Facts about Evinrude/Johnson racing outboards made my OMC

[lars strom]

Keep motoring on Lars 'Bjorn' Strom.

Thanks Lake X Kid, I love your post..
I can also tell you that the OZ class #11 Molinari/Saffa boat i drove in Paris 6 hours with Angelo Vassena was a longer marathon boat. I did not like the way this boat handle the rough river Seine at all..A few weeks before I drove one of Renatos sprint boats at Idroscalo, Milan. A shorter way better boat.
Renato built him self a brand new smaller boat for the Paris 6 Hour race 1978..That boat was ready just in time for the race and extremely good and fast in the race..Renato did not have time to paint the boat in the Saffa colors..just dark blue.
Its #12 in the picture below.

[lars strom]

A picture of Renato in his smaller/shorter #12 OZ class Molinari/Evinrude CCC 3 liter looper, fuel injection.

[lars strom]

Yes..!!

[lars strom]

"The Bjorn Borg of powerboat racing."


Keep motoring on Lars 'Bjorn' Strom.

Well.. one more thing Lake X Kid..
Remember, it was not me comparing my racing success to Björn Borg it was the media..this was not the first time..happen a few times in Sweden also.
Here is the headline in Swedish you understand and me in my SE class #99 Clerici/Evinrude..back in 1974.
Thanks again

[Lake X Kid]

When I was around Renato's Como shop in the early 1970's, his was the last boat built for Paris. There would be 4 or 5 new boats being built for the Paris 6 Hour race, depending on how many Mercury factory drivers were paired-up for the race.

The first boat would be rigged, and Renato would do a test drive. And lessons learned, if any tweaking was going to be done to enhance the boat's performance, then you can be certain the last boat constructed (Renato's race boat) will have what he accesses to be best for his race boat.

It goes with in reason, that anyone of us in the same situation would do the same. And that is the luxury of generating a small assembly line of boats, at your own race shop.

Thanks Lake X Kid, I love your post..
I can also tell you that the OZ class #11 Molinari/Saffa boat i drove in Paris 6 hours with Angelo Vassena was a longer marathon boat. I did not like the way this boat handle the rough river Seine at all..A few weeks before I drove one of Renatos sprint boats at Idroscalo, Milan. A shorter way better boat.
Renato built him self a brand new smaller boat for the Paris 6 Hour race 1978..That boat was ready just in time for the race and extremely good and fast in the race..Renato did not have time to paint the boat in the Saffa colors..just dark blue.
Its #12 in the picture below.

[Lake X Kid]

On Renato's blue boat at Paris. Notice the tarps covering the boats nose and sponsons.

That is the Renato Molinari, I remember. Sometimes I think, that was not trade secrets he was hiding, but psychological gamesmanship he did on the competition. Keep them guessing and wondering.

[lars strom]

Lake X Kid..

Two great posts..you are 100% correct in both of them.

[lars strom]

Famous boat racing faces..

[lars strom]

[lars strom]

"The Bjorn Borg of powerboat racing."

The Bjorn Borg that I remember was publicly not present, when not on the tennis court. Bjorn was verbally quiet and not about "bragging."

Now on the other hand the powerboat Bjorn Borg is, should I say, more of an extrovert.
Tennis Bjorn would not create his own sport's thread, but powerboat Bjorn is not reserved in doing so. I admired the quiet methodical tennis Bjorn, when he would defeat those loud-braggadocios Americans; Jimmy Connors & John McEnroe.

However the powerboat Bjorn, is a great ambassador of powerboat racing and the outboard industry. And his public contribution; threads and posts reflect that commitment.

Keep motoring on Lars 'Bjorn' Strom.

One more answer to this Lake X Kid,

I forgot about this but Björn Borg was living close to me outside Stockholm and Björn was a boating person. He also built a race boat and did some boat racing.
Well..maybe it was the other way around "Tennis had a Lars Strom"......näääää...





Yes..thats Björn Borgs race boat below in Stockholm..Nick name..Thundercan.

[oldschoolltv]

The one on the right looks like Don Heinrich

[/QUOTE]

[lars strom]

The one on the right looks like Don Heinrich

I do not know if that is Don..Jack Leak and Jimbo for sure.

[oldschoolltv]

DAH propellers , Don introduced me to Jimbo when I won the nationals in Eufala Ala. Don was one of the best prop guys in the business, my brother dated one of his daughters, it was his prop that won me the nationals.

[lars strom]

Well I do know who Don Henrich is. I have been to his shop at OMC and used his DAH props in racing for years. I just cant tell if that is him our not in the picture.

Here is another picture from the same time.

[lars strom]

HeeHee..I have no memory of this picture and dont know how I got it..but I can see it is from my grandfather's summerhouse in the Stockholm archipelago.
The t-shirt tells me it's 1973..probably a New Years Eve party and "poor little Lars" maybe had to much to drink..