Facts about Evinrude/Johnson racing outboards made my OMC

[lars strom]

Amsterdam 3 Hours 1970.

OMC is winning again over Mercury. First, second and third after 3 hours was OMC V4 power.
Arie de Boom won with Johnson Stinger - Kendell/Fleming second Evinrude Starflite and Tom Percival third with a Johnson Stinger.

[lars strom]

Arie de Boom #42 and Bob Spalding #15 1970. Both driving Johnson Stinger V4 1632 cc cross-flow.

[lars strom]

Maybe Steverino can help out with more info. Why did he flipp..?? Bill was sitting way up front.
I read that that his first Johnson Stinger V4 1632cc cross-flow blow up and a new was on the way..??

[Groucho]

The top picture was a magazine cover. I would have it still save for the fact my EX burned all things related to racing and drove all over my trophies to crush them ( Also my boats, cars, home, props. tools, trucks and tools were stolen......can you say " Bitter and Psychotic?"

But that being said I think the magazine simply was called " Boating Magazine" I had it saved for years. It had all the " Beepers" lined up!...

Memories....ahh sweet ..

[STEVERINO]

Maybe Steverino can help out with more info. Why did he flipp..?? Bill was sitting way up front.
I read that that his first Johnson Stinger V4 1632cc cross-flow blow up and a new was on the way..??

I can tell you this boat was a stepped version of bills normal 15ft grp boat and did feel a safe boat.I drove the boat with Bill earlier that year in the Chasewater 500 mile race and we won the first day race and finished 2nd to Molinari in the 2nd days race it drove good.Now at Windemere Bill was wanting to try out in practise for the 3hr race his one to one gearcase which he had last used for his speed attempt the year before Jack Leek was present so they were expecting a good result and a fast boat but Bill was using a workshop style multimeter to check out his RPM in practise and it was placed on the floor of his boat between his legs and was not very easy to read in a fast moving boat I think looking at this for just a few seconds at 100mph is what caused his accident.

[lars strom]

Thanks Steverino..Wow..I have done the same mistake in an OE boat and crashed.

[John Schubert]

Thanks Steverino..Wow..I have done the same mistake in an OE boat and crashed.

And me too looking at a merctronic tach between my legs. And yes with 1:1 gear case . Speedometer was pegged at it’s max of 105

[Mark Poole ModVP]

In that pic the boat looks to be very narrow.

[lars strom]

In that pic the boat looks to be very narrow.

Maybe, here is pictures from Paris 6 hours 1970 and the ON 38 boat he drove in that race.. ON boat #39 is Percival/Spalding also with a Johnson V4 Stinger 1632cc cross-flow.

[STEVERINO]

Maybe, here is pictures from Paris 6 hours 1970 and the ON 38 boat he drove in that race.. ON boat #39 is Percival/Spalding also with a Johnson V4 Stinger 1632cc cross-flow.

The no 38 boat was built in 1969 one of the last wooden boats built by Dave Burgess at Shakespeares after Bills passing his business got sold but the next team I was a guest driver for bought all Bills boat and equipment and I got to drive that boat it finished 5th in the 1972 Paris race and I think 5th at the first Bristol race in 1972 and 5th at the 1973 Windemere 3hr race that was when the Rotarys raced.I can tell you it had a 4ft tunnel width which was normal in most boats from that era.

[lars strom]

Here is Bill Shakespears ON #38 in the Paris 6 hours pit 1970..looks pretty short. Next (yellow boat #39) is Percival/Spalding also with a Johnson V4 Stinger 1632cc cross-flow.

[lars strom]

A new Evinrude Starflite V4 1632cc cross-flow is being installed.

[Mugs914]

Here is Bill Shakespears ON #38 in the Paris 6 hours pit 1970..looks pretty short. Next (yellow boat #39) is Percival/Spalding also with a Johnson V4 Stinger 1632cc cross-flow.

Wow, some interesting boats in that pic...

[lars strom]

A new Evinrude Starflite V4 1632cc cross-flow is being installed.

More from Cougar Marine..

[STEVERINO]

Maybe, here is pictures from Paris 6 hours 1970 and the ON 38 boat he drove in that race.. ON boat #39 is Percival/Spalding also with a Johnson V4 Stinger 1632cc cross-flow.

I would just like to mention that was the first race in Europe that OMC started using power trim on the factory race engines.Behind the no 38 boat are british OMC drivers from right to left on the fence are Peter Thorneywork Steve Pinson and Lol Hopkins with sideburns to the left of the boat is Robert Glen facing the camera who was the Johnson importer for the UK at that time.