Facts about Evinrude/Johnson racing outboards made my OMC

[lars strom]

A great picture of a great friend and powerboat driver.
Tom Percival in the Stockholm GP pit 1984.
R.I.P

[lars strom]

The start Stockholm GP 1984.
Looks like #1, #10 & #18 did not get a great start..I am way to the right in the #8 boat.

[lars strom]

Francois Salabert in Stockholm GP 1984. #3 Benson & Hedges/Velden/Johnson V8
As a Swede I could not have tobacco advertising on my #8 Burgess but Francios could because he was not a Swede..
Pretty stupid rules..

[Instigator]

Canard wing on the bow.

#10 Tom Percival driving his Hodges in Stockholm GP 1984.
Tom also skipped the two US races after Stockholm as I did..so this comment today by his daughter is very sad..but just the way it was..

Katie Percival
Probably one of the last photos of him racing … thank you for sharing

The next European race after Minneapolis & Pittsburgh was Liege, Belgium and that's when we sadly lost Tom in his accident with Fabrizio Bocca.

[lars strom]

Canard wing on the bow.

A better picture of the front #10 Hodges - Tom Percival in Stockholm GP 1984
I did lots of testing with a similar front wing for my #8 Burgess F1-V8 and its pretty useless in my opinion..but good for your sponsors name..!!

[lars strom]

#12 Fabrizio Bocca in his Molinari/Castol/Evinrude V8. Stockholm GP 1984.
In next European race..Liege, Belgium Bocca & Percival had the sad accident ending Percival's life..

[Instigator]

I always wondered, even w/the Unlimiteds, was it that it had no effect or you couldn’t set it it up to react fast enough??

A better picture of the front #10 Hodges - Tom Percival in Stockholm GP 1984
I did lots of testing with a similar front wing for my #8 Burgess F1-V8 and its pretty useless in my opinion.!!

[lars strom]

I always wondered, even w/the Unlimiteds, was it that it had no effect or you couldn’t set it it up to react fast enough??

Nja..the wing in front of a tunnelboat can only be "fixed" according to the UIM rules. Impossible to get a better overall lap time with the wing. I tried both with my F3 and F1 Burgess..Always faster over one lap without wing.

[Vulture27]

I believe the wing on the Hodges was used for downforce, the Hodges had quite a lot of lift, I know my ON Hodges did.

[lars strom]

I believe the wing on the Hodges was used for downforce, the Hodges had quite a lot of lift, I know my ON Hodges did.

Well..maybe but that would only work in one direction on the race course..the wing must be fixed and not changed by the driver.
I still believe it was more for getting attention at the races.
See..Roger Jenkins did not use a wing on his F1-V8 Hodges 1984.

[lars strom]

There was a time in F1-V8 racing when some drivers including Renato used a front wing but did not work and by 1985 all the front wings where gone including the Hodges boats.

#11 Bob Spalding Hodges/Evinrude V8 1985

[lars strom]

Testing the brand new #1 UIM SE class Clerici/Nacka Asfalt/Evinrude Hustler in Stockholm early spring 1975.
This boat was extremely good..won many races including the Amsterdam 3 hours

[lars strom]

Telegram from OMC after Amsterdam.

[lars strom]

This #1 UIM SE class Clerici was really fast.

[Lake X Kid]

It seems the F1 boat builders agree the front wing is "pretty useless".

However Unlimited Hydroplanes use a Canard Wing which they activate up & down for optimal bow attitude.
UH need it because they do not have stern power-trim angle of attack adjustment, like the F1 boats.

A better picture of the front #10 Hodges - Tom Percival in Stockholm GP 1984
I did lots of testing with a similar front wing for my #8 Burgess F1-V8 and its pretty useless in my opinion..but good for your sponsors name..!!