Gentleman Jim posts career first first at Atomic Cup

Gentleman Jim Latimer couldn’t have scripted the final race of the 2023 ERCU Pentair Championship Series any better.

He won. For the first time ever.

After a two hour fog delay on Saturday morning, Latimer debuted his 1981 Spirit of the Air Force boat, that had undergone extensive changes from its former life as the U-33. And out of the box, the boat ran great.

Latimer scored a class-leading 1,325 points and won the 1/10 scale classic final heat at the Atomic Cup. That classic final was one of the most-contested races of the day in Elma, with Paxton Reunanen taking second with the 1983 Miss Rock KISW and Jerry Dunlap taking third in the 1982 Boat. Tom Markos’ 1976 Atlas Van Lines did not finish.

But it wasn’t the only first first for the day.

Bill Mowatt also – finally – won the 1/10 scale vintage final heat with his 1968 Miss Bardahl. On the same day that the hydroplane racing community celebrated the life of Billy Schumacher at the Hydroplane & Raceboat Museum. Mowatt and Reunanen had a great race going in a two-boat shootout after scratches depleted the class to just a deuce. When Reunanen’s 1963 Coe-Z-Miss barrel rolled on the second lap, Mowatt just had to finish five laps and was able to do so.

Another exciting win went to David Heilbrunn and his 2021 Goodman Real Estate in the 1/7 scale modern class. Heilbrunn drove the only clean race in the final and won after Craig Mullen in the 1980 Pay ‘n Pak and Nelson Holmberg in the 2021 Graham Trucking both endured buoy infractions. Mullen in the Pak finished second, followed by the Graham Trucking.

It was the final race for the 2021 Goodman Real Estate, as Heilbrunn is nearing completion on a brand new 1/7 scale 2023 Goodman Real Estate boat.

Mullen won the 1/7 scale classic crown without running the final. By virtue of being the only boat still able to run in its class, race officials decided to award the win to Mullen – who drove Denise Sjostrom’s 1974 Miss U.S. at the Atomic Cup.

Later, Mullen also picked up the race win for 1/7 scale vintage – on the water this time – driving John Sjostrom’s 1960 Miss Thriftway. Second place went to Dennis Caines in the 1968 Eagle Electric. Third went to Bob Van den Akker’s 1962 $ Bill.

The only other class of the day was 1/10 scale modern which was won by Reunanen’s 2019 Graham Trucking American Dream. Second went to David Newton in his 2003 Miss Budweiser and third went to Holmberg’s 2023 Bucket List Racing. Fourth place went to Heilbrunn’s 2021 Goodman Real Estate and Briana Burdsall’s 1988 Sutphen Spirit was unable to finish.

All reviews about the new Elma race site were very positive and many people indicated that they want to race there again in future years.