Reunanen x 4 at Seafair Trophy

(copyright Dennis Caines, 2023)

Reunanen, Reunanen, Reunanen, Reunanen.

Heilbrunn.

Four Reunanens would be a good hand in poker: But they’re a great day in scale RC hydroplane racing.

Paxton Reunanen nearly ran the table to collect all five of the 2024 Seafair Trophy Race first place trophies. David Heilbrunn played spoiler and foiled Reunanen’s attempt at the five-for-five sweep by topping him in the 1/7 modern/classic combined class.
 
ERCU gathered Saturday, Aug. 10 at Woodland Creek Park in Lacey for the 26th running of the ERCU Seafair Trophy Race. Seventeen teams brought 27 boats and all were lined up, charged up and ready to contend for the five individual Seafair titles at stake.
 
The 1/10 scale modern class kicked off the day and included the 2024 season debut of Chuck Murray’s freshly painted 2000 Miss Elam. Elam got off to a slow start with a DNS in round one and a DNF in the second. Murray shook off the boat’s cobwebs though and got his feet under him for the third heat and the final, finishing a close second in each. Reunanen, however, was once again the class of the field with no one able to solve the puzzle and top him and his 2019 Graham Trucking American Dream, which won all four heats for a perfect day. Heilbrunn made a run at Reunanen and had his attention but in the end, Heilbrunn rolled the Dalton over the Graham’s wake in the final putting a fork in the most significant competition Reunanen faced in the 1/10 modern class all day.
 
The 1/10 scale classic class saw five boats in the pits ready to race for Seafair supremacy. The first heat witnessed Murray’s 1976 Olympia Beer spin out in the first turn with two boats, Reunanen’s 1983 Miss Rock KISW and Rick Evans’ 1972 Notre Dame unable to avoid the spin resulting in a three-boat collision. The Notre Dame was unable to return and was scratched for the day while the KISW team took care of business, reloaded and came back to sweep heat two, heat three and the winner take all final. ERCU rookie of the year candidate Mike Walcker and his 1973 Red Man Too gave the Rock everything they could but as hard as Walcker tried, the Rock was just too much and Red Man finished second in all four heats tallying 1,200 points on the day.  Walcker – a retired Washington State Patrol trooper –also was the chief referee (first time) for all the vintage class heats on the day and did a very good job.
 
Our 1/10 scale vintage class had five boats on hand to start the day. First heat was a preview of the how the day in this class would go as Reunanen piloted Kerry Kjos’s 1960 Miss Thriftway to a win in the first heat and every heat following that including the final and posting a four-for-four day. Closest competition was provided by Heilbrunn’s 1964 Blue Chip – the defending Seafair vintage class champion. Blue Chip gave Reunanen a run in the final heat and was leading the field screaming down the backstretch when he blew up the mid-course buoy ending his quest to repeat and relinquishing that crown to the Reunanen/Kjos team. Paul Dunlap who must have made no less than 20 trips in the chase boat on the day was able to focus nonetheless on his driving and took second place in the 1964 Miss Exide, with Evans and the 1960 Thriftway Too in third.
 
1/7 modern/classic combined also was a five-boat field and started off with a bang in the first heat as the Goodman Real Estate picked up a DQ on a lane infraction resulting in the roll-over of the Craig Mullen-driven Miss U.S. John Sjostrom was debuting his brand new 1992 Winston Eagle and won its first heat ever by topping the field in heat one. Jim McKeon took second in the opening round with his 1980 Budweiser. Mullen would dry everything out and come back in heat two for a victory picking up 400 points. Mullen then passed the baton to Reunanen who was to drive the Miss U.S. in the third heat and the final. Heat three didn’t pan out as planned with Reunanen and the Miss U.S. picking up a DNF. The final featured four of the original five and was a good race with a spin out but no boats over and all finished. Heilbrunn took advantage of a bobble by Reunanen and drove the Goodman Real Estate to the winner’s circle with Reunanen taking second, McKeon third and John Sjostrom fourth.
 
Finally, the 1/7 vintage class had seven boats in the pits to begin the day’s competition. Dennis Caines took the opening heat followed by John Sjostrom’s Thriftway and McKeon’s Maverick. Heat 1B saw Bob Van den Akker top Reunanen for the heat’s 400 and a chicken dinner. A chicken dinner was in order, and coveted, for one of the very few times this day that Reunanen would be stopped. Van den Akker would go on to pilot his 1962 $ Bill to another victory in the second heat before suffering a DNF in the third but showed up for the final and a second-place finish in the final. Rob Edwards and his 1969 Pay ‘n Pak quietly posted 1,150 points on the day and stood proudly in the third-place position on the 1/7 vintage podium.
 
Next up for ERCU is race number 10 of the 12 race season returning to Woodland Creek Park for the Detroit Memorial Regatta on August 24. ERCU will be celebrating and remembering the lives of fallen members Craig Bradshaw, Doug Brow and Ben Keller. Pre-registration is open now by clicking here.