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| Bud Light Takes Top Gun at 2008 Lake of the Ozarks Shootout |
Bud Light Wins Top Gun at Shootout 2008
David Scott is no stranger to the Shootout. In fact, from 1997 to 2001 David Scott won every Shootout at the lake.
So it was no surprise to see Scott took back the Top Gun trophy Sunday with a winning speed of 178 mph. And if the boat looked familiar, it was....last year it ran with red and black Bud Select colors...and was changed to Bud Light silver and blue for this years race.
So where was Callan Marine? Reportedly at another race, now that the boat sponsorship is with Geico. Some spectators were disappointed that the Top Gun didn't break the 200 mph barrier. Scott’s winning speed was the first time since 2004 that a racer failed to reach 200 mph. It was also the slowest time since Scott won in 2001 with a speed of 165.
Despite a slower time for Top Gun, word was that more boats broke the 100 mph barrier than ever before....and 100 on the water is sure fun to watch.
So how well did things go for the first time at the new home at the 34MM? Pretty good from all accounts.
Captain Ron's did a great job, as did all the volunteers.
How many spectator boats were there to watch the action? Thousands. By some estimates over 5,000 boats rafted up along the race course.
A big success seems to the word from everyone. Since proceeds will benefit the Lake Area Rescue Teams, Habitat for Humanity, the Red Cross and other charitable organizations, we'd say it was a big success too.
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| Lake of the Ozarks Shootout 2008 |
A couple of shots of the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout held August 2008 at the 34MM.
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| Lake Rescue Shootout 2007 |
What a weekend! Callan Marine runs a record setting 209 mph to take Top Gun honors at the 2007 Lake Rescue Shootout.
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| The Lake Rescue Shootout renamed Lake of the Ozarks Shootout |
The Lake Rescue Shootout finds a new home and gets a new name for 2008. Formerly, the Lake Rescue Shootout was held at the 21 mile-marker and hosted by Shooter's 21. Shooter's 21 was recently demolished to make way for a new housing development, so the Lake Rescue Shootout was looking for a new location and host for the event in 2008.
The Missouri Water Patrol approved an application to host the race submitted by Ron Duggan of Captain Ron's. Captain Ron's is located at the 32MM.
The proposed two-mile course will run from the 32.5- to the 34.5-mile marker. It will begin just downstream from the Hurricane Deck Bridge and run along the southwest side of the channel.
The race will now be called the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout.
There were three proposals presented to a committee of Water Patrol officers and a representative of Lake of the Ozarks State Park to host the event in 2008.
Although the other two applicants, Topsider/Dog Days and Merlyn Vandervort of the Horny Toad Resort Complex, presented strong arguments for holding the race at their locations, the primary issue the Water Patrol was looking at was safety, according to Captain Matt Walz of the Water Patrol.
"From a safety standpoint, the course proposed by Captain Ron's will allow us to push the race to one side, creating a straight course," Walz said. "Because of the location, it is the safest of those presented."
"Ron Duggan has already laid the groundwork and lined up commitments from emergency service agencies to provide medical, fire, rescue and law enforcement," Walz said. "We will also be able to address the concerns that property owners in that area my have."
Walz said the Water Patrol was glad to see the races continue and it will work with Duggan to get ready for the August event.
"Hosting the Shootout will give this side of the lake a chance to showcase what it has to offer," Duggan commented. "It's great news for the west side. We have the opportunity to keep the Shootout alive. The Shootout has an economic impact on the entire lake area and we want to see that continue. The race is just too big to let it die."
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