Rookies steal the show at Champion Spark Plug Regatta

ELMA – Though the weather forecast for the season opening Champion Spark Plug Regatta was daunting, reality was such that it wasn’t so bad.
 
And nearly 30 boats were in the pits for the first race of the 2025 ERCU Championship Series.
 
But it may not have been the racing that stole the show this Saturday. Dray Newton, the son of David and Rachael Newton, qualified as a driver in ERCU in the morning and had a really great day on the race course, finishing second in 1/10 scale vintage. The smiles and enthusiastic reactions Dray shared at the end of the day were certainly massive highlights.
 
We’ll most definitely see more of Dray!
 
Once the drivers meeting concluded, our members and their boats were ready to get after it. Six 1/10 modern boats made the trek to Vance Creek Park and the 2024 ERCU Driver of the Year award winner, Paxton Reunanen, took control and turned in a perfect day with his 2019 Graham Trucking American Dream.
 
It was the only 1,600-point performance at this year’s season opener.
 
Reunanen’s closest competition came from 2023 ERCU Driver of the Year winner David Newton and his 2004 Miss Budweiser. Geoffry Grembowski debuted his beautiful newly re-finished 2016 Payne West Insurance and tied Newton with 1,225 points for the day. The class was rounded out by David Heilbrunn’s 2015 Dalton Industries, and Nelson Holmberg’s 2024 Bucket List Racing and 2024 Flav-R-Pac.
 
The 1/10-scale classic class featured six boats in total, but just three provided the most consistent competition. Holmberg, driving Tom Markos’ 1976 Atlas Van Lines, posted two firsts and a second in the three preliminaries. Jerry Dunlap’s Coor’s Light captured a first and two seconds before the final and Reunanen brought his new-to-him 1982 Oh Boy! Oberto and tallied a pair of wins and a DNF heading into the final.
 
While the final heat saw wind and waves, four boats were able to finish the final with Holmberg heading to the winner’s circle. Dunlap grabbed second and Reunanen finished third. Dray Newton was fourth, driving Reunanen’s 1983 Miss Rock KISW.
 
The 1/10-scale vintage class welcomed five competitors and saw Reunanen jump out to the early lead capturing heat 1 with his beautiful brand new John Earnest built (and Markos painted) 1960 Gale’s Roostertail. Paul Dunlap drove the defending boat champion 1964 Miss Exide into the winner’s circle in heats 2 & 3.
 
All five boats lined up for the winner take all and just two survived the challenging winds and waves to complete all five laps. Reunanen crossed the finish line first for the win and Dray Newton finished second place in the winner take all final. They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree and it’s pretty clear there may be a new sheriff coming to town.
 
Dray wasn’t the only true rookie driver who joined ERCU for the first race of the year.
 
Scott Whitestine, John Havens, Jr., and Carl Lewis all brought out 1/7-scale powerhouses to have fun as well. To a man, each of these four new members wasted no time in getting down to the business at hand.
 
Returning member, Gale Whitestine, brought his 1972 Notre Dame and made his mark instantly topping all competition and posting 400 points for his first race back in heat 1A. Whitestine would then DNF in heat 2B and heat 3B but would return for, and finish, the final.
 
Lewis and his newly purchased (from Ron Hartley) 1975 Lincoln Thrift took second place in his first heat, 1B, and then won heat 2B and took second in heat 3A posting a class high total of 1,000 points heading to the final. Havens also showed his chops driving his beautiful scratch-built 1976 U-95 Miss Budweiser taking it to a third place finish in his first heat, second in his second and first place in heat 3B.  Five of the six entries lined up for the final, the three newbies, Jim McKeon and Mike McIntosh and Heilbrunn.
 
Unfortunately, the 2024 Goodman would DNS suffering a solder failed motor bullet. Five started and all five finished the 1/7 modern/classic final. Gale Whitestine with the 1972 Notre Dame emerged the winner in his first race back from his multi-year hiatus. Second went to Lewis, third went to McIntosh, fourth was McKeon and Havens finished fifth. If this first race of the season was any indication, its going be a resurgent terrific year for the ERCU 1/7 modern/classic class.
 
Our 1/7-scale vintage class saw some of the closest, most thrilling racing of this opening day as the bigger boats often do. Always the final class in the days rotation this race featured five entries including, McIntosh’s brand new 1967 Miss U.S., Dennis Caines’ 1968 Eagle Electric, McKeon’s 1957 Maverick, Reunanen’s 1982 Miss Island Security System, and Scott Whitestine’s 1962 Notre Dame. Reunanen jumped out to the early lead winning all three of his preliminary heats but would fall from first place in the final lap to finish in second. McIntosh would finish in third place in heat 1 and second in heat 2 and heat 3. He was working diligently, dialing in his new for 2025 Miss U.S. patiently focused on the final where he would emerge victorious by passing Reunanen for the victory on the final half of the final lap.
 
It truly was an incredible season opening event as two veteran members (McIntosh & Reunanen) debuted brand new boats that began in midseason form by winning the race right out of the box. Another new member Gale Whitestine wins in his return while one rookie driver/member with some serious champion pedigree, Dray Newton takes home the silver in his ERCU debut.
 
ERCU will return to the water April 12 for the second race of the 2025 ERCU Championship Series. The Diamond Cup will be at Scott Lake Olympia. Early registration is open now and members are encouraged to pre-register by clicking here.