Facts about Evinrude/Johnson racing outboards made my OMC

**lars strom** · 11-06-2017, 10:03 PM

Originally Posted by lars strom

Very sexy Evinrude F1-V8 and you must love the World Champion text/info.
The 3.5 liter 2 stroke V8 looper, fuel injection with six inch mid section was available for UIM/APBA F1 racing over 32 years ago. Still the fastest and most loved racing outboard ever.

This was the 1985 Formula One OZ class engine from OMC according to the UIM rules.

**powerabout** · 11-06-2017, 11:44 PM

I can guess fonda tried to use F1 but the rights were most lilely with tbe uim

**lars strom** · 11-07-2017, 07:07 AM

Originally Posted by lars strom

So nice to have pictures with my racing hero Jimbo McConnell. We have been to Needles two times with our motorhome to visit Cathy and Jimbo. We stayed 3-4 days and Jimbo took us to many different places. Well..I also helped him with his RC airplanes.

Here is one picture..more is coming.
Thank you Cathy.

Jimbo, Carina and me in the old little western town Oatman, Arizona. If I remember right the year was 1999.
Needles, California is Jimbo's home town and everybody know him there.

**lars strom** · 11-07-2017, 08:41 AM

Cees Van Der Velden winning and swapping power heads with the fourth place driver Tom Percival and winning again to prove a point..
Full Powerboat & Waterskiing Magazine story.
Yes, I was there racing F3.

**lars strom** · 11-07-2017, 05:11 PM

Carina is happy..We are "back home" on wheels.

**lars strom** · 11-07-2017, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by lars strom

Here is Jackie's post powerabout.
Fonda/ON 2 liter was Formula 2, (a UIM rule) and the OZ class was Formula 1.

OMC had run the F1-V8 in the OZ class for two years also. Started in Brodenbach, Germany in the beginning of the 1981 season. They did not steal the title.

When Mercury introduced the 3.4 liter T4 in the OZ class 1979 it was called the Formula 1 engine.. (See red mark on the Merc T4 cowling below) The Formula 1 name belongs to the OZ class, not the 2 liter ON class. That's the way it was.

A note:
The FONDA series stole the Formula 1 name from the OZ class when Mercury dropped out from OZ class racing 1980. Last race for the T4 was in Bristol 1980.
Molinari won with his Evinrude V6
(well some years later Merc came back a few times with the T4 in the OZ class with no successes)

**powerabout** · 11-07-2017, 06:22 PM

so once OZ became f1 and a v8 race, Jackie got the V8 Cosworth, it all makes sense now.

**lars strom** · 11-07-2017, 08:33 PM

Nja..in Bristol 1978 Jackie raced in the Formula One OZ class with his #2 inboard boat.
Billy Seebold won in his #7 Formula One OZ class Seebold/Merc. (Second picture)
In the last picture you can see Jackie in his #2 boat. He could not keep up with the outboards and finished forth.
Later (1980) when Mercury pulled out of the Formula One OZ class racing Jackie started the Formula ON Drivers Association FONDA 2 liter)1981 and called it Formula One.
UIM did not like that and a vote was done within UIM and the OZ class could keep the Formula One name and the 2 liter ON (FONDA) class was Formula Two.
I know Jackie is going to spin this around again but this is the way it was..

Drivers in the Formula One OZ Class Bristol 1978.

**powerabout** · 11-07-2017, 09:01 PM

Just to be clear, Fonda came after OZ already existed and OZ was called f1 anyway?
So what happened that OZ suddenly didnt call itself f1 so it went to FONDA?
Did we have F1 limited and F1 unlimited at the same time?

**lars strom** · 11-07-2017, 09:12 PM

Yes the UIM OZ class is very old, way, way before FONDA.
If I remember right the first FONDA race was 1981.
Today's UIM F1 is 2.5 liter (OZ class) not FONDA in anyway with limitations on the engines exhaust etc.
Only a Merc 2.5 liter V6 is allowed. The funny part is Mercury don’t make it anymore.
Bristol was the only race using this term F1 unlimited and F1 limited 2 liter.
I think I am done discussion this.
By the way I raced the OZ class in Paris 6 hours 1978 and finished fourth.

**lars strom** · 11-07-2017, 09:53 PM

I did find this nice picture in the cyber world..don't know what it is..?? maybe F3 in Australia..??

**powerabout** · 11-08-2017, 01:20 AM

F3 records UK
2004 Simon Francis, Early Dawn, Burgess, Evinrude, 104.90?
http://www.conistonpowerboatrecords....04tg1e9v2t.pdf

**lars strom** · 11-08-2017, 08:20 AM

Roger Jenkins taking press people on a ride in his Velden/Carlsberg Beer/Evinrude V6 2 seater at the OMC racing headquarter in Bruges, Belgium

**lars strom** · 11-09-2017, 07:37 AM

Angelo Molinari in a Molinari/Evinrude.

Yes, Renato Molinari was building regular fiberglass boats also in the eighties all powered by Evinrude.
This is from Lake Como and Angelo (Renatos dad) was part of the rescue team

**lars strom** · 11-09-2017, 07:59 AM

6 years ago today we lost two very good friends of ours..
Bob Morgan and Jeff Tillman from Lake of the Ozarks lost their life in a Powerboat racing accident in Key West.
R.I. P.
Last picture show Bob and my wife Carina a few weeks before the accident