Facts about Evinrude/Johnson racing outboards made my OMC

[Mark75H]

I wonder how much effort/money Merc spent on the OE class trying to beat the OMC fishing motor?
I woundnt have wanted to work on that team at Merc

Saying that OMC made some custom race engines but I dont think Merc ever did, anyone?

650X and 700X in OE

From what I hear from club racers in England, Netherlands and Germany ... the 650XS greatly outnumbered the faster OMC racers that won the big races. Lars was one of the few with the hot stuff and racking up the big points, but at the club level there weren't enough of them to win every race, because they generally weren't present. The OMC OE motors were faster, but like in the US, fewer. A lot of non factory racers loved the available Mercs for fun racing, but all that counts in the eyes of the public is the big press publicity. Charlie only spent pennies compared to Carl and his friends, but Charlie spent them wisely.

[powerabout]

650X and 700X in OE

From what I hear from club racers in England, Netherlands and Germany ... the 650XS greatly outnumbered the faster OMC racers that won the big races. Lars was one of the few with the hot stuff and racking up the big points, but at the club level there weren't enough of them to win every race, because they generally weren't present. The OMC OE motors were faster, but like in the US, fewer. A lot of non factory racers loved the available Mercs for fun racing, but all that counts in the eyes of the public is the big press publicity. Charlie only spent pennies compared to Carl and his friends, but Charlie spent them wisely.

I'd call them a modified stockers, they didnt have custom block casting did they?
OMC had race engines made from blocks that were not based on production engines;

The 2.0 xflow, ( sand cast hybrid?)
The Loopers, sand cast custom
V8, sand cast custom ( later production used dimensions)
31m, sand cast (Production crank used and dimensions from production 3cyl)

[lars strom]

Mark75H and Rich Luhrs

Well to be honest now Carl Kiekhaefer left Mercury long time ago and most of Mercury's racing budget was spent on Mercruiser racing/offshore, not outboards.

The largest boat racing class in Europe back in the seventies was the E-class.
SE/OE and OMC was the main supplier in both classes.
1975 was the first year for the "half in line 6 twister" Merc 650 X-XS and in Yacht Motor Club de France race..Paris 6 Hours it was 38 E class entry's and half of the field was OMC.
Check the entry list.
Start # 69 was me in my SE class Clerici/Stock 75 Hustler racing in the OE class.

http://svera.se/blogg/paris-6-hours/paris-6-hours-1975/

[lars strom]

Paris 6 Hours 1980

Major victory for OMC.

Bob Spalding/Ken Stevenson the overall winner piloting the OZ class #12 Velden/Carlsberg/ Johnson RS V6 3liter.
Lars Strom/Sture Sjoberg the winner of the large OE class in the #45 Sjoberg/AKAI/Evinrude CC.

This was also in my opinion the last great Paris 6 hour race. Here is why:
Team Mercury pulled the plug earlier in the season to the big bore V6 T4 in the OZ class.
Team Mercury's plan was now to only race the UIM 2 liter ON class in the future and started to call the ON class Formula One.
This was Mercury's plan to boycott the OZ class and the new OMC F1-V8 engine soon to be released for the OZ class.
Mercury was also successful by lobby Yacht Motor Club de France to not invite the
OZ class anymore in the famous race.
1980 was the last year for OMC in the Paris 6 Hour race. Very sad Merc stopped the
F1-V8 racing in the famous race.
Politics again.

http://svera.se/blogg/in-my-opinion-the-famous-paris-6-hour-race-died-already-1981/

[2us70]

I was one of the guys in the SE an EP classes trying to compete with the OMC E motors in the early 70s. The dominant motor for years in E class was the 44ci Merc 500. In 1970 OMC made a big push with the 49ci looper motors. This was the last year that a 44inch motor won Nationals and the points chase. By 1972 the 49 in OMCs pretty much owned the EP class. Don't ask how I know this. The SE class was still a tossup at this time due to much lighter boat weights. In 1973 Mercury had it's last hurrah in SE running 1 an 2 at Nationals that year. In 74 OMC bumped the horse power another 5 to 75 and that was all she wrote for Mercury in the E classes.

[powerabout]

I was one of the guys in the SE an EP classes trying to compete with the OMC E motors in the early 70s. The dominant motor for years in E class was the 44ci Merc 500. In 1970 OMC made a big push with the 49ci looper motors. This was the last year that a 44inch motor won Nationals and the points chase. By 1972 the 49 in OMCs pretty much owned the EP class. Don't ask how I know this. The SE class was still a tossup at this time due to much lighter boat weights. In 1973 Mercury had it's last hurrah in SE running 1 an 2 at Nationals that year. In 74 OMC bumped the horse power another 5 to 75 and that was all she wrote for Mercury in the E classes.

Mod 50 was over 100hp then the 31 m at 120hp it was well and truly game over

[lars strom]

I have raced every OMC 3 cylinder race model ever made. From the first on built 1968 to the last Formula 3 engine from 1988 and up.
The first picture is the 1982 model. Probably the most powerful when I used methanol and one pinion gear case. The 31 engine was more reliable but less power when methanol was not legal anymore. Second picture.

[powerabout]

I have raced every OMC 3 cylinder race model ever made. From the first on built 1968 to the last Formula 3 engine from 1988 and up.
The first picture is the 1982 model. Probably the most powerful when I used methanol and one pinion gear case. The 31 engine was more reliable but less power when methanol was not legal anymore. Second picture.

How about the injected 31m?

[2us70]

The Mercury inline engine design was light compact and durable. The problem was it could not flow air like the OMC loopers. The OMC motors could handle heavier boat weights as well. The last few Mercury powered boats that were competitive with the OMCs in SE were running right on the weight limit. If you were empty on fuel when you went to the scale you really sweated it out.

[lars strom]

How about the injected 31m?

Well OMC never released any 3 cyl. with fuel injection. A German driver did that on his own. If I remember right it was Peter Walush.

[lars strom]

Nja..UIM did not have any weight limit in the SE/OE class 2us70

http://svera.se/blogg/racing-historier/disqualified/

[lars strom]

I guess Renato was up to something illegal in the OE class 1974..

[powerabout]

Well OMC never released any 3 cyl. with fuel injection. A German driver did that on his own. If I remember right it was Peter Walush.

Velden Had them, maybe he did it?
I think it was done after the v8 by the same guy

[lars strom]

Maybe Leo Molendijk did something after 1991 but it was not OMC.

[powerabout]

Maybe Leo Molendijk did something after 1991 but it was not OMC.

I think I have some more photos somewhere, hard to tell if this is omc or not?