LAKE OF THE OZARKS, Mo. — The Lake's biggest boat race will be celebrating its 25th birthday this month.
The Lake of the Ozarks Shootout has brought racers from around the world to display the limits of speed in vessels ranging from PWCs to catamarans sporting horsepower in the thousands.
Lake Expo focuses its Shootout Spotlights on men and women who have distinguished themselves in recent Shootouts, and who offer the promise of exciting runs this year.
The Shootout is scheduled for Aug. 16–25.
For more information, visit www.lakeoftheozarksshootout.org
RACER SPOTLIGHT
Name: Mike Fiore, driver, throttleman, boat builder
Co-racer’s name(s):
1) 29 ft. Outerlimits, Mike Everson, owner
Mike Fiore, driver and throttleman, builder
2) 52 ft. Outerlimits, Joel Begin, owner, driver
Mike Fiore, throttleman, builder
Boat Name: Outerlimits
Port of Call:
1. 29 ft. – Fondulac, Wis.
2. 52 ft. – Montreal, Can.
Boat make/model:
1) 2012 29 ft. Outerlimits, V hull, stock Mercury 565 HP engine
2) 2012 52 ft. Outerlimits, SV twin stock Mercury 1350 HP engines
Shootout Race Classification:
1) NV2F1, Non-professional, V Hull, 27’ – 29 ft. Outerlimits, Mercury 565 engine, modified factory engine, without power, one engine
2) PV5P2, Professional, 52 ft. Outerlimits, V-Hull, power added features, two engines
Horsepower:
1) 29 ft. – 565 HP
2) 52 ft. – 2,700 HP
Modifications: Both boats are stock
Fastest Speed:
1) 29 ft.: 100 mph
2) 52 ft.: 142 mph
Notable Races/Wins:
2012 LOZ Shootout Top Gun NV2F1 Class 99 mph
2012 LOZ Shootout Top Gun PV5P2 Class 138 mph
2002 LOZ 138 mph V bottom
2007 Cowes P1 Event in UK First Place
2007 Lord Beaver Brook Trophy, UK, First Place
2008 World Championship in Key West Super V Extreme
Sponsor(s): Outerlimits Offshore Powerboats, Bristol, R.I.;
Metal Unic Siding; Aluminium Depo Inc.; Gouttieres Begin Guttering Co., Montreal, Can.
Business: Founder and owner, Outerlimits Offshore Powerboats
Family: Wife Shonda, and children Sophia and Jet.
Describe the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in one word: Indescribable.
What do you like about the LOZ Shootout?
It is a well-organized event, different than poker runs. It is a clear-cut winner. I like that it is based on speed, which is always fun. As a stand-alone event it is more fun than offshore boat racing because it is less political. You run and whoever wins, that’s the way it is. My first Shootout was in 1989.
Talk about your last year’s record?
It was awesome last year to win two top gun awards in an Outerlimits boat, and to have our clients there with their boats. It’s always fun as a manufacturer to win a race like that. The conditions were good; the course was a little more forgiving than when it was in front of Shooters 21. Overall it was a good weekend of water and it was good to go fast.
What is your racing strategy for the 2013 LOZ Shootout?
We will bring a few new 2013 Outerlimits boats. We have a new dealer at the Lake, the Performance Boat Center in Camdenton. They’re opening a location on the Lake too. The Shootout is always about acceleration, more than just top gun speed, it is different than most of the races. Having run the Shootout, it gives us a good understanding of the conditions and how to set up the boat.
When, where, what and why did you first start racing?
My first race was in 1988 in a 40 ft. Hustler in the Chesapeake Bay. Hustler was our family business before Outerlimits. I like engineering and building boats first and foremost. Racing comes hand-in-hand with building; you learn from racing and the experience allows you to build a better boat. We build high performance race and pleasure boats.
What separates boating at Lake of the Ozarks from other destinations?
We enjoy the Lake while we’re there. It’s pretty and unique. It has changed a lot in the last 25 years.
How does the LOZ Shootout event compare to other races?
Nothing compares to the LOZ Shootout. There are other events across the country that try to do the same type of speed run but there is only one Lake of the Ozarks.
Best racing memory?
The first time we raced in Europe in 2007. We were in Malta and it was a pretty cool international experience. We had to ship the boat halfway around the world. We spent three years racing in Europe in the P1 circuit and we won the world championship in 2009.
Worst racing memory?
We were running in rough water on the backside of the Isle of Malta when the waves went from five to seven-foot seas to 15 to 20-foot seas. We were not prepared for the change. I fractured my back and broke an engine in that race.
What do you do when you're not racing boats?
First and foremost I spend time with my family, secondly, I build boats.
