Facts about Evinrude/Johnson racing outboards made my OMC

[willabee]

Parker Enduro 1977.

Renato Molinari left Team Mercury late 1976 for OMC/Evinrude racing.The first race for OMC was Parker Enduro in the Arizona desert.
Overall victory for Renato Molinari/Bob Hering in the red #457 Molinari/Evinrude CCC V6 2.448 liter cross-flow.

A very formidable team no matter what race they entered or what equipment they ran. They really had the Parker race figured out. They won it it 1975 covering just over 700 miles in 7 hours! Even with 5 pit stops, they had an astounding average of over 100 mph running a Merc T3. That year they did something that had never been done at Parker, lead from the first lap to the finish. In 1976 they picked up right where they left off and led the first third of the race in another Merc T3 before an electrical gremlin took them out. Then they come back the next year with OMC power and win the thing again. However, this time I think it was Lou Burnette's KT that had to suffer a problem in the last hour for them to take the lead and ultimately the win.

Pictures from Powerboat,May 1975 .....

[lars strom]

Parker Enduro 1978

Fred Hauenstein/Ron Hill took the #9 Molinari/Evinrude V-6 CCC to the overall win.
Yes..there was a bad fire for the winner at one point during the race.
Third consecutive win for OMC / Evinrude. 1976, 1977 and 1978.

http://svera.se/blogg/fred-hauenstei...n-parker-1978/

Well..OMC/Evinrude drove to the overall victory in Parker 1978 also Willabee.
One of the pilots was pretty interesting..

[lars strom]

OMC and Ken Stevenson wins Havasu 1977
The Outboard World Championship Race
Ken Stevenson #201 powered by a Johnson RS V6 2.448 liter cross-flow the overall winner.

[lars strom]

London F1-OZ Class GP 1984
Barry Woods big win in his #35 Molinari/Evinrude F1-V8. Beating the #7 Seebold/Merc T-4 3.9 Liter and the Merc Wizard. (Twin Merc V6 powerheads)

Read the full story here:
http://svera.se/blogg/f1-v8/the-real-story-about-the-1984-f1-oz-race-victoria-docks-london/









The Winner..Barry Woods in his #35 Molinari/Evinrude F1-V8 above.

[lars strom]

Today July 15 is the date life really changes for me..The big win in Lappeenranta, Finland 1973..it's 44 years ago today..!!
Lots of action at Saimaa Strand (beach) here is the full story:

After a few years in the sport, a big possibility opened up in the winter 1972/73. Hans Holmén who worked for Evinrude, Sweden called me and said that Huzells and Evinrude has picked me and one other Swede to get the new Evinrude 65 SS ( for free) that was designed to be a winner in the SE class.
One condition, I have to buy a new SE Cat from Italy. There was two choices, Abbate or Clerici and I picked Clerici without really a good reason.
We where late to order, but Franco Clerici promise to have the boat ready in June that summer, and that was OK because OMC was late with the new Evinrude 65 SS also.
I friend of mine (Indian) was his nickname lent me and older Schultze cat and I used my stock Evinrude 65 hp. At the Swedish Championship in Torsby, Varmland and ended up fifth.
Me and my dad Roland cranked up the large Coffee delivery truck (Hanomag 45) and headed to Cremona, Italy with a big bag full of Lire (Italian Cash) to pick up the new very good looking Clerici cat.
Back to Sweden to install the brand new Evinrude 65 SS, that had just arrived.
There was one big problem, this engine was using left hand props, and there was not many around. I found one 2 blade prop used for the Mercury BP’s, but not very fast at testing.
The big race of the year was the European Championship in Lappeenranta Finland and OMC’s Racing boss Jim Wagner had a lay over in Stockholm, on his way to Finland with Roger Jenkins #56 Clerici/Evinrude SS boat. I got a chance to test factory driver Roger Jenkins propellers in Sweden and my boat was flying.
This was a 3 blade cleaver left hand rotation and Jim Wagner promise me that if I showed up in Finland he was going to let me use Rogers spare prop.
Me, Holmen and friend Curre took the ferry to Finland and when we arrived at the race there was 45 boats with Mercury, Carniti, Konigs, Evinrude and Johnson engines, but now Jenkins refused to let me borrow any of his props.
I was very disappointed and was walking around in the pit, when I ran in to Tor Smith Ingebrittsen from Norway. He had an older home built boat, and he showed me his prop that looked like the one Jenkins used. We made a deal and exchanged props with a handshake.
There was no time for testing and when they dropped the green flag I was flying through the field and after a few laps I lead the race and pulled away. I won the heat with half a lap, and everybody went crazy regarding my prop. Many drivers offered my new friend from Norway lots of money for his prop, that he lent me but he was cool and said it belongs to Lars. Next heat the Italian drivers was trying to run me over in the start, and later pushed me up on one of the turning buoys and I was disqualified and had some damage to the boat but we fixed that overnight. I do not remember the third heat, but I had to win the last one (fourth), and I did.
I was now declared the winner and the new 1973 European Champion, and Jim Wagner was forced to come over to my boat and congratulate me. Lars and his friends had the biggest after race party they have ever seen in Lappeenranta. (Roger Jenkins left early for the airport)
This was the beginning of my professional boat racing carrier and my Outboard Business success.
Thanks to everybody helping me.

