Facts about Evinrude/Johnson racing outboards made my OMC

**lars strom** · 10-13-2021, 11:36 AM

Beautiful morning here at Nautical Beachfront Resort Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
I love the bar and all the boat racing pictures on the wall.

https://www.nauticalbeachfrontresort.com/?fbclid=IwAR1w7frtasMgaFDEVD38GBLQC6puwkZAs9oMjOE4cG3jwifvjeaVQ76iU60

**lars strom** · 10-13-2021, 04:58 PM

This place is wonderful..

.
London Bridge and the surroundings.
Been here many times before but much better this time.

**lars strom** · 10-14-2021, 12:25 PM

Bengt Nilsson..a very special friend in business and boat racing has left us.

Short background ..
Bengt was sales manager for Evinrude at AB Linco in the late 60's.
Heard about Bengt but did not know him then.
In 1971, Bengt became responsible for Huzell's Marine Department and Huzells was now the new distributor for Evinrude in Sweden. (same year as my first boat race Roslagsloppet)
In 1972 I bought a new Evinrude 65 HP with a racing discount which Bengt arranged as head of Evinrude. That engine gave me my first Swedish Championship in boat racing E class.
In 1973, things really took off when Bengt Nilsson and Hasse Holmen at Huzells fixed the new Evinrude 65 SS engine I got for free.
The wins were many in the E class with Hasse Holmen as navigator..on the circuit side, the new engine won everything there was to win.
Bengt liked that I won but wanted to stay low..but he wanted to travel with us to the Nordic Championships in the SE class 1973 in Holbeack, Denmark. The picture below is from the award ceremony from that race with Bengt and me.
Bengt was the one who ultimately approved all my costs for racing. After the season every year, we sat for hours and went through all the receipts, cost for the racing season. Sometimes a little too many receipts but Bengt went along with that and I left our annual meeting with joy.
Bengt was also the one who did everything he could to help me start my own Evinrude dealership in 1975. Without Billy Huzell and Bengt, it probably would not have been possible to get a flying start on my marine company.
In 1977, Bengt became CEO of OMC Sweden when OMC started a subsidiary in Sweden for their Evinrude-Johnson outboard.
Now Bengt got the responsibility for both Evinrude and Johnson in Sweden and he handled that task very well for many many years.
Bengt took "the big wheels" from OMC/USA to my company which was now located in Stockholm and told them that racing was important for my outboard sales.
I always got good stuff from the racing department in the USA.
Bengt was hesitant when I told him in the winter of 1982 that I wanted to drive the new F1-V8 Evinrude engine.
He thought it was too risky but pulled some strings at OMC and in 1983 the hugely popular F1-V8 race at Riddarfjärden in the middle of Stockholm was possible.
Bengt was the one who laid the foundation for the F1-V8 GP race three years in a row in Stockholm.
In 1985, when my brother Lennart won the World F3 series, Lennart, Bengt and I traveled to the F1-V8 race in Seville, Spain. Good memories from Seville.
Later in 1989-90, Bengt was the one who helped me with sponsor money for the F3 race at Riddarfjärden, Stockholm named OMC GP. Lennart won both races.
Later, when OMC in the United States began to fail, Bengt retired after all these years with Evinrude Johnson.
Bengt was a quiet smart man and left OMC before they went bankrupt at the end of the year 2000.

Bengt always told me when I called him..Lasse..I have to come and visit you in the USA ..
Unfortunately it never happened..Bengt left us yesterday .. ( October 13 2021 after a period of illness)
Thank you for all the good memories and help/support for all these years.

**lars strom** · 10-14-2021, 04:26 PM

Racers Reunion in Havasu City, AZ

So happy with our room location at Nautical Beachfront Resort Lake Havasu City, Arizona.
We can watch the race Saturday & Sunday from the room patio..

https://riverscenemagazine.com/outboard-formula-one-powerboat-racing-returns-to-lake-havasu/?fbclid=IwAR0yJwvHmQEGQqJ0CGOwOfppXsw_ErD1a8cco1mSaGsn-EFloCUBxr0A4Sg

Mr. Bill have done a fantastic job putting the Racers Reunion on.
He is the best.
Yes.. I know it’s Mercury but this is on every table in the bar/restaurant..

**lars strom** · 10-14-2021, 08:29 PM

We all know the right place to meet up former boat racers..
In the bar..

**lars strom** · 10-15-2021, 11:15 AM

Lake Havasu City, Arizona.

Beautiful restored race boats from the seventies in front of the hotel.

Johnson V6 RS, Evinrude V4 Super Strangler & Johnson V4 Stinger GP

**lars strom** · 10-15-2021, 11:21 AM

The Nautical Beachfront Resort.

Early morning Zumba at Lake Havasu..

**lars strom** · 10-15-2021, 12:13 PM

Tim & Mr. Bill have done a fantastic job for the Racers Reunion.
Starts in a few hours here at The Nautical Beachfront Resort.

**Bob V** · 10-15-2021, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by lars strom

Tim & Mr. Bill have done a fantastic job for the Racers Reunion.
Starts in a few hours here at The Nautical Beachfront Resort.

Lars - Please keep the pictures coming. You are our window to the world of Havasu... Thank you...!!

**Lake X Kid** · 10-15-2021, 12:59 PM

Mercury Invasion sighted at OMC's Havasu get together.

How did that inline 6 Merc on boat 888, get invited to be with the V engines party?

BTW, boat 888 is the first Molinari hull to race in the USA. Mercury rigged the wooden tunnel boat at their Lake X facility.
And my Dad

Roy Ridgell drove it at the 2 day-leg race, the Gold Coast Marathon (Miami to West Palm Beach and return the following day Sunday back to Miami) in the mid 1960's.

See attached photos.