Lake of the Ozarks Shootout Committee Overturns American Ethanol Disqualification

Following a meeting amongst the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout committee that gathered on Saturday evening to make a ruling on the protest submitted by Don Onken’s American Ethanol Mystic Powerboats catamaran, the committee members reviewed the information and decided the team’s 217-mph top speed will remain as an official run.

The American Ethanol Mystic runs down the one-mile course on Saturday. Photo by Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix

With Slug Hefner at the wheel and John Cosker—the founder of Mystic Powerboats in DeLand, Fla.—on the throttles, the team completed just the one run on Saturday but was disqualified after some questions about the team’s speed in the start box were raised.

According to Ron Duggan, the primary organizer of the Shootout and the owner of Captain Ron’s in Sunrise Beach, Mo., the committee reversed the initial decision, which puts American Ethanol back into the odds-on favorite to win the overall Top Gun award heading into today’s final day of competition.

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