Lake Race Event Brings the Bling to LOTO on Thursday
Lake Race—the second competition in the 2019 OPA/P1 offshore season—officially kicks off tomorrow in Lake Ozark, MO, following up on the Thunder on Cocoa Beach blowout just days ago.
The action transfers racers from the turbulent waters of the Atlantic Ocean to the comparatively calmer conditions of a lake environment. But the festivities won’t be remotely calmer—quite the contrary. Organizers are pulling out all the stops to make the LOTO event bigger, wilder and more exciting than in previous years, starting with the involvement of multi-platinum selling country recording artist Billy Ray Cyrus. He is scheduled to perform on Saturday, following the race. But leading up to race day, there are several fun events on the schedule:
• Thursday, May 30—The big Kickoff Party starts at 6 p.m. at the two host sites, located next door to each other on the same cove: Camden on the Lake Resort and Shady Gators. “Most of our local racers will attend,” says event promoter Nikki Sorrenson. “Some of the other race teams will still be traveling, so it will probably be lower-key in terms of turnout. But we expect to see Reese Langheim with his brand-new Victory hull, Jackhammer, on display. They are finishing the rigging of that boat as we speak.” In addition, Thursday will also feature a special drive for victims in surrounding towns such as Eldon and Jefferson City, where tornadoes recently ripped through the area. A semi-trailer and a DJ will be set up, with Billy Ray Cyrus and the Red Cross involved in helping the community donate goods to victims devastated by the twisters. Loren Peters and Mike Wright of Wide Open Racing will also be on hand with their WIA offshore boat.
• Friday, May 31—Once again, Camden on the Lake Resort and Shady Gators will join forces to host the Festival of Speed, featuring fast boats, fast cars and fast motorcycles. “We’re encouraging everyone to come out, by boat or by car,” Sorrenson says. “The race teams are all going to be staying at Camden, and will all be on site. Performance Boat Center will have a big display out in front of Camden, so that’ll be pretty exciting. The other race teams that have come in will be set up in the dry pits up the street from the resorts, and there’ll be shuttles running so people can definitely check it out.”
• Saturday, June 1—The main racing event will be livecast on Powerboat P1’s Facebook page; after the race—weather permitting—an awards ceremony will be mounted on the outside stage. “I think the race teams like to see people’s excitement, and I think it makes them feel good when they get cheered on by the fans, many of whom wear the colors and gear of their favorite teams. So we’re going to have it right there in the open, on the main outside stage at Camden,” Sorrenson says. Once again, there will be a DJ and a band at Camden, and Billy Ray Cyrus will be performing next door at Shady Gators. Cyrus recently hit another career high with a remix of the Lil Nas X hit “Old Town Road”; Cyrus earned his first number-one single on the Billboard Hot 100 chart as a “featured artist” on the track.
More information about Lake Race can be found by clicking here.
