Facts about Evinrude/Johnson racing outboards made my OMC

I drove for Team Velden Racing twice.
First time in Evian, France 1979..Here is an old post.

Here is some boat racing history from beautiful Evian, France.
1979 I raced for Team Velden Racing in the OE-F3 class with boat #56
If I remember right it was the World Championship race
My boat was extremely fast but the rough water at Lake Geneva made it difficult to use the high top speed.
Instead it was a race to try to survive and I ended up sixth overall.
Close to thirty boats in the same class.

http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...3&d=1506993757

The second time I drove for Team Velden Racing was the F1-V8 race in Antwerpen, Belgium.
A copy of my post a few years ago.

My first and only F1-V8 race in a new Velden safety cockpit boat 1985.

Out of retirement..!!
In the middle of the 1985 F1-V8 World series I dusted of my fast Burgess without safety cockpit..charged the batteries..updated the Evinrude V8..took it to the London GP to be part of the “mega money” series now promoted by Pro-One.
OMC gave Pro One a ton of money 1985 to get the series going again after all the set backs 1984.
I did not have the latest Evinrude V8 with the fuel injection and the 6 inch mid section, but my 1984 Evinrude V8 had plenty of power.
The Burgess was extremely fast on smooth water..but London Victoria Docks was always rough
Realized after a few laps in London..this is still crazy.. no more racing for me without safety cell.
Hodges and Velden was now building new F1-V8 boats with safety cells and Pro One offered me to drive one of Team Veldens boats with safety cell in the Antwerpen, Belgium race.
Jumped in an airplane, heading for Antwerpen and started practice driving strapped in..a very different feeling. The new silver painted Velden boat was very nice built.
We worked on the cockpit seat to make it fit my body better, but run out of time to get it 100% right before the race.
A very different and interesting race and maybe time to go back to full time F1-V8 racing 1986..

http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...5&d=1506994083
http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...4&d=1506993939

Not sure how I got this picture but it is a Johnson V6 RS cross-flow. Probably a 2.448 liter but could be the 2.6l.
First year was 1976.

http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...5&d=1507014530

Amsterdam was always an interesting race. I was racing the OE class and broke down. Remember watching Alf Bullen driving really hard under the very rough Amsterdam conditions.
Alf was using the new Johnson RS V6 2.448 liter cross-flow in the OZ class.

http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...7&d=1507015968

Alf Bullens son Andy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lars strom

Andy Bullen driving his nice painted #6 OZ class Burgess /Evinrude V6 CCC 2.6 Cross-flow.
1980.


http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...4&d=1505619006
http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...1&d=1505620479

---

Pictures from my visit to the P1 SuperStock boat race St. Cloud, FL 9/20/2014.
I met up with the people running P1 SS in the US and UK. A total of 50 Evinrude 250 H.O was purchased for the series over the years. A lack of support from BRP was the biggest complain.
I forwarded the info to the BRP management but no interest for supporting the series and that was the reason for P1 SS to finally switch the Mercury.
The sad part at this race with 8 boats..the only spectator was me and I think BRP made the right decision.
All pictures by Lars Strom
https://p1superstock.com/BoatSpecs.ink

http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...1&d=1507036819

http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...2&d=1507037242
http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...3&d=1507037259
http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...4&d=1507037273
http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...5&d=1507037287
http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...6&d=1507037300
http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...7&d=1507037312

This windshield design on a "race boat" is in my opinion pretty dangerous.

My favorite picture of Cees. He was a lot of fun to hang around.

One of the history's most powerful boat racers..
Cees van der Velden and his very mean machine.
OMC F1-V8 3.5 liter looper, fuel injection and the 6 inch mid section.

http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...8&d=1444352076

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lars strom

Not sure how I got this picture but it is a Johnson V6 RS cross-flow. Probably a 2.448 liter but could be the 2.6l.
First year was 1976.

http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...5&d=1507014530

---

If that driver on the boat is who I think it is he was the highest placed OMC driver to finish in the 1974 Amsterdam 3 hr race even beating OMC factory drivers he finished 4 th overall.
1975 Rotterdam 3hr race again he finished in front of the OMC factory drivers won 1st private entry In both races and that was with a boat he designed himself with the help of the team he drove for.

Let me guess.. Steve Pinson..?

http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...5&d=1507052835

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by lars strom

Amsterdam was always an interesting race. I was racing the OE class and broke down. Remember watching Alf Bullen driving really hard under the very rough Amsterdam conditions.
Alf was using the new Johnson RS V6 2.448 liter cross-flow in the OZ class.

http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...7&d=1507015968

---

The 1976 Amsterdam 3hr race was the end of the ON class 2.0litre crossflow OMC engine but it wasn`t that bad it managed to keep ahead of the new OZ engines from both Mercury and Omc for the first half of this race before Alfi took the lead if it had run to the end we might have seen 1st place OZ and 2nd place ON.

Nicola Mora of Italy is another old boat racing friend. He raced OE for many years back in the seventies and later stepped up to F1-V8. Nicola was visiting us in Florida a few years ago and purchased a Corvette CO6 and shipped to Italy.
Over the years Nicola was a very successful boat racer.
A few pictures of him and his red #14 Molinari/Evinrude F1-V8 3.5 liter. Back then Italian drivers got a lot of economic racing support from the Italian Boat Racing Federation. (FIM)

http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...2&d=1507068024
http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...3&d=1507068046
http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...0&d=1507068121
http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...5&d=1507068265
http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...4&d=1507068104

Bertil Wik and I started to race back in Sweden 1971. This is Bertil in his Cray-Cat with Johnson 60 HP running in the SE class same year.
Later Bertil raced Offshore and SD. Stepped up to the ON class with Mariner power. Bertil won a few International ON races.
When I decided to retire from F1-V8 racing 1984 Bertil took my seat and became a team mate to Bob Spalding in the Hodges team 1985.
We are still good friends and Bertil was here in the USA last winter.

http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...0&d=1507070596
http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...1&d=1507070614
http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...9&d=1507070567

Bertil Wik in his #12 Hodges/Evinrude F1-V8. Last picture is me and Bertil..He still loves V8 outboards but a different brand now..:)

http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...2&d=1507071305

http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...3&d=1507071313

http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...4&d=1507071322
http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...5&d=1507071332

Dave Bush accelerating from the start line. Unlimited drag outboard, OMC V6 power.
Picture Eric Pugh - Pugh Boat Works

http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...5&d=1507085914

More Dave Bush, OMC V6 on a V8 mid section still doing shake down runs in the Pugh Boat Works unlimited outboard drag boat.
Not sure about the photo credit but thanks.

http://www.screamandfly.com/attachme...6&d=1507086129