 The ERCU Bylaws say that the Board Chair shall poll members of the board at the end of the year to decide who our annual End of Season Award winners are. This year, the board has decided it would like input from the membership for the 2025 ERCU End of Season Awards.
As such, at the end of the season, are asking you to provide nominations in the following categories. From those nominations, the board will fulfill its duty to select award winners. The annual awards that we’re seeking your input on include:
Please click here to easily nominate fellow members (or yourself) for consideration of these annual ERCU End of Season Awards. You may enter as many names as you would like to enter. Nominations will be accepted until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 5 when we’ll close nominations and the board will then make selections from those nominated.  ELMA — The 2025 ERCU Championship Series went out with a roar — and a little concrete dust — as the Atomic Cup at Vance Creek Park delivered a season finale packed with drama, speed, and some tough-luck DNFs.
But it was the Dunlap Duo who stole the show. First, Jerry Dunlap best handled the rough water and windy conditions to win his Atomic Cup, then Paul Dunlap followed it up by winning his Keep reading for more details. In 1/10 modern, David Newton saved his best for last, piloting the 2025 Goodman Real Estate to a wire-to-wire victory and securing the Atomic Cup in style. Nelson Holmberg kept the pressure on with his 2024 Flav-R-Pac but had to settle for second, while David Heilbrunn’s Dalton Industries suffered a mechanical issue and posted a DNF. The carnage wasn’t limited to the final heat — Chuck Murray’s Elam Plus and Tom Markos’ Graham Trucking were forced to scratch after earlier-race damage. The 1/7 modern/classic final was equal parts fireworks and finesse. Craig Mullen drove the 1972 Pay ’n Pak like it was on rails, cruising to the win. John Sjostrom’s 1974 Miss U.S. held off John Havens Jr.’s 1976 Miss Budweiser (U-95) for second. The heat had its share of heartbreak — Gale Whitestine clipped the concrete wall exiting turn one in the 1975 Weisfields and Rob Edwards’ Gilmore Special went up in smoke, both recording DNFs. Jerry Dunlap turned back the clock in 1/10 classic, taking the 1985 Coor’s Light to victory lane ahead of Holmberg’s 1976 Atlas Van Lines. Dray Newton’s 1986 Squire Shop rounded out the podium. Chuck Murray’s Olympia Beer and Gary Dawn’s Gilmore Special fell victim to gremlins, while Carl Lewis’ Miss U.S. never made it off the trailer. The 1/10 vintage final was all Paul Dunlap, who drove the 1964 Miss Exide to a commanding win. Jim Latimer’s 1958 Miss Moses Lake and Mick Shutt’s 1972 Miss Budweiser filled out the top three. Three drivers — Holmberg, Murray, and Dray Newton — didn’t finish, each leaving points (and maybe a little paint) on the course. And in a barnburner 1/7 vintage showdown, Scott Whitestine’s 1962 Notre Dame claimed top honors, outpacing John Sjostrom’s 1960 Miss Thriftway. Havens Jr. took third with his 1962 Miss U.S. 1, while Bob Van den Akker thrilled the crowd by clawing his way from the trailer position to fourth. Mark Manchester’s Notre Dame and Rob Edwards’ Pride of Pay ’n Pak both exited early with DNFs. With the spray finally settled, the Atomic Cup cemented its place as a fitting finale to an action-packed 2025 season — one that saw comebacks, crashes, and champions crowned.  The final race of the 2025 ERCU Championship Series is the Atomic Cup, presented by Skidfin Consulting and Hobby Chef Racing, set for Saturday Sept. 20, 2025, at Vance Creek Park in Elma. Here is all you need to know to get prepared for the upcoming race.
Location Vance Creek Park, 76 Wenzel Slough Road, Elma, WA 98563 Context The Columbia River cities 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 2023 and before that, 2012 and 2013. 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 blue box just under the photo at the top of the page. 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, Sept. 19, 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 9:30 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. Special Awards The Atomic Cup will feature two special awards, created by David Newton specially for the final event of the season. The Plutonium Performance Award will be given to the racer with the most powerful, untouchable run of the day. The Meltdown Award will go to the racer with the hardest luck of the day. Courtesy of Skidfin Consulting, all podium finishers in the days final heats will be given take home photo plaques created featuring the art from past actual Atomic Cups in the Tri-Cities with mini nuclear cooling towers on them. 2024 Atomic Cup Champions
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, 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 There will be portable toilets available on site. 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.  Lewis scores first ERCU title while Paxton Reunanen dominates three classes in Lacey
LACEY, Wash. — The fifth annual ERCU Detroit Memorial Regatta had a little of everything Sunday — sunshine, rain, flips, rookies, veterans and even a clean sweep. Twenty-seven drivers hauled 42 boats to the Bill Mowatt Memorial race course, chasing titles across five classes in front of a spirited crowd. By day’s end, one rookie was a champion, one veteran couldn’t stop winning and a few others were left shaking their heads. As usual, the 1/10 modern class fired things up first, and as usual, nobody could touch Paxton Reunanen. His 2019 Graham Trucking American Dream turned the course into his own personal playground, posting a perfect 1,600-point day. Chuck Murray grabbed third, while Ron Daum’s Llumar Window Films settled for third. The day’s biggest surprise came in 1/7 modern and classic combined, where rookie Carl Lewis turned in the performance of his young career. After a modest preliminary round, Lewis won the consolation heat just to sneak into the final. Slotted as a trailer boat, he got a last-minute promotion to the front line when Jim McKeon’s Budweiser scratched — and he never looked back. Five laps later, Lewis was a first-time ERCU champion, edging Mike Gossler’s Squire Shop and Scott Whitestine's Notre Dame. That win also tightened an already heated Rookie of the Year battle between Lewis and Havens, setting up a can’t-miss showdown at the season finale in Elma. Reunanen wasn’t done yet. He went on to sweep 1/10 classic and 1/10 vintage, giving him a clean 3-for-3 day at the Detroit Memorial. His victory in the vintage class, driving Kerry Kjos’ iconic 1960 Miss Thriftway, marked the boat’s fifth consecutive Detroit Memorial triumph. The 1/7 vintage class wrapped up the action with the biggest field of the day. Joey Caines and his 1979 Pay ’n Pak Lil Buzzard looked unstoppable through prelims, but the final heat had other ideas. Reunanen flipped early, Caines faltered, and Mark Manchester powered his 1966 Notre Dame to a runaway win — his second title of the season. Paul Dunlap, driving Mike McIntosh’s Miss U.S. 5, finished second, with Havens Jr. rounding out the podium. With just one stop left on the 2025 ERCU calendar, the season wraps in two weeks at Elma, and plenty is still on the line — from rookie bragging rights to the final dash for championship points. |
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