Lake Race Staying on Course
For Alvin Heathman, one of the driving forces behind the third annual Lake Race coming up on Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks in less than three months (June 5-7), the question is simple when he’s talking with race teams deciding whether or not to make the trek to Central Missouri for the event: “Why wouldn’t you come?”
Winners of the Run What You Brung class at the 2014 Lake Race, the Cat Can Do team can’t wait to defend its title. Photo by Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix
“I mean between the prize money, no entry fees and the live TV coverage, what more could a team want?” Heathman asked in an interview earlier this week. “For the last two years we handed teams checks right there at the podium. And we’re not just talking about the Run What You Brung class—basically an unlimited class—where we have a $40,000 purse. We have another $35,000 that we give away to teams in the other classes.”
Along with having the organizational backing and team support from the Offshore Powerboat Association as it did for its second year in 2014, the event won’t have many changes this year, according to Heathman. Besides necessary buoy modifications and a bigger and better street party on Friday, one thing that may be adjusted is the addition of qualifying runs on Saturday rather than a full race for the high-powered Run What You Brung class boats, in turn making sure the boats all line up for the second day of racing on Sunday.
and then