Facts about Evinrude/Johnson racing outboards made my OMC

[lars strom]

Lennart Strom ruled the UIM F3/OE class in the middle/late eighties.

https://svera.se/blogg/lennart-strom...late-eighties/

[lars strom]

Sounds like your brother was an accomplished driver as were you. Did he ever move to the higher classes or did he pretty much stay in F3?

Yes, Lennart was ready for the UIM F1-2 liter class late 1990.
Our team purchased a new 2 liter Burgess boat (#21 below) and a new 2 liter UIM F1 engine from Mercury Racing.
This is from late 1990 in Chalon, France.
Lennart blow the brand new Merc V6 engine in testing..Mercury refused the help him out.. We were forced the purchase a new powerhead and Lennart blow a piston in the race.
This was a terrible time for the 2 liter V6 Merc UIM F1 engine.
1991 Lennart purchased 11 sets of pistons from Mercury and 3 blocks..He could never finish a race because engine trouble.
If I remember correct Mercury figured out the piston issues 1992-93 but Lennart was so disappointed and his full time racing was on hold.

[lars strom]

My brother Lennart Strom in his #21 UIM F1 V6 2 liter Burgess/Merc in Chalon, France late 1990.

[lars strom]

Renato is unloading his racing truck in Drammen, Norway 1980.
Two Molinari boats. One is powered by Evinrude V6 CCC 3 liter. The other one a CCC cross flow.
( Its Renato in gray pants)

[WaterZebra]

Yes, Lennart was ready for the UIM F1-2 liter class late 1990.
Our team purchased a new 2 liter Burgess boat (#21 below) and a new 2 liter UIM F1 engine from Mercury Racing.
This is from late 1990 in Chalon, France.
Lennart blow the brand new Merc V6 engine in testing..Mercury refused the help him out.. We were forced the purchase a new powerhead and Lennart blow a piston in the race.
This was a terrible time for the 2 liter V6 Merc UIM F1 engine.
1991 Lennart purchased 11 sets of pistons from Mercury and 3 blocks..He could never finish a race because engine trouble.
If I remember correct Mercury figured out the piston issues 1992-93 but Lennart was so disappointed and his full time racing was on hold.

The top teams in Mercury 2L Champ racing were lucky to get one race out of a single set of pistons. They were rebuilding every engine they had between races. Mercury also had lower unit gear hardness problems. They either held up or turned to butter. OMC USA F1 tour had a clever trick with fuel. All teams HAD to use their fuel (which was provided at cost). They octane rating was just a little bit off from spec but the V8s would run all day on the stuff. The Mercury 2L guys who entered the V8 events` were frying their Mercs trying to keep up. One Merc entrant accused me of forgetting to add 2 stroke oil to his fuel mix!

[lars strom]

Sean Barnard

Me in Lars Strom's Burgess F1-V8 London GP 1983!!

[lars strom]

Evinrude - Johnson outboards. Facts, history, racing and OMC.

Lasse Ström

Thanks Jose Luis Del Palacio
It was dedicated to me by Renato Molinari at the 2002 Italian Boat GP (Lago di Como) and has been in my office ever since.

[lars strom]

Is the Evinrude 150 catching a fish...???...

[lars strom]

Mike Butler
Top contributor

Bill Travis.
SidSon boat /Johnson Stinger GP V4

[108]

625 hydrostream in the back ground

[lars strom]

Mike Butler
Top contributor

Denis Berghauer in a Schultz Powercat.




Dee Harold

This boat was destroyed shortly after this picture at Parker as Duane stuffed the boat. This boat had substantially less lift than the matching sister boat. Even though Denny and Duey informed the team of problems with the boat, drivers know less than the engineers.
Drivers suffer the consequences.

[2us70]

On a few occasions I was asked to test or even race boats that the builders thought were the next big thing. Unfortunately none of those boats worked out and a couple of them were seriously dangerous. When you're young and broke you sometimes take whatever ride you can get. I was lucky I didn't get hurt in any of those boats.

