Crockett Returning To The Lake Of The Ozarks Shootout With Bigger Goal—And Power

Started as a “run what you brung” event more than 30 years ago, the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout attracts plenty of colorful powerboats and their even more colorful owners. Yet none is more so than engine builder Tyler Crockett of Michigan. The inherently joyful, ever-enthusiastic Crockett rarely stops grinning when he’s off the water during the Central Missouri event, set this for August 28-29 this year, and it’s more than a little likely he’s smiling under his helmet as his runs is 26-foot Joker V-bottom down the three-quarter-mile top-speed course.

Tyler Crockett never fails to deliver compelling action on the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout course. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix

But Crockett also is blessed with volcanic competitive fire and little to no fear. Since his last Shootout appearance in 2020, he’s been busy preparing for the next. That’s translated into upping the output of his boat’s supercharged engine from 3,000 hp to 3,300. His goal is reach 136 mph in his 26-footer.

During last year’s event, Crockett’s single pass with a new propeller on his sterndrive’s spindle was 113-mph horrifying display of violent chine-walking. The culprit, he explained after the wild run down the course with all the concern of someone who’d just awoken from a restful afternoon nap, was excessive transom lift created by the fresh wheel.

“I am all ready for the Shootout with more power and a new propeller,” he said. “My goal three years ago was to run in the 130s, so running 128 mph in 2019 was not enough for me. And I didn’t get to test the prop I ran last year until that morning and I was angry about that.”

According to Crockett, the engine’s additional power output has been realized through new cylinder heads, a new supercharger and a lighter valve-train.

In addition to upping his boat’s power for this year’s Shootout, Crockett sanded his boat’s hull and had its outdrive blueprinted by Wilson Custom Marine.

“I am going to run the engine to 8,000 rpm this year,” he said.

In addition to sanding and blueprinting his boat’s hull, Crocket had Wilson Custom Marine in South Florida blueprint the boat’s drive. He’s also been in fiberglass repair mode for much of the off-season.

“My boat suffered a lot of damage last year on the way home from the Shootout,” he said. “A guy who was texting and driving ran right into the side of my boat at 55 mph made a mess.”

A fierce competitor, Crocket knows a lot about producing speed on the water—just check out the sticker on his boat’s port hull side.

Crockett Returning To The Lake Of The Ozarks Shootout With Bigger Goal—And Power

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