Since taking over one of the country’s most prestigious powerboating events three years ago, the organizers of the Lake of the Ozarks Shootout in Missouri have grown the top-speed boat race each and every year.

In this, its 22nd year, the event looks to be bigger and better than ever, and Powerboat will be there once again to take it all in. From the radical Skaterfest celebration to remote control boat races, there are a handful of new events on the schedule from Aug. 23-29. Add in the fact that there should be a few potential 200-plus-mph boats on hand for the speed runs on Saturday and Sunday, and the Shootout at Captain Ron’s Bar & Grill is a must-attend event.

“Our goal in the beginning was to make this more than just a weekend event,” said Ron Duggan, owner of Captain Ron’s in Sunrise Beach. “People are traveling and spending a lot of money to come here—that’s a long trip for just two days. So we thought why not expand the event and give people more things to do? They can make a vacation out of it—Lake of the Ozarks is a great place to vacation with the family.”

Duggan and a steady crew of hard-working volunteers have followed through on enhancing the event, adding a golf tournament early in the week, followed by charity boat rides, a poker run and—new this year—The Great Shootout Treasure Hunt, which Duggan said will be “like a big Easter egg hunt with cool prizes.”

There also will be a street party (modeled after the one in Key West, Fla., during the offshore world championships) on Wednesday evening at the Bagnell Dam Strip. But perhaps the coolest addition to the event is the 2010 Skaterfest, which features a meet and greet and a Skater boat show on Friday as well as a two-hour seminar on Saturday featuring Peter Hledin (owner of Douglas Marine/Skater) as well as various engine builders, insurance providers, riggers, dealers and racers.

Those Skaters—such as Bill Pyburn's Pure Platinum—will surely be responsible for some of the fastest speeds of the Shootout, but it’s the turbine-powered Mystic catamarans that are expected to threaten the 209-mph top speed record set by Dave Callan and John Cosker in the Miss Longlite Mystic in 2007.

JBS Racing, Aqua-Mania and Cintron—all 50-foot Mystics—have shown interest in participating this year. Yet if everything goes as planned, David Scott hopes to win a third consecutive Top Gun trophy (he’s won seven overall) in his Nauti-Marine Mystic powered by a pair of blown-alcohol dragster engines that produce about 2,100 hp each.

“It looks like we’ll have some good competition this year,” said Scott, who is expecting tough competition from the one confirmed Mystic, JBS Racing. “And there are always boats that show up that you didn’t even know about. I think we’ll see some big speeds this year—some over 200 mph for sure. But the most important part is that it’s a safe event.”

One thing the organizers and local water patrol altered for safety reasons is the course. Boats will still run along the south side of the lake, just in the opposite direction. The finish line radar guns will be in the same spot off the bluff, but racers will start farther downstream.

Also a bit different, Cutting Edge Marine is hosting its annual VIP Taste of Torque party where organizers, sponsors and racers gather for an enjoyable waterfront dinner. Only this year, anyone can join the fun at Coconuts, which includes awesome entertainment and the chance to meet some of the top racers.

For the complete schedule, check out www.lakeoftheozarksshootout.org.