Facts about Evinrude/Johnson racing outboards made my OMC

[lars strom]

After a tough and hard 1977 season with Volvo Penta-Konig I did sit down with Rutger Friberg at the Volvo headquarter in Gothenburg.
There was a second year in the contract with similar conditions.

Many things was up in the air..Lasse Strom Marin..my outboard business was doing great mainly because of my loyal employers like Arne Fröding and others.
Huzells offered me plenty of Suzuki outboards as consignment deal and did send close the 100 new Suzuki outboards to my dealership.
Made me think..Volvo Penta did have a nice outboard production line up to 70 HP..





Something told me to go 100% in to being a Volvo Penta outboard dealer..I asked Rutger..Please be honest..are Volvo going to expand and make larger outboards as you told me earlier..??
Rutger was honest..told me he was going to leave the outboard division of Volvo for a better position within the Volvo Group.
I asked him straight..do you think Volvo Penta outboards are going to survive the ongoing outboard war..
He told me NO..!!
Wow..I kind of had that feeling.. to many outboard factories at that time..

One thing was for sure..I am not going back to deal with the current boss-manager for OMC racing in Brugge.

Bengt Nilsson the CEO for OMS Sweden promised me to do his very best within OMC's policies to help me out the best possible way.
At the same time I met Einar Belven..he offered me a great sponsor deal for his baking company Delicato to race Offshore and the UIM SD class.

I told OMS Sweden..I am staying away from the UIM OE/F3 class as long as OMC keep the current racing boss/manager in Brugge.
Placed a large order of 1978 Evinrude outboards with OMS Sweden..
Ordered a new ARGO cat for the UIM Z offshore and a Clerici UIM SD boat for the new Evinrude 55 HP..
Delicato took care of the beautiful paint job.

Same day I got a call from Dieter König..he have heard I was leaving and told me..
Lars..please stay with me..I give you everything you need to continue to race the UIM OE-F3 class.
It was hard to turn Dieter down..but I did..




Right or wrong..who knows but that was in early 1978..lots of great things did happen during the racing season of 1978..including me being part of Formula 1 racing in the UIM ON and OZ class.

[lars strom]

I did find one more picture of the UIM OE class König Boxer 8..
This is from the OE race in Nora, Sweden 1978

[lars strom]

Rumors in Sweden was spreading in the winter of 1977/78 I was not returning to Volvo Penta-Konig UIM OE class racing 1978.
Bjorn Eklund the owner of Swe Marin called me..Bjorn also owned Swe Marin racing team with boats in the SD and OE class 1977.
First picture.

He wanted to purchase all my racing stuff from 1977..
My black Molinari, the new never raced spare Clerici (picture on top of my Opel car at Konig..I rigged and tested the Clerici..but the Molinari was way better).. all my propellers and other equipment used in 1977.
I told him a big number and he paid me the same day.
I was extremely happy..!!

[lars strom]

The old saying.."sometimes its better to be lucky than good" in racing is probably correct and here is one great example..!!


Now when I was back with my old friend Bengt Nilsson the CEO for Outboard Marine in Sweden and 100% OMC sales and racing.
(For some reason it was OMS in Sweden at that time)
Bengt wanted me to try to beat the Volvo Penta in the very popular SD class overseas and now with one of the biggest bakery’s in Sweden Delicato as the main sponsor (for both boats thanks to Einar Belvén), the founder of Delicato there was a possibility do do so.
I asked Franco Clerici to built me a special SD tunnel for the new 2 cylinder 737cc 55 hp Evinrude.

The first SD class race in 1978 was a big one.. the Stockholm Grand Prix.
The 1978 GP was a one hour race for SD, SE and the OE class.
All racing together for one hour.
Lots of entries in the SD class..Volvo Penta, Archimedes, Mariner, Yamaha and Johnson. Bertil Wik was also racing SD with a Mariner from AGB.
The OE class was of course the fastest class and I was pretty sure my old black Molinari was going to be the over all winner..
..but the driver Swe Marin hired for the OE class crashed my former Molinari and destroyed it a week before the race. Swe Marin prepared my former OE class Clerici and he crashed and destroyed that one also days before the Stockholm GP.
The one hour race started and the OE class took off..the third Swe Marin boat..a Burgess/Volvo #134 crashed bad in the race and three boats was gone for Swe Marin in a week..other OE and SE boats also broke down.
It was a very rough race and lots of boats did not finish..but the #1 UIM SD class Clerici/Delicato/Evinrude 55 took the overall win.
I could not believe it the overall win in the Stockholm GP with a SD class boat..
The old saying is also..you must finish to win..!!

My return to OMC/Evinrude racing could not have started better.

The first two pictures are #134 Swe Marin before the crash..

