Quote Originally Posted by willabee View Post
I found a mention of their debut in Mel Zikes column in the January, 1974 issue of Powerboat. The magazine didn't cover the race, but Zikes mentioned a few of the things that happened at the 73 event. My issue is a bit tattered and some of the sentences were incomplete, but what I got out of what is left is that the V6 did debut in Paris and did have a major steering torque problem. Zikes said one was on the Molinari/Hering entry and they were switcing drivers every twenty five minutes ..... but remember, Zikes also exaggerates a bunch! I don't know if they had four drivers assigned to that entry, but Steverino is correct about the torque problem and the big lower unit.

Dick Lanpheer, race engineering Mercury, said the torque was due to a new four shaft gearcase developed for the power they anticipated would come from the V6.

Going back to Parker 73, here is a shot from the early morning driver meeting. I think that Jack Leek, Director of Racing for OMC (white shirt), is asking the Trophy Queen if she had a special prize for the head of the Race Team that had the boat that leads the first lap. He knew his rotarys wouldn't be around to collect the winners trophy, but was hopeful of receiving a treat for the thirteen mile dash!



In the second shot from the drivers meeting I think I see Mr. Ricky (Ricky DeMontrond) of Vapor Trail talking to Gary Garbrect. He's probably telling Gary that, for a big bottle of Chivas, he won't even mention that the rotarys were here. Like Provo, this is another of the special events where you got to see rotarys, KT's, multi's, inboards, Stranglers and Twisters on the course at the same time ..... very cool.
In the back right center in the white hat with glasses is George Miller, head of the OMC rotary program at the time. This was the race that had all the people at merc saying "Oh *hit"