Facts about Evinrude/Johnson racing outboards made my OMC

[lars strom]

OZ Class racing St. Louis 1974. A mix of Merc V6, OMC V6 and 2 Rotary’s..

Very interesting outboard racing history from 1974. The OZ class World Championship race in St. Louis, MO had 13 boats ready to race. 5 with Merc V6 T-3 power, 2 OMC Rotary’s, 2 Johnson V6 Stingers and 4 Evinrude V6 Super Stranglers.

Barry Woods in his Scotti boat powered by the Evinrude Rotary was by far the fastest boat. Won the first two heats but barrel-rolled in the third when he was leading handing the victory to Bob Hering.

Now we all understand better why Team Mercury successfully was lobbing so hard to ban the OZ class in the Paris 6 hour race later same year..!!

http://svera.se/blogg/oz-class-racin...and-2-rotarys/

[powerabout]

Jimbo with a xflow laps a Merc!!!

[lars strom]

love to see a photo under the hood

V6 2 liter cross-flow 1974/75 model.

[powerabout]

wow you found a photo, maybe the only one in existence?
weird carbs or injection?

[lars strom]

Regular OMC carbs with something attached in the front.
I remember seeing the powerheads all the time in Brugge and at the races.
Back then you did not have a smartphone with camera.
The racing cross-flow V6 powerhead was pretty close to the production V6 cross-flow powerhead
introduced 1976, but 2.448 liter instead of 2.0 liter.

[STEVERINO]

V6 2 liter cross-flow 1974/75 model.

Evinrude cowl it could be Beards engine it looks like Clive Curtis looking at the engine.Looks like the Embassy team in the background they both had Cougar boats Peter Thorneywork sometimes ran on alcohol his Cougar sprint boat would run over 120mph with a 2.0litre crossflow if you want to see this boat run google BRITISH POWERBOAT GRAND PRIX 1976 at Chasewater its faster than the JPS Molinari powered by a 2.0 INJ Mercury works engine. In late 1976 Omc put a hammer through the 5 - 2.0litre crossflows as the 2.5 crossflows for 1977 were soon to arrive.

[Rotary John]

Evinrude cowl it could be Beards engine it looks like Clive Curtis looking at the engine.Looks like the Embassy team in the background they both had Cougar boats Peter Thorneywork sometimes ran on alcohol his Cougar sprint boat would run over 120mph with a 2.0litre crossflow if you want to see this boat run google BRITISH POWERBOAT GRAND PRIX 1976 at Chasewater its faster than the JPS Molinari powered by a 2.0 INJ Mercury works engine. In late 1976 Omc put a hammer through the 5 - 2.0litre crossflows as the 2.5 crossflows for 1977 were soon to arrive.

Notice the primer hoses going to each carb? Another development I started from the rotary race program

[olboatman]

Notice the primer hoses going to each carb? Another development I started from the rotary race program

Thank you for that John as I have always disliked choke plates shakin in the breeze to the point that I used a rag to start my old snomo motas before slide carbs! Gary

[lars strom]

Mercury T-4 racing vs OMC V-8 racing..Cincinnati GP 1984…
After a summer-long legal battle, Mercury and OMC reached an out-of-court settlement a month before the Cincinnati GP which allowed the Merc T-4s to compete against the V-8s on a one race, experimental basis.
Here is the full story..if you don’t want the read the full Powerboat story I can make it pretty short.
Mercury lost big time using the T-4 and the Wizard..(with twin Merc V6 powerheads)
Ben Robertson won in his #57 Burgess/Johnson V8. Barry Woods second in his #35 Molinari/Evinrude V8
After the race one of the OMC’s corporate executives couldn’t help but mutter under his breath after watching
the T-4’s self-destruct:
“They (Mercury) have been suing us all summer” he said in hushed tones, ” do you think we could bring a case against them for fraud?”

Thanks Mark Spencer

http://svera.se/blogg/mercury-t-4-racing-vs-omc-v-8-racing-cincinnati-gp-1984/

[powerabout]

Evinrude cowl it could be Beards engine it looks like Clive Curtis looking at the engine.Looks like the Embassy team in the background they both had Cougar boats Peter Thorneywork sometimes ran on alcohol his Cougar sprint boat would run over 120mph with a 2.0litre crossflow if you want to see this boat run google BRITISH POWERBOAT GRAND PRIX 1976 at Chasewater its faster than the JPS Molinari powered by a 2.0 INJ Mercury works engine. In late 1976 Omc put a hammer through the 5 - 2.0litre crossflows as the 2.5 crossflows for 1977 were soon to arrive.

60 or 90 and even fire or not?
possible not a single one exists?

[Instigator]

Mercury T-4 racing vs OMC V-8 racing..Cincinnati GP 1984…
After a summer-long legal battle, Mercury and OMC reached an out-of-court settlement a month before the Cincinnati GP which allowed the Merc T-4s to compete against the V-8s on a one race, experimental basis.
Here is the full story..if you don’t want the read the full Powerboat story I can make it pretty short.
Mercury lost big time using the T-4 and the Wizard..(with twin Merc V6 powerheads)
Ben Robertson won in his #57 Burgess/Johnson V8. Barry Woods second in his #35 Molinari/Evinrude V8
After the race one of the OMC’s corporate executives couldn’t help but mutter under his breath after watching
the T-4’s self-destruct:
“They (Mercury) have been suing us all summer” he said in hushed tones, ” do you think we could bring a case against them for fraud?”

Thanks Mark Spencer

http://svera.se/blogg/mercury-t-4-racing-vs-omc-v-8-racing-cincinnati-gp-1984/

I was there, and screaming my fool head off ��

[Rotary John]

These stories don't come close to telling what really happened at this race. First, it was not the first meeting of OMC V-6/ Rotaries with the Merc V-6. Paris '73, Windemere '73. No mention of the brakes on the Merc boats, no mention of nitrous oxide on the OMC boats, no mention that qualifying time trials were required without prior knowledge to OMC. Molinari stopped on the race course per Garbrecht orders and magicly restarted as Woods came around in the lead. He continued to run Woods wide in the turns till Woods had enough and ran over Molinari leavin prop marks across his right sponson. Woods won the 3 heat, but was disqualified by Homer; a Mercury dealer; as judge. It was readily apparent the rotaries were the class of the race and Mercury had used their "crazy European drivers" to block and take out the OMC guys. Intercepted Mercury radio transmissions verified this.

[Instigator]

I remember a story of I think Charlie Strang going to I think B Sebold after Merc pulled all stops and opened the checkbook for an OMC killer and it scattering before the finish and Strang saying something about too bad the race wasnt shorter

I remember the brakes.

[lars strom]

First, it was not the first meeting of OMC V-6/ Rotaries with the Merc V-6. Paris '73, Windemere '73..

Well, the interesting thing with the Rotary's in St. Louis, MO 1974 was the OZ class.
Some people say they did not run the OZ class in the USA. The OZ class is unlimited over 2 liter. Does not matter how you measure the Rotary, the engine is always legal in the OZ class.
The Rotary's in Paris was 1974 after the St. Louis race.
Yes I remember all the argument regarding nitrous oxide. In the US and Europe.
Was involved in the OE World 1977 in Brodenbach, Germany when OMC could not use the nitrous oxide. OMC did not race and filed a complain to UIM.

[lars strom]

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