The roar and speed of Offshore Super Series (OSS) powerboat racing returned to Lake Cumberland and Kentucky for the second consecutive year as boats and crews from across the nation competed for the checkered flag at the 2010 Lake Cumberland Grand Prix June 4-6 at Waitsboro Recreation Area in Somerset and Pulaski County.

“We had a great outpouring of support and volunteers from the entire Lake Cumberland economic zone,” Larry Combs, race coordinator and director of business services for The Center, said. “We hope that the business community profited from the regional and national attention this race brought to our area.”

Because of the race and the interest it brought to the region and Lake Cumberland through widespread media exposure, Combs added, “I think there will be a lot less people asking ‘do you have water” and a lot more asking, ‘where can I launch my boat?’”

At the closing awards ceremony on Sunday, June 6, at Race Village at The Center for Rural Development in Somerset, J.D. Hamilton, president of the Lake Cumberland Association, expressed his appreciation to everyone for their help and support in putting on “a great race.”

“So many people have come together to make this event happen,” he said, “and we will work on growing the event next year and the year after that.”

OSS play-by-play radio announcer Martin Sanborn said it was great to return to Kentucky, where teams race in a completely different environment from their usual offshore races held on the ocean.

“The thing that makes a racing series successful is the consistency of being able to come back to a race site year after year,” Sanborn said.

“We really enjoy the hospitality of everyone here at Lake Cumberland,” John Brunner, director of operations for OSS, said after the final races June 6. “We send a special thanks to J.D. Hamilton, Larry Combs, The Lake Cumberland Association, The Center for Rural Development, and the countless volunteers for all their help in making this a great event. We look forward to returning next year."

On the 4.5-mile race course at Waitsboro Recreation Area—built in the bend of Lake Cumberland—drivers hung tight in the turns and spectacular runs under the Ky. 90 bridge.

The bright yellow Mapei boat, a 32-foot, Doug Wright-designed catamaran outboard, led from start to finish to win the CAT Outboard Class in the second race of the day Sunday.

Throttleman Gary Ballough, reigning national champion in the CAT Outboard Class, picked up his 91st first-place win thanks in large part to the skillful driving of his racing partner, John Claude Chalhoub. This was the second race of the OSS season for the Mapei boat, sponsored by a worldwide leader of building products based in Boca Raton, Fla.

“I owe my checkered flag to John Claude because he did a great job driving,” Ballough said after the win. “The design of this course was awesome. It was very challenging with big turns.”

Mapei finished ahead of Fluid Sealing Products boat S111, which “got off to a bad start,” according to its throttleman Ryan Beckley.

“Our boat ran fourth for the first couple of laps,” Beckley said. “We were able to work past two other teams and battled for the next 11 laps with Talbot Excavating.”

During the race, Ballough said the ongoing battle between the second- and third-place finishers provided an opening for the Mapei boat to pull away from the pack and take the top spot.

“We finished about 25 seconds ahead of the second-place boat,” Ballough said. “Our top speed was just a little over 100 mph.”

According to OSS officials, the results of the Lake Cumberland Grand Prix are as follows:

Pro AM 1: First Place, No. 14, Saratoga Stampede, 100 points; and Second Place, No. 47 Voodoo Ride-Global Warmer, did not start (DNS), 95 points.

Pro-AM 3: First Place, No. 411, Octane, 100 points; Second Place, No. 29, Typhoon; Third Place, Pirate Racing; and Fourth Place, No. 23, Screamin’ Nuts-TOUR SEKY.com (DNS).

Pro-AM 4: First Place, No. 69, Thunder Run, 100 points; Second Place, No. 401, Simmons Racing, 95 points; and Third Place, No. 417, Team Purrrfect, 91 points.

PX: First Place, No. 13 Popeye’s, (DNS), 100 points.

Cat Lite: First Place, No. 388, Team Phoenix Parts, 100 points; and Second Place, No. 13 Popeye’s, 95 points.

Cat OB: First Place, No. 1 Mapei, 100 points; Second Place, No. 111, Fluid Sealing Products S111-Doubledge Motorsports, 95 points; Third Place, No. 29, Talbot Excavating, 91 points; Fourth Place, No. 324, Your’re Gonna Have That, 88 points.

V Lite: First Place, No. 4, Watch Your Back, 100 points; Second Place, No. 29, Typhoon, 95 points; Third Place, No. 21, Pirate Racing, 91 points; Fourth Place, No. 411, Octane, 88 points; and Fifth Place, No. 23, Screamin’ Nuts–TOUR SEKY, DNS, 86 points.

SV Unl: First Place, No. 47, VoodooRide-Global Warmer, DNS, 100 points.

V Ext: First Place: No. 14, Saratoga Stampede, 100 points.