Dunlap Delivers, McIntosh Masters Longview at 53rd Stan Sayres Memorial

LONGVIEW, Wash. — The fifth stop of the 2026 Skidfin Solutions Championship Series delivered everything fans could want from the 53rd running of the Stan Sayres Memorial: close racing, comeback stories, mechanical heartbreak, and a few familiar names standing tall when the spray settled.

Held on the picturesque waters of Lake Sacajawea, the annual Memorial once again honored one of hydroplane racing’s most legendary figures while providing plenty of drama across both the 1/10-scale and 1/7-scale divisions.

Within the race format of a points race, meaning the winners of the event were determined by the total accumulated points over the day, consistently finishing heats was critical. No boat had a perfect day, but two came close with 1,500 points.

In 1/10 scale modern competition, Ron Daum’s 2004 Llumar Window Films emerged victorious with 1,100 points after surviving a challenging preliminary schedule and claiming the final for his first modern class win in ERCU. Daum edged Tom Markos and the 2015 Graham Trucking (900 points), while Nelson Holmberg’s 2023 Flav-R-Pac gave chase to the Lamar after posting the highest preliminary total with two preliminary heat wins, but a heartbreaking DNF in the championship heat left him third overall.

The 1/10 Classic class belonged to the Dunlap family. Markos’ 1971 Country Boy, driven by Paul Dunlap, was nearly untouchable, scoring 1,500 points and winning three preliminary heats before finishing second in the final. The only boat able to get around Country Boy when it mattered was Holmberg’s 1986 Squire Shop Brittania, which captured the final and finished second overall with 1,200 points. Holmberg’s 1975 Pay ‘n Pak had a consistent performance with three seconds throughout the day that was good for 900 points and a third-place race finish, despite not running in the final.

Vintage action produced one of the weekend’s best battles and provided what essentially was a winner-take-all final heat. Dunlap’s 1964 Miss Exide claimed the overall victory with 1,300 points, holding off Chuck Murray’s 1964 Savair’s Mist, which dominated the preliminary rounds before a DNF in the final dropped the boat to second. John Howell, in his first ERCU event of the year, was second in the final and took third in the race results. 

The 1/7 scale divisions were equally entertaining.

In classic competition, Craig Mullen’s 1971 Pride of Pay ’n Pak assembled the most consistent day of racing to capture the title with 1,269 points, despite penalties in the final that set his boat back to fourth in the finishing order. John Havens Jr.’s 1976 Miss Budweiser finished second at 1,200 points, while Wayne Beeson’s 1978 Miss Mark & Pak rounded out the podium with 1,075 points.

The headline performance of the weekend came in 1/7 vintage. Mike McIntosh’s 1969 Pay ’n Pak Outrigger was simply dominant, posting 1,500 points and taking the championship with a flawless final heat performance. Scott Whitestine’s 1962 Notre Dame finished a strong second with 1,250 points, while John Havens Jr.’s 1962 Miss U.S. 1 completed the podium with 1,169 points.

As the Skidfin Solutions Championship Series heads toward the second half of the season, Longview once again proved why the Stan Sayres Memorial remains one of ERCU’s most cherished traditions. The racing was fast, the competition fierce, and the memories worthy of the legendary name on the trophy.