Facts about Evinrude/Johnson racing outboards made my OMC

[Ozzman]

Rotary in South Africa picture 3 years ago.

I posted that on Boat Racing Facts but you knew that lol



I was in South Africa at those events

[DanUmbarger]

Lars...your doing a great job posting all the pics you come across...don't let anyone PI$$ on your parade ...I don't care WHERE you get the pics and who doesn't get the recognition... just keep posting them here. I had never heard what the rotary sounded like so it was great to finally hear one on the video

[lars strom]

@DanUmbarger ..thanks a lot.
@Stelly ..I am going to try to find out and let you know if I can help you.

[lars strom]

This is from Bristol 1977.
Molinari (Saffa#2) & Velden (Drakkar#8) is fighing for the lead and Velden run over the back marker RAG II Allen Gibson when they laped him.
Very scary accident and I was watching live from the dock.

Was looking back at this thread and this was a very scary moment in Bristol 1977..!!

[Bob V]

Lars...your doing a great job posting all the pics you come across...don't let anyone PI$$ on your parade ...I don't care WHERE you get the pics and who doesn't get the recognition... just keep posting them here. I had never heard what the rotary sounded like so it was great to finally hear one on the video

That post by OZZMAN was in very poor taste. He pirates the videos he posts here from British Pathe, but if you re-post one of those videos without giving him top billing, he goes off the wall.

News Flash...Those British Pathe videos do not belong to you OZZMAN, they are public domain. When you post on Scream & Fly, it is also public domain. I think that everybody would agree that all the pictures and videos we post here are for all to enjoy, share, copy and re-post. No recognition needed. If you have pictures or videos that you do not want anyone else to have or use, don't post them here.

I think that it is more than a coincidence that you disparage Lars while at the same time praising Jackie Wilson. I smell smoke and where there is smoke, there is fire...

[Rotary John]

That post by OZZMAN was in very poor taste. He pirates the videos he posts here from British Pathe, but if you re-post one of those videos without giving him top billing, he goes off the wall.

News Flash...Those British Pathe videos do not belong to you OZZMAN, they are public domain. When you post on Scream & Fly, it is also public domain. I think that everybody would agree that all the pictures and videos we post here are for all to enjoy, share, copy and re-post. No recognition needed. If you have pictures or videos that you do not want anyone else to have or use, don't post them here.

I think that it is more than a coincidence that you disparage Lars while at the same time praising Jackie Wilson. I smell smoke and where there is smoke, there is fire...

Right on!

[Stelly]

Thank you Lars. And thank you for your posts, being an Evinrude/Johnson guy, I enjoy reading about the hey days for them. I have attached some pics from both you and RogerH in regards to the louvers, although I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. Thanks in advance for any info you can dig up.

[lars strom]

First..thank you very much for the support.
Means a lot to me.

//

Something way off topic now..
Last night I was invited to a birthday party at the popular JB Hooks restaurant/bar here at Lake of the Ozarks, MO.
Marty..is her name and a very famous lady here at the lake.
She is an icon here after some 30 years lake living.
Marty goes the the YMCA fitness center with Carina every other day.
Not so much Zumba for her but doing other things at the fitness center.
You can find Marty at nightclubs and bars on the Bagnell Dam Strip a few times a week.
She brags about her friend Lars and tell people boat racing stories from Paris, London and Stockholm I have told her about.
She still drives her Corvette and stayed up late last night at her 83 years young birthday.
She is one tough fun great friend.
Congratulations.

[LakeFever]

Happy Birthday Marty, still got the eye of the tiger I see. Good for you and thank you again Lars very entertaining thread

[STEVERINO]

Was looking back at this thread and this was a very scary moment in Bristol 1977..!!

The driver in the green boat RAG 11 which was a brand new Velden outfit ON class 2.0litre and its first ever race was Alan Gibson he was a older driver probably over 50 Cees drove straight over him but Alan had luck on his side that day.Cees took his boat back to holland to be repaired i assumed Cees would have done this for a generous price. The boat was replaced for the next big race and i was told Cees charged him for a new one.Alans next big race was the Thames race he finished the first days race but in the 2nd days race alan barrel rolled right in front of me it was like a big hand had grabbed his propeller and the boat had rolled and stopped dead they lifted his outfit out of the water and found a length of rope round his prop.After these accidents Alans run of bad luck finished his racing career but his son carried on racing this outfit.

[lars strom]

Sunday July 15 1973..!!
Great memories from beautiful Lake Saimaa and the small town Lappeenranta in Finland 48 years ago today.
This is the day Evinrude put an end to Carniti/König/Mercury winning in the UIM SE Class..everything also changed in my life.
By far my best boat racing day ever..
Here is the full amazing story :



A Swedish success, “propped into racing” by a Norwegian 1973
After a few years in the Sport, a big possibility opened up in the winter 1972/73. Hans Holmen 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 Clerici promise to have the boat ready in June that summer, but that was OK because OMC was late with the new 65 SS also.
I friend of mine lent me and older Schulze cat and I used my stock Evinrude 65 hp. At the Swedish Championship in Torsby, Varmland, I ended up around fifth.
Me and my dad Roland took the Coffee delivery truck and headed to Cremona, Italy with a big bag full of Lire (Italian Cash) to pick up the new very good looking cat.
Back to Sweden to install the brand new 65 SS Evinrude, 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 boat (last picture). I got the opportunity 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 promised me that if I showed up in Finland he was going to let me use Roger Jenkins 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 Roger Jenkins refused to let me borrow any of his/OMC’s propellers.
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, 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.

The first picture show the #99 leading and pulling away..!!

[lars strom]

Some fact about Bob Spalding & Carlsberg Beer.

This is from 1980 when Bob run the speed record with his sponsor Carlsberg/OMC
1981 Bob teamed up with JPS (John Player Special) and drove F1-V8 for OMC to the end of his career.

[lars strom]

More Bob Spalding.

Bob was a lot of fun to hang around. We raced at so many race sites together around the world and women loved him more than any other race driver..another fact..

Race #12 was from Paris 1980.
Ken Stevenson/Bob Spalding won the 1980 Paris 6 Hour race driving the #12 OZ class Velden/Carlsberg/Johnson RS V6 3 liter looper.

[lars strom]

Bob Spalding trading up to a 3 litre looper..

[lars strom]

Carlsberg Beer/OMC racing.

Powerboat & Water-skiing Magazine's Ros Nott setting a record in Bob Spalding´s Velden/Carlsberg/Johnson V6 3 liter looper fuel injection..