Record Breaker!

Darana Hybrid’s 242-mph pass electrifies the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout.

By Gregg Mansfield

A new course, a new record and a new chapter for the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout.

The 2025 Shootout was one for the history books, highlighted by Darana Hybrid’s 242-mph pass that reset the Shootout record and ended American Ethanol’s long-running Top Gun reign. Owned by Darryl Cuttell and legendary racer Steve Curtis on the throttles, the duo smashed the previous record on a 3/4-mile course by 21 mph.

“I’m super proud of all the guys that worked on the boat,” Curtis said. “It’s not a cheap endeavor to get that sort of performance. You’re not just putting your fast pleasure boat in the water and giving it a run. These real fast boats like American Ethanol and our boat, they’re built for the task.”

After American Ethanol won its tenth consecutive Top Gun title in 2024, it appeared no team was ready to challenge its dominance. That’s until Cuttell tasked Curtis with updating the 50-foot Mystic Spirit of Qatar, which still holds the record of 244 mph on the one-mile course.

Powered by twin 3,500-horsepower T-55 turbine engines, Darana Hybrid had setup and reliability problems that prevented them from making a full pass on Saturday. American Ethanol was having mechanical issues too and after the first day, it was Slug Hefner’s Dirty Duck Skater leading with a 215-mph pass.

After working on the boat overnight, Darana Hybrid’s Cuttell and Curtis uncorked a 242-mph pass near Dog Days Bar & Grill, the new location for the Shootout. American Ethanol’s John Cosker knew the streak was over when the speed was announced.

“I figured they might just be outside of our reach, but I didn’t think it would be that far,” Cosker said. “I was actually strapped into American Ethanol ready to go and my wife texted me 242 and I go, ‘I guess we’re going to see what we can do now. They were well beyond what we can do with the boat.”

If there is a consolation prize for Cosker, who founded and owns Mystic Powerboats, it’s that his catamarans have won all but one Top Gun title since 2005. Cosker said American Ethanol was having teething problems all weekend.

The team had to install aerators to solve planning issues and one of the engines wouldn’t pull over 4,000 rpm. After fixing the engine issue, they broke a driveshaft on the last run. American Ethanol’s best run of the weekend was 179 mph, far short of the 221-mph winning pass in 2024.

After Darana Hybrid’s 242-mph pass, American Ethanol owner Don Onken went over to congratulate the new Top Gun champions who snapped their 10-year winning streak.

“Don is a super nice guy and right after our run, he was the first guy there to come up and say congratulations,” Curtis said. “I’ve got so much respect for the guy and what he’s done for the Shootout.”

It’s only fitting the Shootout crowned a new Top Gun after moving across the lake from its longtime location at Captain Ron’s Bar and Grill. The new course in front of Dog Days in Osage Beach had some growing pains but the overall consensus was positive.

“For spectators, it’s far more accessible to be in the middle of the lake,” said Leah Martin, executive director of the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout, presented by Lippert and powered by Performance Boat Center. “One of the problems for the (spectators) and for the event organizers was that 10-mile no-wake zone. We had to have that because of the number of people that are here.”

For some competitors, it meant idling in the heat and rain to get to the old course on the lake’s west side. Cosker who has run the Shootout at three locations, likes the long-term potential of Dog Days.

“The worst part of running the Shootout now is when I see a 25- or 30-year-old and they come up to me and say that they remember me running Longlite when they were a kid,” Cosker said laughing.

Poly Lift Poker Run Draws a Crowd

The Poly Lift Poker Run has become one of the biggest fundraiser of the Shootout weekend. Led by Mark and Tiffany Maasen, the Friday morning poker run had well over 100 boats. It’s become one of the Shootout’s biggest fundraisers, with the Shootout donating more than $5.5 million since its inception.

The Poly Lift Poker Run let boaters check out some of the lake’s top restaurants and bars with a laid-back vibe. The poker run started at Performance Boat Center with Shady Gators as the last stop.

In between, the poker runners could visit several places including Paradise Tropical Grill, Papa Chubby’s, Larry’s on the Lake, The Cave, Nautifish Rum Bar, Big Dick’s Halfway Inn, Red Fox, Neon Taco, Landshark Bar & Grill, Dog Days and Franky & Louie’s. Those who visited every stop in the poker run completed more than 100 miles.

“Poly Lift has been proud to sponsor the Poker Run from the very beginning and to serve as the title sponsor for many years,” said Mark Maasen, chair of the Shootout and vice president of Poly Lift Boat Lifts. “The event continues to grow each year, safely hosting more than 130 boats while raising significant funds for many deserving lake-area charities. It’s a tremendous example of how the boating community can come together for a great cause.”