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The Amazing Evolution Of The Shootout: Lake Of The Ozarks' Most Famous Boat Race

The Lake’s longest-running boat race has taken plenty of twists and turns over the decades, but a few things have always been at the core...

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Shootout At Shooter's 21

What was once the not-so-humble brainchild of local thrill seekers battling for bragging rights has evolved into an epic extravaganza under a cascade of international acclaim. The Lake of the Ozarks Shootout attracts the fastest powerboating competitors in the U.S.A. and brings fans for miles, playing in the sunshine, enjoying a party on the Lake as they cheer for wildly fast boats.

The event is hailed as the largest unsanctioned boat race in the United States, drawing top racers from all over the nation and Canada. “More million dollar hardware comes to town for the Shootout than any other place I have seen,” said international powerboat racer Randy Scism.

Beginnings Of A Race

Before the Shootout’s advent, local boaters gathered in places like “Six-Mile Cove.” They would boast about speed, each confident his boat was the fastest. Drag boats and jet boats, flat bottom, inboard and V-drives—boat enthusiasts of all kinds tied up their boats and floated. The jawing would inevitably escalate into a race. A couple of boats would pair up to prove who really was the fastest. Surrounded by a cheering crowd, racers roared across the water.

But, the local guys wanted an organized race, so in 1989, The Shootout was born. The race was hosted at Shooters 21, a now-long-gone restaurant/bar at the 21 Mile Marker. Originally named The Lake Rescue Shootout, its organizers were Carmen Netoli, Fran Steingrubey, John Page, Kevin Hurtubise, and volunteers. The classes opened to competitors of all kinds, a tradition kept alive to this day. Amateurs challenged professionals. Anyone could—and still can—vie to be immortalized as, “The Fastest Boat on Lake of the Ozarks.”  

1994 Shootout Pics

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In the beginning the event lasted two days: Saturday for testing, Sunday for speed. Racers would run to the end of the course, turn around, and come back, with both runs timed. Only a few boats would top 100 mph.

1995 Shootout Pics

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When The Shootout Was “The Governor’s Cup”

In 1995, under the leadership of Osage Beach Fire Protection District Fire Chief Jeff Dorhauer, the fire department officially took over the Shootout and the race was renamed the Governor’s Cup. In 1996, the Gravois and Mid-County Fire Districts joined Osage Beach, Sunrise Beach, and Lake Ozark Fire Districts in the volunteer effort. The event name was officially changed to The Lake Fire Rescue Shootout in 1997. Over the years, more fire departments, charities and deserving organizations came aboard as beneficiaries of Shootout funds.

1997 Shootout - Two Cats Together

Shootout boats, 1997
1997 Shootout - Maximum Risk at Shooter's 21

Maximum Risk at Shooter's 21, 1997 Shootout 

As technologies advanced in leaps and bounds, boats were posting dizzying speeds. The mid- and upper-100s were suddenly within reach. And then… Dave Callan hit 203 mph, on the Shooters 21 course, in 2003. A few years later, he reached 208 mph, and then in 2007, he and John Cosker set the Shooters 21 course record that would stand forever: 209 mph.

2000 Shootout Pics

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“Every year on Sunday night we would be so exhausted we swore we would never do it again, but we always did,” Chief Dorhauer said. “I enjoyed the challenge... The hardest thing was having to walk away. Shooters 21 closed and it was demolished to build a subdivision. We had to find a new place for the race and I couldn’t be in charge anymore.” The Osage Beach Fire District’s emergency calls were skyrocketing. “I just couldn’t do both,” Dorhauer said. Something had to give.

Farewell To Shooters, Welcome Back “Shootout”

In 2008, the Shootout took its final name change, as Ron Duggan took the helm. Dubbed the “Lake of the Ozarks Shootout,” it was moved to Captain Ron’s Bar and Grill at the 34MM on the west side of the Lake. Since then, the event has grown to include 10 days of activities showcasing the entire Lake area with a poker run, street party, mini remote-controlled Shootout, golf tournament, PWC Dam Run, Stereo Shootout, auction, treasure hunt and volleyball tournament.

