Lake Race Preparing National Television Broadcast

After having to cancel the popular race due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the organizers behind Lake Race on Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks have been working hard behind the scenes to make this week’s Offshore Powerboat Association-sanctioned race—the second event of the American Power Boat Association Offshore National Championship Series—another successful occurrence.

The outboard-powered Super Stock-class catamarans are going to be one of many classes competing on Missouri’s Lake of the Ozarks later this week during Lake Race. Photo by Pete Boden/Shoot 2 Thrill Pix

On top of the on-location happenings, which include a racers’ reception meet-n-greet at Camden On The Lake Resort on Thursday night (June 3), a street party on Bagnell Dam Boulevard on Friday and a full day of racing on Saturday between the OPA classes and the newly added NGK Spark Plugs F1 Powerboat Championship Series, the organizers are excited about this year’s expanded television coverage.

According to a press release from the event’s broadcast partner, Viper Communications, millions of fans are going to be able to watch the races as the radio/TV broadcast is being distributed on numerous cable, online streaming and HD TV channels across the country.

“This is huge for the Lake Race and for the Lake of the Ozarks,” said Viper co-owner Dennis Klautzer. “When we got the call that more than 50 over-the-air TV stations across the country, including Hawaii, and some 379 cable systems wanted to air the event, we were astonished. It’s a dream come true for this community and all involved in the event.”

Klautzer says those over-the-air stations include local TV channels KOZL in Springfield, Mo., KZOU in Columbia, Mo., and WCIA in Quincy, Ill. That’s in addition to the online streaming with News/Talk KRMS that will have the audio play-by-play on the air at 1150AM, 97.5 and 103.3 FM but also online at KRMSRadio.com. There you can also find KRMS TV and a full list of all the broadcast stations carrying the race. The livestream from KRMS TV will be carried on YouTube, Facebook and other streaming platforms as well.

The race play-by-play will be handled by well-known sports broadcaster Brendan Matthews along with Team Kansas racer Brad Harrington and offshore racer and experienced racing announcer Mike Yowaiski.

Along with the addition of the NGK F1 races, which are coming to Lake of the Ozarks for the first time, Lake Race is returning to its original course at Bagnell Dam with a new host facility, Neon Taco (formally Beavers at the Dam). George Tucker, the owner of Neon Taco and several other establishments at the lake, said he’s excited to let patrons see the new facility and the upgrades that have been made to the area as well as the dry pits that sit behind the facility on Bagnell Dam Boulevard.

The free event, which is open to all ages, includes a charitable side to it with several local organizations, including Citizens Against Domestic Violence, The Boy Scouts and Kids Harbor, benefitting from all of the race happenings.

Lake Race Preparing National Television Broadcast

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