With A Stunning 215 MPH Run, American Ethanol Comes Back To Clinch Shootout Top Gun

In a dramatic turn of events, American Ethanol came back from a broken-down engine to win the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout with a 215 mph run.

The American Ethanol team worked Saturday night to rebuild an engine for the Mystic that had posted 204 mph on the first day of the two-day Shootout races.

Their work paid off.

The yellow and black catamaran hit 215 mph on Sunday, securing the Top Gun title for the 2026 Shootout.

American Ethanol 2026 Shootout-4.jpg — LAKE SHOTS

The run edged out Dirty Duck, who posted 213 mph on Saturday before crashing in a wild blow-over after the finish line – a wild finish that put the boat out of commission and left driver Adam Seraphine with a broken leg.

Dirty Duck Crash - vertical - Jim Davis.jpg

American Ethanol’s second Sunday run was undoubtedly a disappointment for the Dirty Duck team, who would have secured their first ever top gun victory with Saturday’s run. However, the group took it in stride, posting, "Congratulations American Ethanol! Job well done. But... you can't do a somersault and land upright like us!"

The American Ethanol boat had shown itself capable of big speeds, but on Saturday the team was unable to reach 200 mph in their first run, due to boat trim levels. Then in their second run, they reached 204 mph... and then they lost an engine.

Sunday's 215 mph run was a testament to the team's expertise and dedication: they essentially rebuilt an engine overnight.

This is the 11th Top Gun title for the American Ethanol boat, owned by Don Onken. Drivers Tony Battiato and John Cosker have proven to be a winning team, rocketing the boat to Shootout victory every year between 2017 and 2024. In 2015, it was Cosker and Myrick Coil in the cockpit for American Ethanol’s first-ever Top Gun win; and in 2016 it was Cosker and Slug Hefner. Hefner is now the owner of Dirty Duck and throttled it the past several years in search of a Top Gun title; this year, Hefner handed the reins over to Rusty Williams, who was at the throttles when Dirty Duck crashed.

American Ethanol’s run let them reclaim the Top Gun title from Darana Hybrid — the same boat that won Top Gun in 2014 (though painted red and named Spirit of Qatar at the time) before the beginning of American Ethanol’s decade-long dominance. Darana hit 242 mph last year, but did not make this year’s Shootout, leaving the field open.

With 11 victories, American Ethanol has the most Top Gun titles in the 38-year history of the race.