General News – Page 36 – Outboard Racing

The Evinrude test station in Stuart, Florida

10 September, 2017 Published by: Lars Strom

My first visit to Stuart was 1979 when Jack Leek asked me to visit the boat race at Marine Stadium in Miami. Jimbo was racing his Petty blue Mod 50 Molinari and Jack know that was my passion (OMC 3 cyl racing).. After the Miami race Jack asked me if I wanted to see the test station in Stuart and my answer was of course YES..!!
I drove to Stuart in my 1977 Mercury Marquis Colony Park Station wagon. Jack and I took the rescue boat and Jimbo McConnell was testing the Evinrude 3 liter V6 looper with fuel injection and carburetors at Saint Lucie river.
OMC was forced to use carburetors for 6 month because Merc took OMC to court over Ron Anderson.
Well it was a successfull testing and a life time memory for me.
I finally got my foot into Jack Leeks door. I also remember Jack Leek drove a 1977 Chevy Caprice Coupe in Stuart.
The year after Jack Leek invited me to Waukegan and I got to Chicago early February and it was way colder than Stockholm, Sweden.
Jack Leek took me around and we ended up at a big old marina in Waukegan because Jack wanted me to see his sailboat..!!
I was trying to be polite and asked to see the Engineering/racing department also.
After a long lunch and a few drinks Jack took me there and I meet all my heroes including Jimbo, Don Henrich propellers, Edgar Rose and many more.
As an OMC dealer and race driver this was the ultimate happiness.

Thanks and R.I.P. Jack Leek.

General News

Mercury T-4 racing vs OMC V-8 racing..Cincinnati GP 1984…

15 August, 2017 Published by: Lars Strom

After a summer-long legal battle, Mercury and OMC reached an out-of-court settlement a month before the Cincinnati GP which allowed the Merc T-4s to compete against the V-8s on a one race, experimental basis.

Here is the full story..if you don’t want the read the full Powerboat story I can make it pretty short.

Mercury lost big time using the T-4 and the Wizard..(with twin Merc V6 powerheads)

Ben Robertson won in his #57 Burgess/Johnson V8. Barry Woods second in his #35 Molinari/Evinrude V8

After the race one of the OMC’s corporate executives couldn’t help but mutter under his breath after watching

the T-4’s self-destruct:

“They (Mercury) have been suing us all summer” he said in hushed tones, ” do you think we could bring a case against them for fraud?”

Thanks Mark Spencer

General News

OZ Class racing St. Louis 1974. A mix of Merc V6, OMC V6 and 2 Rotary’s..

14 August, 2017 Published by: Lars Strom

Very interesting outboard racing history from 1974. The OZ class World Championship race in St. Louis, MO had 13 boats ready to race. 5 with Merc V6 T-3 power, 2 OMC Rotary’s, 2 Johnson V6 Stingers and 4 Evinrude V6 Super Stranglers.

Barry Woods in his Scotti boat powered by the Evinrude Rotary was by far the fastest boat. Won the first two heats but barrel-rolled in the third when he was leading handing the victory to Bob Hering.

Now we all understand better why Team Mercury successfully was lobbing so hard to ban the OZ class in the Paris 6 hour race later same year..!!

General News

OMC V-8 hit’s the U.S. Pittsburgh 1982

30 July, 2017 Published by: Lars Strom

Three Rivers Regatta in Pittsburgh 1982.
This race was the first F1-V8 event in the U.S. and I was there watching.
I have never seen so many spectators and was told over 300,000..!!
The event was a great success and at the end of the weekend Renato Molinari took the big check to the bank Monday morning.
I went back to Europe and after a long meeting with George Lamy at OMC we had a deal for me to race the F1-V8 world series 1983 including the two U.S. races. (Minneapolis and Pittsburgh)