Lake Race 2019 takes place on Saturday, June 1 at Central Missouri's Lake of the Ozarks.

Lake Race is one of two high-powered boat racing events that take place at the "Best Recreational Lake in the Nation" each summer. 2019 marks the seventh year for the exciting Offshore Powerboat Association-sanctioned Lake Race, which sees some of the fastest boats in the world speeding along a four-mile course to determine a winner.

New for 2019, the Lake Race course has moved a few miles down water from the Bagnell Dam and now stretches from the 5 mile-marker to the 9 mile-marker on the main channel of the Lake of the Ozarks. All Lake Race events will take place at the Horny Toad Entertainment Complex at Camden on the Lake, 2359 Bittersweet Road, and at Shady Gators Restaurant, 132 Sweet William Road, both in Lake Ozark and at the 7 mile-marker by water. 

The change in location is a result of the growing popularity of the Lake Race with both competitors and attendees.

According to Osage Beach Fire Chief and president of the Lake Race Board of Directors Jeff Dorhauer, the race had expanded to its maximum capacity logistically along the historic Bagnell Dam, where it had been held previously. Moving to the new location allows for more boats to participate and more spectators to enjoy the festivities. 

 

"The new location offers more viewing areas as it pertains to public places where people can watch the races," says Dorhauer. There are multiple large-capacity venues in close proximity to the race course. "You have Camden on the Lake and The Horny Toad and directly across the cove there's Shady Gators and Lazy Gators. Across the channel, there's Millstone Marina and Tap & Grill Brewhouse, just to name a few places where people can watch all the racing action."

	Many Lake Race spectators line up along the designated anchor zones on the periphery of the race course for the best seats of the high-speed action.

In addition, there are designated anchor points on the periphery of the race course for those that would like to watch the races from the comfort of their boats. "By far, this is the best way to watch the races," says Dorhauer. However, Dorhauer does stress that spectators coming by water need to pay attention to the "no wake" and "no anchor" areas and need to stay 100 feet off the buoy line so that the patrol boats have room to operate.

Lake Race events get underway on Thursday, May 30 with the official Lake Race Pre-Party where the public can meet and greet the racers at Shady Gators starting at 6 p.m. There will be a complimentary shuttle service running throughout the evening to and from nearby parking lots and Camden on the Lake Resort.

	There will be an array of boats on display at Camden on the Lake and Shady Gators at the Lake of the Ozarks during the Festival of Speed By Land or By Sea on Friday, May 31.

On Friday evening, there's the Festival of Speed By Land or Sea, which takes place at both Camden on the Lake and Shady Gators. Performance Boat Center will have many vessels on display in the slips of the marina at The Horny Toad Entertainment Complex at Camden on the Lake. There also will be a vendor village set up along the catwalk at The Horny Toad. The Festival of Speed begins at 6 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m. There will be complimentary shuttle buses as well as shuttle boats running from Camden on the Lake to Shady Gators throughout the evening.

The main event gets underway on Saturday, June 1 with the opening ceremonies taking place at 10:45 a.m. All the high-speed action kicks off around 11 a.m. with boat races taking place throughout the day and concluding by 5 p.m.

Following the completion of the races, there will be an awards ceremony at 6 p.m. with the winners of the 2019 Lake Race being announced from the outdoor stage at The Horny Toad. And, at Shady Gators, there will be a concert beginning at 7:30 p.m. featuring country music superstar Billy Ray Cyrus, who goes on at 9:30 p.m. Tickets for the Billy Ray Cyrus show can by purchased at www.ShadyGators.com.

For more details about Lake Race 2019, including a schedule of events and a list of participating sponsors, please visit www.LakeRace.com.

Camden on the Lake is the official lodging sponsor for Lake Race 2019. For more information on the rooms and amenities at this popular Lake of the Ozarks resort, please visit www.CamdenOnTheLake.com. 

In addition to Camden on the Lake, there is a wide selection of accommodations available at the Lake of the Ozarks. Visitors can choose from full-service luxury resorts, family-owned resorts, charming bed and breakfasts, rustic cabins, campgrounds and RV parks, spacious vacation rental homes and condominiums, as well as hotels and motels.