Lake Of The Ozarks Shootout Reviving Lieutenant Governor’s Cup Honor

From 1996 through 1998, the overall Top Gun award- winner at the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout took home the Lieutenant Governor’s Cup award. The prestigious honor helped put the Central Missouri event on the map in the Show Me State.

For the first time in 27 years, the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout overall Top Gun award-winner will be honored with the Lieutenant Governor’s Cup award. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

Thanks to current Missouri Lieutenant Governor David Wasinger, his staff and the Shootout organizers, that distinction is coming back starting with the 37th annual event set this year for August 23-24. The news was announced this morning in a press from the Shootout organizing committee.

“The Lake of the Ozarks Shootout is one of Missouri’s premier events,” Wasinger said in the release. “This world-class race showcases the energy, beauty and unmatched hospitality of the Lake region. It’s a cornerstone of our tourism economy and a shining example of what makes Missouri such a special place.

“The generosity and community spirit on display at the Shootout are what truly set it apart,” he continued. “I look forward to joining 100,000 of my closest friends in celebrating this iconic event and cheering on this year’s competitors for the Lieutenant Governor’s Cup.”

Involved with the Shootout since it began in 1989, retired Osage Beach Fire Protection District Chief Jeff Dorhauer applauded the return of the honor and the motives behind it at the time.

(From left) Lake of the Ozarks Shootout organizers Mark Maasen, Leah Martin, Missouri Lieutenant Governor David Wasinger, Convention and Visitors Bureau director Heather Brown and Shootout Hall of Fame member Myrick Coil of Performance Boat Center met this week to finalize the return of the award.

“We partnered with the Lieutenant Governor’s Office in the mid-1990s for the momentous notability of doing so,” he said, “Somebody with the Shootout had reached out to the lieutenant governor at the time in an attempt to push tourism, and members of their office came down to Shooters 21 (a former event host venue) for three consecutive years to award the Top Gun winner on Sunday of the Shootout’s races.”

Lake of the Ozarks Shootout executive director Leah Martin, longtime board of directors president Mark Maasen and Bob Morgan Memorial Lake of the Ozarks Shootout Hall of Famer Myrick Coil of Performance Boat Center, the event’s presenting sponsor, met with Lieutenant Governor Wasinger earlier this week to finalize the agreement.

“For me, the meeting was coming full circle to where I began as a volunteer on a Shootout Patrol Boat in 1989,” Maasen said. “I look forward to establishing and maintaining a wonderful relationship with the Lieutenant Governor’s Office and watching as this event continues to grow.”

Martin added, “The lieutenant governor, who also sits on the Missouri Tourism Commission, is incredibly eager and excited to help promote tourism and growth in our tri-county area and state. There is not a singular event that promotes tourism and represents the Lake of the Ozarks better than the Shootout. So we are thrilled to bring this long-since forgone tradition back to life.”

The post Lake Of The Ozarks Shootout Reviving Lieutenant Governor’s Cup Honor appeared first on Speed on the Water.

Source: https://www.speedonthewater.com/lake-of-the-ozarks-shootout-reviving-lieutenant-governors-cup-honor/