Facts about Evinrude/Johnson racing outboards made my OMC

[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

I love this quote: "Before the weekend was over in Cincinnati, Team Seebold went through tree T-4s"


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A few pictures of the Mercury Wizard in the Cincinnati GP 1984.

[lars strom]

Karin Nielsen of Denmark in her #2 Mollgaard/Johnson SE class boat 1982.
A very good driver that left many male drivers in her rooster tail..

[lars strom]

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The Master

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Very cool..!!
Thanks Roger Hinsdale.

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Very cool..thanks Sean Seagriff.
Evinrude E-TEC V6 250 (Modified)

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Happy Evinrude girl.

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Happy Evinrude G2 girl.

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Pretty special..OMC racing gearcase with neutral and reverse.

[lars strom]

Team Benson & Hedges in Lyon 1984
Gold Racing powered by Johnson F1-V8.
Owner Cees Van Der Velden.

[lars strom]

Team Benson & Hedges - Gold F1-V8 racing 1985.
#1 Cees Van Der Velden, #2 Arthur Monster, and #3 Francois Salabert.
All driving Velden Racing boats with the powerful Johnson V8.

[2us70]

Was this unit actually able to shift with the motor running? I was always told that the Mercury BP units were unreliable in this area. I did see a boat with a BP unit on it back up in the pits at Miami Marine Stadium once. That was the only time I ever saw one shifted running.

Pretty special..OMC racing gearcase with neutral and reverse.

[lars strom]

Was this unit actually able to shift with the motor running? I was always told that the Mercury BP units were unreliable in this area. I did see a boat with a BP unit on it back up in the pits at Miami Marine Stadium once. That was the only time I ever saw one shifted running.

Well..I think it's possible to shift when idling, but not recommended at all..
Most racers normally start in gear..(reverse or forward) to save the gear case.
This OMC gear case was from the eighties but similar design then earlier one’s..!!

[lars strom]

Another fact is.. OMC did run the very successful F1-V8 series for nine years.

Started 1981 and ended after the 1989 season.
Millions of spectators around the world and sometimes up to 500,000 people watching from the shore.
Many major sponsors and here is a list of some..
Cool, Aspen, Carlsberg, JPS, Benson & Hedges, Martini, Castrol, Nordica, Nashua, Denim, Champion, Trimite, Peter Stuyvesant, Gordon’s Gin, Tecnocar, Beneteau, Dole, ITC, Lasse Strom Marin, Naiu, Texaco, ToTip, Stefanel, Arla Milk and many more.
The eighties was by far the most interesting time in tunnel boat racing.
Updated.