LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. -- 209 in 2007. These numbers mark Dave Callan’s Shootout legacy. Despite a hiatus, he is still the man to beat.
In 2007, Callan and his racing partner John Cosker set a new Shootout record, thrilling the crowd by hitting 209 mph at the finish line. Six years later, that record still stands.
Four more numbers give perspective to Callan’s racing career:
6 — The number of years since Callan raced in the Shootout. Since his record-breaking run in 2007, Callan has largely stepped away from racing. “The commitment to racing didn’t really fit in with family life, so I kind of walked away from it,” he said, mentioning his college-age son.
21 — Shooters 21 was the old home of the Shootout. Callan’s 209 mph record was on that course, the year before the Shootout moved to Captain Ron’s.
197 — Another of Callan’s personal speed records. But this one was on the open ocean. “Being able to almost touch the 200 mark on a live race course in the ocean... that was pretty exhilarating,” he recalled.
6,000 — The horsepower on Callan’s last boat. “If things work out, we’ll have more,” he hinted.
Racing giants Bill Tomlinson and Dave Scott have both hit 208 on the race course at Captain Ron’s, but neither has broken Callan’s 209.
Last year, many expected Tomlinson to break Callan’s record in his boat My Way. But just weeks before the big race, My Way was seriously damaged in a crash during the 1000 Islands Poker Run. But after missing a year, Tomlinson plans to roar back into the 2013 Shootout, undoubtedly gunning for Callan’s record.
But Callan says that one mile per hour gap is bigger than it looks.
“Every mile per hour over 200 is significant,” he said, adding, “There’s a big difference between 209 and 210.”
And it is that number — 210 — that has Callan thinking about another run.
“There’s something in the works this year,” he suggested, though he refused to go into specifics. It’s clear he finds the view from the sidelines less than fulfilling, especially since he has never run the Captain Ron’s course in a Shootout.
“I have a reason to be interested this year,” Callan said. “The record I hold is on the old course. I’d like to hold the record on both courses.”
“This year is attractive for multiple reasons,” he continued. “It’s the [25th] anniversary... [and] there are a couple of very strong competitors that should be there.”
Callan said the Captain Ron’s course better suits what he thinks have always been the strengths of his racing team. The Shooters 21 course was difficult, he says, because waves were reflected off the walls on the left side, posing an additional challenge to racers. “There was never a run where we could go pretty much flat-out,” he said.
Another challenge in previous years was radar guns. Racers sometimes complained about the event’s guns, claiming their own GPS units showed higher speeds than the guns did. But in 2012, event coordinators obtained new guns. Callan said that adds to the event’s allure.
“That is a big thing,” he said. “It’s such a financial commitment to get the boats there, ready to race and go over 200 [mph]. When you have something like a cosine error [with the radar guns] come into the mix, it’s frustrating... Having consistent times and new guns makes it more attractive for me to come.”
“I got the okay from my wife too,” he laughed, “So I’m good to go.”
No matter who shows up in August, the Shootout is about competition and pushing boats to their limits in the race for Top Gun. And one of the biggest rivalries on the water might be the one between turbine-powered jet boats and gas-powered, propeller-driven boats. That friendly, but spirited, rivalry is embodied by Dave Callan and Dave Scott, who holds the Captain Ron’s course record for the Shootout. Scott’s record at 208 is one mile per hour behind Callan’s.
Callan’s boats, powered by helicopter turbines, have set records and sent him soaring into boat racing fame. He prefers turbines for their reliability. And Scott’s roaring propeller engines wow crowds and have proven their ability to set records as well, bringing Scott a Budweiser sponsorship before InBev purchased the company.
Callan said that kind of competition at the Shootout — an event that brings jet boats and propeller boats together — “keeps the race from being vanilla.”
His praise for the Shootout, however, extends far beyond the variety of engines on the water.
“It’s by and far the most fun event,” he said, “More fun than the world championships in Key West... It’s a multiple-day event, and every day is as good or better than the day before.”
The Shootout, Callan says, is made great by the people who show up. “That goes for all the people that put on the race, the rescue people, [and] a good group of competitors,” he said.
He also praises the fans and spectators. “It’s the event where you’re most in touch with the people,” he said. “People can come right down, touch the boats, see the boats in the water, talk to the crews, talk to the racers... a lot of interaction between the racers and the fans.”
What makes the event so special, he concluded, “is like-minded people.”
Probably none of those people know what is in Dave Callan’s mind, regarding his plans for this year’s Shootout.
But what is certain is that he always will hold an important place at the Shootout, for the legacy he has brought to the water. Whether Dave Callan is watching a race or running in it, everyone else is watching him.
