Crockett ‘Coming Along’ With Canopied Shootout V-Bottom

Like all competitors at the annual Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in Central Missouri, Tyler Crockett of Ruby, Mich., has a day job. His line of work—high-performance marine engine-builder—just happens to dovetail with his love of chasing speed on the water in a single-engine V-bottom. During the 2021 event, his best effort to date on the three-quarter-mile course yielded a wild 132-mph result.

Tyler Crockett continues to make headway on his 32-footer he plans to run in the 2025 Lake of the Ozarks Shootout.

Crockett can handle all the engine-building, parts-fabrication and rigging chores himself. That’s a good thing given that he’s replaced his open-cockpit 26-foot Joker V-bottom with a canopied 32-foot Phantom he’s powering with a 4,000-hp engine for this year’s event. Even as a professional engine-builder, he’s had his work cut out for him.

Still, like his fellow Shootout competitors he can’t get after it until his day is done.

“I work on it every night and all day Saturday,” he explained. “I have quite a bit done—I’m making the motor mounts now. Then I can measure for exhaust and driveshaft.

“It’s coming along,” he continued. “I spent five hours last night leveling the engine and getting the driveshaft angle right.”

The Shootout competition is set for August 23-24. Crockett said he hopes to begin testing the boat in Lake July.