[lars strom]

Roger Jenkins #56 white Clerici/Evinrude SS used in Finland 1973. He got his Evinrude SS before me so he could race in Bristol with the same boat.

[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.

[Mark75H]

Dont remember why Paul Kalb forced me to use a Johnson RS cowling instead of an Evinrude CC.

Maybe because he was mad at Charlie and Ralph for something.

[lars strom]

..or me Mark75..
This was my last race for OMC when Paul Kalb was running OMC racing in Europe. It was also the same time when OMC kicked most of the local owned distributors out and started OMC Sweden, Germany, France, Norway, Finland etc..OMC kept the local distributors in Spain and Italy.
I know Huzells the Swedish Evinrude distributor was very upset with OMC cutting them out and I think that's why Paul Kalb put a Johnson cowling on the race boat. Bo my friend and co-pilot was backed by AGB..the distributor for Johnson in Sweden.
This was one of the first large mistakes OMC did..and the start of the downturn for OMC..many dealers around Europe was very upset with OMC for doing this. OMC was not thinking clearly..Huzells did not turn over and died..instead they went to Japan and got the rights to sell Suzuki outboards and motorcycles in Sweden starting Jan. 1 1977. AGB got Mariner in Sweden and similar things happened in most European country's.
Major screw up from OMC.
OMC Sweden must start from scratch and Huzells and AGB already had a very good relationship with all the Swedish dealers. Most dealers signed up to be Suzuki and Mariner dealers and OMC Sweden must beg them to sign up to be Johnson and Evinrude dealers.

[lars strom]

1977 was also the year when Renato Molinari started to race for OMC. That was good and bad..
The bad thing was the European racing headquarter was split between Belgium and Como.
Como got more attention from Waukegan than Belgium.

[lars strom]

Production V6 Offshore racing 1978. My Z-1 Argo Cat/Delicato/Evinrude 235HP 2.448 liter cross-flow.

The overall win in the 2 hour Offshore race with an average speed of 90 MPH with a stock Evinrude 235.
Fuel for 2 hours on board and a co-pilot.

[lars strom]

OMC winning in the SD class 1978.
Yes..the SD class was dominated by Archimedes Penta and when I was back with OMC 1978 I promised OMC Sweden to make an effort to put Evinrude in the winners circle.
My first SD race was a enormous success..winning the Stockholm Grand Prix 1978..
I grabbed the overall win…Well the race was one hour and most SE/OE boats broke down and you have to finish to win.
Picture of my #1 Clerici/Delicato/Evinrude 55HP 2 cylinder looper.

[2us70]

Did OMC have any luck in SD in the USA. I last ran the class in 1975 then a year in G Production then ran out money.

[lars strom]

I don't think OMC put any effort in to racing with the 2 cylinder looper. My effort was mostly for fun. I hired the best 2 stroke tuner in Sweden but we could never get any better power out of the engine. The best engine for the UIM SD class was the Mariner 60 2 cyl.

[2us70]

I started racing Mercury 44in motors in 1964 and stopped in 75. Started when they were an E motor and won my only Nationals in that class with a 44in 50. When they reclassified them into D Class I got one of the 74 motors rigged my old E boat for D class and ran for a couple more years