in Lacey. Race in Peace Mr. Bradshaw. There's no doubt you'll have the prettiest boats in Heaven's pit area. Thank you for all you've done for our hobby, for your friends, and for ERCU. |
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