Captain Ron's Bar & Grill at the Shootout
Captain Ron's Bar & Grill at the Shootout

As the Shootout grew, so did the caliber of the boats in the race. More racers posted speeds in the 200s, and in 2014, Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani and Steve Curtis set the all-time record for the one-mile course, hitting an almost-unbelievable 244 mph in Spirit of Qatar. Racers from far and wide came to test the waters of Lake of the Ozarks, and much of the race’s growth and success has been attributed to a former local marina owner and world champion powerboat racer: the late Bob Morgan. He raced in every Shootout, except one. Morgan’s relationship with powerboat racers posthumously stretches the globe, and at the Shootout’s Silver (25th) Anniversary, the “Bob Morgan Memorial Hall of Fame,” was unveiled, complete with a statue of the Shootout Ambassador.

Speed Racer - Faster Speed!

“Bob Morgan helped make the Shootout what it is today,” explained Ron Duggan, who served as Shootout Director for a decade. “He is deeply missed by all of the Shootout family.”

Hall of Fame inductees include many years of Top Guns, Shootout class winners, and dignitaries. “The Hall of Fame is a tribute to those who put this in motion a long time ago and to those who continue to contribute to the Shootout’s success,” Duggan said.

Balancing Speed And Safety

For 25 years, the Shootout had very few accidents or close-calls. But in 2014, that changed. The Outerlimits catamaran driven by Mike Fiore and Joel Begin hurtled through the air near the finish line, injuring both men. Fiore died a few days later, after complications from surgery. It was a sobering moment, and a heavy blow to the powerboating world, and to the Shootout.

Then, two years later, Jeff McCann spun out the 23-foot Donzi he was driving, not far from the finish line. McCann was thrown from the boat and knocked unconscious. Missouri State Highway Patrol Corporal David Echternacht heroically leaped into the water to rescue McCann, as the boat silently slipped beneath the surface. Only days before the 2016 Shootout, two powerboaters—Richie Prince and Bradley Dunphy—were killed on Lake of the Ozarks in a high-speed crash. 

Safety was on everyone’s mind, and Shootout organizers felt they needed to make a change. So beginning at the 2017 Shootout, the race course was shortened, from one mile to 3/4-mile. With that change, the old Shootout records were preserved, and a new set of records began.

But a shorter course didn’t mean dramatically slower speeds.

Brad Rowland still hit 110 mph in his incredible pontoon Tooned In 2, and the yellow-and-black American Ethanol catamaran posted a top speed of 204 mph.

Speed Racer - Too Fast!

Charity Still Wins Every Race

Looking back, Dorhauer marveled at the growth of the event. “We just wanted to race. We never dreamed it would become what it is today,” he marveled.

Duggan attributed the Shootout’s success and longevity to the race’s safety record, a credit to those who handle the race course, the fire district, Water Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard, patrol boats, dive teams and helicopter pilots.

Powerboat racer Steve Tripp won the 2012 Shootout Top Gun in the MC1P1 class. “I have raced a lot of courses and the Shootout has a much better layout as far as the course, the docks and being able see the boats,” he said. “The course safety and crowd control is better than any place else we have been. There is nothing better than the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout.”

Amidst the changes throughout the years, the Shootout stays true to its roots: funding local charities and fire districts. In 2017, the race made another huge step forward. The first-ever full-time Executive Director was hired.

“If it weren’t for the Shootout, our dive team would not be able to function,” said Mid County Dive Team Captain Jim Wilson. The cost of racing is significant, and there is no purse for the victor, other than the internationally coveted Top Gun bragging rights.

“The Shootout is all about raising money for water rescue equipment and for people who are less fortunate. That is what keeps the racers coming back year after year,” Duggan said. Since the race moved to Captain Ron’s, it has raised more than $3 million for local charities and fire districts. In 2023, the event raised $675,000, and organizers are setting the goal higher every year.

Power Boating Canada writer Bob Brown experienced the Shootout for the first time in 2012 and may have said it best:

“If you are a high-performance boating enthusiast you might just think you have found the pearly gates to heaven. It’s a multi-million dollar chain of performance engulfed by a buzz of excitement.”

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