Factory Billet Done For The 2021 Shootout, American Ethanol Coming Back Tomorrow

In its first and only pass on the three-quarter-mile Lake of the Ozarks Shootout course today, Factory Billet—a 51-foot Outerlimits Offshore Powerboats powered by two supercharged, multi-calibration engines producing north of 2,000 hp, reached a top speed of 161 mph. Though that more-than-respectable number is three miles per hour shy of the 164-mph V-bottom record team owner/driver Jim Schultz and engine builder/throttleman Mike Faucher set a few years ago and is certain to stand as the V-bottom Top Gun mark for the 2021 Central Missouri event, it will have to suffice for the weekend.

Captured here during the 2020 Lake of the Ozarks Shootout, Factory Billet is done for the weekend with a 161-mph pass to it credit. Photo by Jeff Helmkamp copyright Helmkamp Photos.

Schultz and Faucher are out for the of the rest of the weekend with a technological/electrical issue.

“We had a map sensor that failed so we’re calling it before we have bigger problems,” Faucher said. “We can’t get what we need in time for tomorrow.

“But the boat is so awesome,” he added.

The overall Shootout Top Gun for six years standing, American Ethanol—a 51-foot Mystic Powerboats catamaran with 12,000 hp worth of piston-engine wallop—ran three times today and produced top speeds of 175, 180 and 184 mph—the fastest was in its final pass of the day. The cat top reached 201 mph in last year’s event.

In an interview during today’s Lake of the Ozarks Shootout livestream broadcast, Mystic company owner John Cosker, who throttles the cat alongside driver Tony Battiato, cited starting-box alignment challenges, radio communication issues and heat as elements in American’s Ethanol’s off-standard performance.

“We’ll be back to tomorrow,” he said. “We expect to get much closer to previous performances.”

Look for a comprehensive, image-filled report from Day 1 of the 2021 Lake of the Ozarks Shootout later today on speedonthewater.com.

Captured here during the 2020 Lake of the Ozarks Shootout, American Ethanol will return to competition tomorrow. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix

Related story: Coverage Of The 2021 Lake Of The Ozarks Shootout