Tyler Crockett Targeting 125 to 130 MPH at Lake of the Ozarks Shootout

Anyway you look at it, 125 to 130 mph is moving on the water. And the smaller the boat, the faster it feels. But that doesn’t faze Tyler Crockett, who hopes to reach something in that speed range with his 26-foot Joker V-bottom powered by a 2,200-hp alcohol-fueled engine of his own making during the upcoming Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in Central Missouri.

Crockett put his then-new engine to the test for the first time during the Texas Outlaw Challenge, and came back with a top speed of 106 mph—not quite what he had hoped, but not respectable for the conditions. “It was pretty choppy out there earlier today for the shootout, but it still made for a good test session for the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout,” he said in a speedonthewater.com article after the event.

Engine builder Tyler Crockett is looking to lay down a big number in this 26-foot Joker V-bottom during the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout.

His next tune-up event for the Lake of the Ozarks speed contest was supposed to happen Aug. 6 at the Northern Illinois Offshore Club’s Chain-O-Lakes Shootout on Grass Lake. But a mechanical issue knocked him out of the competition before he could make a run.

“We’re running alcohol and the engine kicked back because it didn’t pick up the prime,” Crockett explained. “It kicked back and blew the teeth off the ring gear and destroyed the starter. We have been through four starters and four ring gears with this issue. But from the Drive Guardian guys, I learned about another product called a Pro Mod Flex Plate that has 139 teeth that are much thicker and deeper and comes with a special starter. With this engine running alcohol, the magneto needs to turn at a constant 250 rpm, so I also had to go with a bigger battery. This engine turns almost 8,000 rpm.”

“I’ve had the boat to 118 mph and it handled beautifully,” he said. “I’d like to hit a solid 125, 130 mph. Anything over that is a bonus.”With the new setup, which he’s currently installing at his engine shop in Ruby, Mich., Crockett believes he has the problem solved. He’ll be running a custom-made prop from BBLADES Professional Propellers and he’s shooting for a top speed between 120 and 130 mph. To chronicle his efforts, he’s mounted forward-, rear- and driver-facing Go-Pro digital video cameras on the boat.

Tyler Crockett Targeting 125 to 130 MPH at Lake of the Ozarks Shootout

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