If you look above the rooster tail about half way back you can actually see in the water the gust of wind that he crossed. It stood the boat up, and he was quick to get off the throttles, and managed to get it settled back down. He pulled the throttles back a full five seconds before the finish line, and still coasted across the finish line at 197 mph. By Vern's and Carson's calculations he was set to run between 203 - 206 mph if that gust of wind hadn't caught the boat and he could have kept on pace. After the run, the Team decided that the conditions just weren't right to try and go for a big number on Sunday so they packed it in with their final numbers at 197. This proved to be the fastest piston powered boat at the Shoot Out in 2014! I believe it is also the fastest run put up by a piston powered boat in LOTO's History, but I would have to verify that. The team is already excited to go back in 2015 to represent the West Coast and the "Fastest lake in the West" Lake Havasu.
They didn't earn the "Top Dog" award, because Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani showed up with nothing less then a World Beater with "The Spirit of Qatar." That boat actually shattered the previous fastest speed record ever to be ran at LOTO (224mph) set by Bill Tomlinson in his Turbine Powered 50' Mystic "My Way." The Spirit of Qatar obliterated that record by 20 mph putting up 244 MPH! It was said by both the Sheikh and their crew chief that they believe the boat had a lot more in it and 250 mph is attainable in it's current configuration. It was decided to put additional runs off until next year, so they will have something to shoot for. No point in unloading both barrels if you've already won the gun fight. -