Caines, Markos earn first firsts; Evans wins two finals at Jack Regas Memorial

The weather gods sure weren’t smiling on the 2024 Jack Regas Memorial at Waughop Lake.
But ERCU kept at it and two racers will never forget the day.

It was a horribly windy, rainy day that included a torrential hailstorm along the way. But the club persevered and every heat was eventually completed.  

Tom Markos and Dennis Caines stole the show with each posting his first-ever ERCU race wins. Their momentous occasion wasn’t christened with the traditional post award dip in the lake due the unusual day all had endured.

Markos won the 1/10 scale modern final with his 2015 Graham Trucking (U-7), followed by Nelson Holmberg’s 2023 Bucket List Racing. Caines posted victory in the 1/7 scale vintage class with his 1968 Eagle Electric. Caines was the only finisher, but you can’t win a race without finishing.

Rick Evans didn’t have a bad day, either. Evans logged a nearly perfect day turning in 1,500 points with his just-delivered 1960 Thriftway Too making its first race entry. Evans finished second in the boats first-ever heat, made some quick adjustments and came back to win each of the next three rounds including the winner-take-all final heat.

Evans also won the 1/10 scale classic final heat with his 1972 Notre Dame. The heat started out as perhaps the most competitive and most entertaining heat of the day. Evans and Holmberg – driving Markos’ 1976 Atlas Van Lines – dueled through the first two laps before the Atlas hit a hole in the wind-powered rough water entering turn one and rolled upside down. Chuck Murray ended up second with his 1983 Miss Houston.

Craig Mullen posted victory in the 1/7-scale classic/modern class, running the field’s only classic boat – Denise Sjostrom’s 1975 Miss U.S. – to a win in the final heat. Second place went to Denise, driving the 1990 Oh Boy! Oberto.

It was perhaps the first time in ERCU history that there were no third or lower place finishers in any of the final heats.

It was a nice surprise to see Classic Thunder members Mitch Dillard, Ron Forister and Matthew Sanders hang out with us for most of the day in Lakewood. PSFE member Jim Hagen also hung out with us all day and even helped set the race course and pilot the rescue boat a couple of times. We appreciate the fellow racers from other clubs who visited us and stuck around despite the nasty weather.

Next up is the Roger Newton Memorial on Saturday, June 29 in Lacey. It’s always one that’s not to be missed. Presented by Roostertail Talk and Newton Marine, there are always giveaways, drawings, raffles and food provided by the club. It’s truly one of the premier races of every ERCU season.