LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. – The Offshore Super Series (OSS) is returning to the No. 1 powerboating destination in the Midwest. The boat race that mesmerized fans from 2007-09 at the 7-mile marker will now roar past flotillas from Bagnell Dam to the 4MM. The three-day Lake of the Ozarks Invitational Offshore Super Series Race will hit the Strip Friday-Sunday, June 7-9, 2013.
Ameren Missouri has already cleared the way for landlubbers to watch the races from Bagnell Dam, which will close to traffic during the event. Beavers at the Dam has thrown in as an official host.
The OSS races of the past drew more than 25,000 spectators over the race weekend with an estimated economic impact of $4.5 million.
The winning drivers in 2009 wasted no time giving props to Lake of the Ozarks and the powerboating enthusiasts lining the course.
Jeff Harris, throttle man for Team CRC, won the OSS Cat Extreme Class in 2009. "It's all about speed, speed and corner ability," Harris said. "You have a 10,000-pound boat flying across the water, traffic all around you, negotiating turns right on the edge of spinning out and flipping,” he said. “There's a fine line between not aggressive enough and too aggressive — you got to ride that bubble."
Miss Geico and driver Marc Granet was crowned the Offshore Super Series National Champion in 2008 at Lake of the Ozarks.
“There must be 10,000 people out on those boats right now and they’re all having the time of their lives out there," driver Marc Granet told LakeExpo.com just after exiting the cockpit, still carrying the checkered flag. "They’re all into the speed, they’re into the horsepower. That means so much to us. You go to some races and people are out there for sun and fun. But these people are out to see horsepower. Hopefully we showed them a little bit today."
Since 2003, the OSS Super Series has featured legends and fan favorites of the Lake of the Ozarks: Dave Scott, John Tomlinson, Bob Teague, Dr. Mike Jansen, Bob Bull, and the late Bob Morgan and Jeff “JT” Tillman, to name only a short list of winners.
World Champion Dave Scott has been selected the honorary chairman of the coming 2013 races. Â
The race committee is now working diligently to line up sponsors, donations and volunteers to meet the event’s financial commitments. Remaining funds will be donated to local charities and beautification projects on the historic Bagnell Dam Strip.
