McIntosh posts 1st career RC win; Burdsall earns 1st podium

MARYSVILLE – Saturday July 22 marked the 15th running of the ERCU Bernie Little Memorial regatta. Reports from Gissberg Twin Lakes Park indicate this event was a rip-roaring success. The weather was picture perfect and the racing was just as spectacular, if not maybe more so.
 
Bernie Little himself would have been pleased with just one exception – that the only Miss Budweiser in the field found itself upside down not once, but twice, and this Miss Budweiser was being piloted by all-world scale hydroplane driver extraordinaire, David Newton. The second of David and the 2003 Miss Budweiser’s mishaps occurred during the 1/10 modern final heat where David and Bernie had to be disappointed with the DNF. Nelson Holmberg jumped on the opportunity and piloted his 2023 Bucket List racing to its second consecutive ERCU 1/10 modern victory. To make this feat even more impressive, Holmberg started five seconds behind the field as the trailer boat just sneaking into the final by way of winning the consolation heat.
 
But wait, there’s even more, much more.
 
Firsts were more than just special finishes on the water.
 
In just her second scale racing event of her life, ERCU’s newest member, Brianna Burdsall qualified for the 1/10 modern final heat by amassing the second highest point total of all the boats in the class on the day. Driving her 1988 Sutphen Spirit, Brianna entered the final heat second in points on the day and then followed the Bucket List boat closely to the finish line taking second place while besting veteran drivers Paxton Reunenen, David Heilbrunn, Chuck Murray and Ron Daum.
 
And Mike McIntosh won his first scale RC race ever. “Mike Mac”, appropriately, wore a t-shirt that the former Miss Budweiser crew (which he was on) honored Bernie with. It says “Congratulations Bernie Little. Miss Budweiser #100. From your ‘Bud’ crew”. It commemorates the Miss Budweiser’s 100th race win. There’s no doubt that Bernie would have been proud of McIntosh on this day.
 
The 1/7 scale vintage races were crowd favorites treating them to the closest racing heats of the day. Time and time again the 1/7 vintage drivers finished within milliseconds of each other. Dennis Caines orchestrated one of the most beautiful final laps in club memory, piloting his 1968 Eagle Electric to a come-from-behind photo finish victory in heat 2A. The following heat saw nearly an instant replay when Bob Van den Akker took his 1962 $ Bill past Mike McIntosh’s 1973 Miss Island Security System by an eyelash in heat 2B. Newton ultimately took home the top trophy driving his Hawaii Kai III to a perfect 1600-point day. He was joined on the podium by McIntosh who took second and Van den Akker who came in third.
 
In 1/10 vintage, there wasn’t much drama as Newton topped all competitors driving Kerry Kjos 1960 Thriftway once again. Second place went to Murray and his 1955 Hawaii Kai with third place going to Bill Mowatt and his 1968 Checkerboard Miss Bardahl.
 
The 1/10 scale classic class featured some great preliminary heats and an action-packed final heat too. Once the roostertails settled, Reunenen topped all competitors with his 1983 Miss Rock KISW to stand atop the podium. Second place was taken by Murray in his 1983 Miss Houston and Newton finished in third with Murray’s 1976 Olympia Beer boat.
 
In the 1/7 modern class action, Mike McIntosh exhibited his veteran driving prowess in the 1980 Pay ‘n Pak, as he won the final heat with a half lap to spare over second place David Heilbrunn’s 2021 Goodman Real Estate with Holmberg’s 2021 Graham Trucking getting third place by default, after withdrawing due to drive line failure. While Rob Edwards ran his 1982 Gilmore Special physically with the 1/7 modern boats on the water due to being the only 1/7 modern in the pits, he was awarded full classic class points and the race win.
 
Mark your calendars because next up is the ERCU Governers Cup which is scheduled for August 12th also at Marysville Twin Lakes Park.