MTI at 25—The Shootout’s Fastest Woman – Speed on the Water
Celebrating its 35th anniversary this week, the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout is 10 years older than MTI. But the Central Missouri lake is home-water for MTI founder Randy Scism and his family, so the Wentzville, Mo., company has embraced the event since Scism built his first catamaran.
With MTI founder Randy Scism sharing the cockpit, Debbie Bull drove a 52-foot MTI raceboat into Lake of the Ozarks Shootout history. Photo by Jason Johnson copyright Speedonthewater.com.
Of the many memories MTI has created during the event, Debbie Bull’s 180-mph blast on the then-one-mile course with Scism in the 52-foot CMS raceboat powered by Mercury Racing 1650 engines owned by her husband, Bob, has to be at or near the top of the list. Debbie Bull drove, Scism throttled and the rest is Shootout history.
As often happens, there was some snarky online buzz about Bull’s mark being a “lesser” accomplishment because she wasn’t driving and throttling. Talk about double-standard nonsense. No one criticizes current Shootout Top Guns John Cosker and Tony Battiato for splitting cockpit duties in American Ethanol, right?
Regardless, Bull remains the fastest woman in the event’s 35-year history. And the unofficial record she established—the Shootout has no specific category for women—is unlikely to fall.
Earlier that day, Bull’s husband and Scism had laid down a 183-mph run in the 52-footer. That pass left her inspired.
“My intention was to beat my husband’s speed, but I’ll take the 180,” she told speedonthewater.com co-publisher Jason Johnson after her record-setting run.
It was a good year for the Bull family in general. In November that year, her husband and Scism claimed the Super Boat International Unlimited-class world championship in the 52-footer.
For Bob and Debbie Bull and the MTI family, 2015 was a special year. Photo by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix
Editor’s note: “MTI At 25” is a weekly series on speedonthewater.com celebrating the company’s 25th anniversary. A new installment will go live every Wednesday on speedonthewater.com through the end of the year.
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