Pontoon-Class Legend Working Through Steering Issues For Shootout

With the exception of the 51-foot American Ethanol Mystic catamaran, Brad Rowland’s 25-foot South Bay tri-toon dubbed Tuned In is—arguably of course—the most popular boat at the annual Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in Central Missouri. And when the top-speed competition begins this Saturday morning, the Illinois-based Rowland and his triple-400-plus-hp outboard-equipped 25-footer will be in the thick of it.

A perennial fan favorite, Brad Rowland’s Tuned In will be as ready as possible for this weekend’s top-speed event on the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

This time around, however, the 2019 Lake of the Ozarks Shootout Bob Morgan Memorial Hall of Fame inductee is hoping to hit the three-quarter-mile course with a fully operable steering system.

“Last year, I couldn’t keep it straight—I had to turn 10 times running down the course,” said Rowland. “I still was able to set a three-quarter-mile course record of 112 mph—I did 114 mph on the old one-mile course.

“After it was over, I stuck the thing back in the shed,” he added, then chuckled. “I planned to get to it earlier in the year, but as usual I’m getting to it a week, no, less than a week, before the Shootout.

Rowland said that he is expecting a steering parts delivery from Lake of the Ozarks Shootout title sponsor Performance Boat Center in Osage Beach, Mo., the multi-brand dealership that offers the South Bay pontoon line.

“Hopefully, if we get this straightened out I’ll be able to keep the thing running straight this time,” he said. “It could be a whole new game.”

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