Cherokee Bay Community Club hosts two model hydroplane races a year at their clubhouse in Maple Valley.
Location
Cherokee Bay Community Club
Maple Valley, Wash.
Directions
Click here for a Google Map of the race site location.
Format
- Three rounds of preliminary heats for modern and vintage
- First and second connies for modern and vintage (depending on number of boats)
- Winner-take-all championship finals for modern and vintage
- Graupner K45 props required for vintage class boats
Contest Director
Race Winners
Vintage Class
2008 – Harrah’s Club (1968), Mike Campbell
2009 – Harrah’s Club (1968), Mike Campbell
2010 – Pride of Pay ‘n Pak Outrigger (1969), Jeff Campbell
Modern Class
2008 – Country Boy (1974), Mike Campbell
2009 – Country Boy (1974), Jeff Campbell (Owner: Mike Campbell)
2010 – Country Boy (1974), Mike Campbell
2010 Results
Vintage Final
1. Jeff Campbell, 1969 Pride of Pay ‘n Pak Outrigger
2. Mike Campbell, 1968 Harrah’s Club
3. Steve Dumanis, 1962 Thunderbolt
4. Robbie Roberts, 1973 Miss Burien^
5. Craig Mullen, 1967 Hawaii Ka’i III (Owner: Ben Keller)
6. Bob VandenAkker, 1966 Miss Lapeer^
7. Bill Smiley, 1972 Hallmark Homes (black)
8. Craig Bradshaw, 1972 Miss Budweiser II
Modern Final
1. Mike Campbell, 1974 Country Boy
2. Mike Gossler, 1978 Miss Circus Circus
3. Ron Daum, 2003 Llumar Window Films
4. Nelson Holmberg, 2009 Formula Boats^
5. Ron Hartley, 2009 Graham Trucking*
6. Gale Whitestine, 1975 Miss U.S.
DNF Jeff Campbell, 1982 Executone*
* – backup driver for the final.
^ – started final as trailer boat.
MAPLE VALLEY, Wash. — Just about every model boat that races scale hydroplanes in the Pacific Northwest spends a race remembering Roger Newton each season.
And on Sunday, Sept. 26, ERCU was no different.
Monte Steere brought out a huge binder full of Roger Newton memorabilia, some dating back to the days when Roger and the rest of the Seattle Model Yacht Club gang got this crazy hobby of ours started.
David Newton (AKA the “MiniCzarâ€) was also there, though not running his dad’s famous Checkerboard Bardahl, because work called on race-day afternoon, and David hung out as long as he could, co-CD’ing the race with Rick Lentz.
Numerous conversations around the pits during the day focused on Roger’s memory, and the sun even came out — seemingly only over Cherokee Bay Community Club — for a good portion of the day, causing a couple of members to speculate that the Czar asked God if he could keep an eye on ERCU’s final race of the season.
What he saw would’ve disturbed the Czar. Between preliminary heat crashes in the 1/10-scale racing and a 1/7-scale vintage final that saw just one boat of seven finish, after six collided, flipped, flopped, or otherwise crashed out of the running.
Aside from all of that, the racing and camaraderie was fun, which is what Roger would have appreciated most.
The Campbell brothers swept the honors this year, as Jeff won the vintage final with the 1969 Pride of Pay ‘n Pak Outrigger and Mike claimed the modern final with the 1974 Country Boy, following up on his goal to win one race with the boat.
In the vintage final, Mike Campbell finished second with the 1968 Harrah’s Club, followed by Steve Dumanis with the 1962 Thunderbolt. Fourth place went to Robbie Roberts’ 1973 Miss Burien, who started in one of two trailer positions in the eight boat final.
Fifth place in the vintage final went to Craig Mullen, driving the last version of the Hawaii Ka’i III that Roger ever built, now owned by Ben Keller. Sixth was Bob VandenAkker, driving the 1966 Miss Lapeer — the second of two trailer starters — followed by Bill Smiley’s 1972 black Hallmark Homes, and Craig Bradshaw’s 1972 Miss Budweiser II.
Roberts won the vintage first connie, but some confusion in scoring led to the second place finisher, VandenAkker’s Miss Lapeer, also making the final as a trailer. Third went to Bradshaw’s Coral Reef.
Gerry Bordon, driving the 1970 Parco’s O-Ring Miss, won the second connie, and took fourth in the first connie.
In the modern final, Mike Gossler finished second, followed by Ron Daum’s NAMBA National Champion 2003 Llumar Window Films. Nelson Holmberg’s 2009 Formula Boats, which started on the trailer, was fourth despite running into the back of the 2009 Graham Trucking, which finished fifth (driven by Ron Hartley) just after the start. There was a squeeze at the start, which caused the racing incident, and ironically, six of the seven boats that ran in the final were able to finish.
Gale Whitestine was the other finisher, guiding his 1975 Miss U.S. to a sixth place spot, while Jeff Campbell was unable to finish the final subbing for brother Mike with the 1982 Executone.
In the three-boat modern connie (John Williams’ 1999 Miss Madison was unable to start), Holmberg’s Formula Boats was able to surprisingly pass Smiley’s 1977 Charlie’s Girl on the last turn, and take first place. Smiley took second, while Dave Reiser’s 1982 Executone took third.
A large group of members helping with the breakdown, cleanup and loading of the trailer made quick work of the end of the day, as ERCU left yet another positive impression on the fine folks at Cherokee Bay Community Club.