Facts about Evinrude/Johnson racing outboards made my OMC

**lars strom** · 08-08-2017, 08:24 AM

In the beginning of 1998 I got a phone call from the OMC headquarter in Waukegan, Illinois. David Jones the President of OMC was asking for me.
I sent a short resume to OMC and received the attached letter a few weeks later.
My appointment to meet with David Jones was set to June 16 1998.

Carina and I took our American Eagle motorhome with matching trailer to Waukegan and the OMC headquarter. The security guard was informed and we must be one of few being allowed to park inside the fence in front of OMC and camp out. We stayed there a few days.
The meeting with the President David Jones was extremely interesting. At that time not many people know OMC was struggling big time.
Mr. Jones hired me as a consultant.
Mainly to figure out a way to make OMC do better in Europe. I flew to Norway for meetings a few times and traveled to many dealers and asked their opinion about OMC. Most dealers was still very optimistic about OMC and I put together a long plan for OMC what they needed to do/what was wrong in Northern Europe.
My mistake was to give my plan to the person responsible for sales outside the US and not directly to David Jones.
A major conflict was now in full force because he did not like my report.
Pretty soon I learned the big corporation personal conflict and I did not need that.
I called David Jones and told him I am out.
I already know at that time there was no way to save OMC the way it was run.
I also got contacted by the Roger Penske group. Penske was interested buying OMC. I told them what I know and was on the list if a deal was possible to do.
Penske backed out for many reasons and that was sad. I strongly believe Penske could have saved OMC.

Yes, it is Ric McChesney and Carina in the first picture.

**Instigator** · 08-08-2017, 10:44 AM

Agreed on Penske. I'm a fan.

I remember when he tried to buy the failing Saturn car company.

He said between union contracts and EPA fees, no thanks ��

He he would have been the perfect savior and they would, now have a Hi Perf division.

**lars strom** · 08-08-2017, 10:13 PM

Got this picture from a friend in Italy today. Great memories from Idroscalo, Italy 1983.

Lasse Strom drove the #8 Aspen Burgess to his first Formula I heat victory.

http://svera.se/blogg/f1-v8/lasse-strom-drove-his-aspen-burgess-to-his-first-formula-i-heat-victory/

**lars strom** · 08-09-2017, 08:11 AM

Luigi Valdano testing props at Idroscalo 1983.
#17 Molinari/Benson&Hedges/Evinrude V8

**lars strom** · 08-09-2017, 09:15 AM

Rick Frost lost the left side of his #6 Burgess/Johnson F1-V8 in Milan 1983.

**lars strom** · 08-09-2017, 07:17 PM

The OMC Rotary.. 300 hp racing outboard 40 + years ago..

http://svera.se/blogg/the-omc-rotary...-40-years-ago/

The lucky seven..
Here is the seven drivers that was hand picked by OMC to race the unique designed racing outboard:..
Jimbo McConnell , Mike Downard, Rich McKinley, Johnnie Sanders, Tom Posey, Barry Woods and Bobby Witt
This is an incredible letter from Jack Leek at OMC to Jimbo McConnell.
Thank you Cathy McConnell

**Instigator** · 08-09-2017, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by lars strom

The OMC Rotary.. 300 hp racing outboard 40 + years ago..

http://svera.se/blogg/the-omc-rotary...-40-years-ago/

The lucky seven..
Here is the seven drivers that was hand picked by OMC to race the unique designed racing outboard:..
Jimbo McConnell , Mike Downard, Rich McKinley, Johnnie Sanders, Tom Posey, Barry Woods and Bobby Witt
This is an incredible letter from Jack Leek at OMC to Jimbo McConnell.
Thank you Cathy McConnell

Way cool!

Im a huge Jimbo fan. Have several autographed shots from him.

My favorite birthday present was yrs ago a girlfriend of mine sent him a card w/$5 in it and asked him to call me on my birthday.
And he did!

Felt like I won the lottery ��
Sent me a b.d. card too, which to this day, is on the wall of my shop.

**lars strom** · 08-10-2017, 03:56 AM

I got some pretty special Caesari Scotti pictures from a friend if mine (the two first) Remember when I first meet C. Scotti during the ON World Championship race in Skokloster, Sweden 1972.
The two following pictures is C. Scottis #9 Scotty/Evinrude V4 boat at the race in Skokloster, Sweden. Also the entry list for the race. Many big names was there.
I raced the SE class at the same time in Skokloster.

**Rotary John** · 08-10-2017, 04:30 AM

When I originally posted the seven drivers I had forgotten James Beard who drove a rotary at Windermere 1973. So in reality there was "Lucky Eight"

**lars strom** · 08-10-2017, 03:41 PM

Renato Molinari #18 and Kicco Vidoli #19 1983. Idroscalo, Milan, Italy

**lars strom** · 08-10-2017, 03:59 PM

Bob Spalding #11 Molinari/Nashua/Johnson V8 1983.

**lars strom** · 08-10-2017, 10:09 PM

A break from old OMC racing stuff.
Enjoying an evening cruise at Lake of the Ozarks with Dr. Bob

**lars strom** · 08-11-2017, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by lars strom

1976 was the year when OMC came out with the new midsection-gearcase for the OE-Mod 50 class.
I raced a factory owned Burgess with a Johnson Stinger RS in Paris same year. Dont remember why Paul Kalb forced me to use a Johnson RS cowling instead of an Evinrude CC.

Found one more picture..looks like this is when the engine gave up..