[lars strom]

Did see something interesting a few days ago..
Well..we all know the two first pictures..but the third picture of the powerhead and size/horsepower was new to me.
I asked Jim Nerstrom and his answer is next.

[lars strom]

I asked Jim Nerstrom and his answer is next.

Jim Nerstrom

3.5 liter, methanol fuel, added injectors to handle fuel flow.

[lars strom]

...

[2us70]

I did a couple of seasons in APBA SD class 1974 and 75. The default motor for the class was the 44in Merc 500. I had raced the 500s for years in SE before they were reclassified into SD. What speeds were you getting from a UIM SD boat? The best SD boats here were running about 62 mph or a little more at that time in closed course setup. I also wonder what were the differences between the UIM and APBA rules for the class?

[Rotary John]

...

Jim was working on a 5l also before OMC went tits up.

[lars strom]

I did a couple of seasons in APBA SD class 1974 and 75. The default motor for the class was the 44in Merc 500. I had raced the 500s for years in SE before they were reclassified into SD. What speeds were you getting from a UIM SD boat? The best SD boats here were running about 62 mph or a little more at that time in closed course setup. I also wonder what were the differences between the UIM and APBA rules for the class?

UIM and APBA classes was always a bit different.

Back then all the UIM S classes did have a minimum and maximum cc and production outboards with reverse. S also means a minimum boat length and a specific size cockpit..for each class.
Tunnel or V hull was ok.
UIM S classes did not have a World Championship title.

UIM O classes was minimum and maximum cc..no more regulations.
Yes..O classes did have a World Championship title.

The UIM SD class was up to 700 cc.. but 1978 UIM changed to rules first in Scandinavia to I think max 760cc
so OMC's 55hp 737cc.. and Yamaha 55/Mariner/60 760cc in..could be used.

In the seventies and early eighties the UIM SD and SE class was by far the most popular classes.
Sometimes 20 to 25 boats in each class at a local Scandinavian race.
Light weight tunnel boats was a must to compete in the SE class and 1975 same thing happened in the SD class..V-hull was out and a light weight tunnel was a must also in the SD class.

1978 when I got involved and won the Stockholm GP the SD class was really popular. I could tell in the race that the new Mariner 60 was going to kill the new Evinrude 55hp 737 cc.. Bertil Wik was much faster than my Delicato boat but he broke down.

We spent lots of time and I hired a two stroke expert to get the max out of the 55hp 737cc.
Don't remember speed but my guess is around 65 MPH but the problem was the Mariner 60..I remember the next race Bertil Wik won and he was maybe 6 to 8 MPH faster than me.
Not even a chance to keep up with all the Mariner.
Remember..AGB..the former distributor for Johnson in Sweden was now the Mariner distributor.
Pelle Welin..the CEO for AGB hated OMC now.. and he spent lots of time/money to promote Mariner in racing and sales to dealers.

After Bertil Wik won the race after Stockholm GP with his Mariner 60 powered Clerici..OMS Sweden and me understood..we are never going to be able to compete in the SD class and pulled the plug.

Bertil and other Mariner and Yamaha drivers took over the popular SD class.

1979 AGB was the main sponsor for the SD class and here is AGB's advertising..
I did a google translation for part of it..
Bertil Wik won all the races for a few years in his #19 Mollgaard/Mariner.





Mariner 60 Offshore D class..

[2us70]

In 1974 and 75 there were a couple of guys running tunnels in SD. The 44in 50s had trouble generating enough speed to get the lift at the class weight limit. I ran the same boat in which I had won the SE Nationals in 1970. Funny thing was that a gear ratio change made by Mercury allowing me to run the props from 49in motors made the boat much faster. I wound up running over4 mph faster in SD than I ever ran in SE in that boat. The tunnel boat in the background in this picture was the best running SD tunnel at the time. Unfortunately in this heat he threw a timing belt.

[lars strom]

Did see something interesting a few days ago..
Well..we all know the two first pictures..but the third picture of the powerhead and size/horsepower was new to me.
I asked Jim Nerstrom and his answer is next.

Bob Jacobsen

Here is a current picture. Greg Jacobsen (my brother) is the owner.

[lars strom]

No Stockholm GP is possible right now..the racing water is a bit to solid right now..!!..

[Watermark]

No Stockholm GP is possible right now..the racing water is a bit too solid right now..!!..

Well then, Lars.... we can still get a few laps in with these back-up machines - you can ride the black CAT, I'll be fine on the 'old MERC !!!

[lars strom]

Well then, Lars.... we can still get a few laps in with these back-up machines - you can ride the black CAT, I'll be fine on the 'old MERC !!!

Yes..or I can use my "old buddy" Ralph's snow mobile..!!..and then I am going to beat you..by the way..