[lars strom]

Jack Aylsworth
Group expert
All-star contributor

The Golden Years - World’s Largest Manufacturer of Outboard Motors.


Many old timers will tell you that the 1960’s were Johnson’s best years. (I would personally add the 1970’s as well.) Johnson continued to lead Evinrude in sales with unit volume per year hovering around the 90,000 mark in the early 1960’s and more than doubling as the years progressed. All bolstered by the growing international markets and commercial motor sales.

Remarkable Growth – Johnson had started the 60’s decade becoming the first outboard brand to hit 2-million in production then pushed that record number to 4-million by 1973. Notably, that remarkable unit growth was accomplished with a very limited model lineup – just 7 models in 1960, growing to 13 models by 1973. Top horsepower increased from 75hp to 135hp.

World’s Largest Producer - While it took 31 years for Johnson to reach the one-million motor mark (1922 to 1953), and leading the industry at that point, it only took 20 years (1953 – 1973) to quadruple that sales number – an indication of just how fast, and large, the outboard market had grown during those years. As it did in 1953 when it hit one-million in sales, Johnson could would continue to hold the title of: World’s Largest Manufacturers of Outboard Motors.

OMC Was Prospering Overall As Well – 1966 proved to be a banner year with consolidated net sales of $212.4 million, breaking the $200 million mark for the first time. Sales of outboards, boats, stern drives, Lawn-Boy mowers, Cushman vehicles and snowmobiles all achieved record levels. Some 20 percent of sales were in product lines that did not exist at OMC before the 1960’s decade started.

Photo montage: 1960’s Johnson Catalog Covers

[WaterZebra]

Jack Aylsworth
Group expert
All-star contributor

The Golden Years - World’s Largest Manufacturer of Outboard Motors.


Many old timers will tell you that the 1960’s were Johnson’s best years. (I would personally add the 1970’s as well.) Johnson continued to lead Evinrude in sales with unit volume per year hovering around the 90,000 mark in the early 1960’s and more than doubling as the years progressed. All bolstered by the growing international markets and commercial motor sales.

Remarkable Growth – Johnson had started the 60’s decade becoming the first outboard brand to hit 2-million in production then pushed that record number to 4-million by 1973. Notably, that remarkable unit growth was accomplished with a very limited model lineup – just 7 models in 1960, growing to 13 models by 1973. Top horsepower increased from 75hp to 135hp.

World’s Largest Producer - While it took 31 years for Johnson to reach the one-million motor mark (1922 to 1953), and leading the industry at that point, it only took 20 years (1953 – 1973) to quadruple that sales number – an indication of just how fast, and large, the outboard market had grown during those years. As it did in 1953 when it hit one-million in sales, Johnson could would continue to hold the title of: World’s Largest Manufacturers of Outboard Motors.

OMC Was Prospering Overall As Well – 1966 proved to be a banner year with consolidated net sales of $212.4 million, breaking the $200 million mark for the first time. Sales of outboards, boats, stern drives, Lawn-Boy mowers, Cushman vehicles and snowmobiles all achieved record levels. Some 20 percent of sales were in product lines that did not exist at OMC before the 1960’s decade started.

Photo montage: 1960’s Johnson Catalog Covers

I haven't seen the Golden Meteor ad in over 60 years! I was 8 years old at the time when I saw the GM 90 in person in a marina showroom. It was the biggest monster I had ever seen and wondered who had wallets fat enough to own one? Our family owned a 40 hp Seahorse at the time and I thought that the V60 and V75 models were for the rich and famous. Now look at what you can buy!? The 9.5 hp low profile was introduced in 1964 and was produced until 1973. I still believe the 9.5 was the design inspiration for the OMC F1 V8 six inch mid section change. I have four 9.5s in my barn today together with three folding 3 hp motors with weedless gearcases. OMC's weedless gearcases were a stroke of genius and haven't been improved on at all ever since. I think the first signs of trouble for OMC began in 1974. Along with the termination of 9.5 hp, the sales brochures had a gap between the 50 hp down to the new 9.9 hp twin . The venerable 40 and 25 hp Lark and Seahorse models disappeared.?

[Rotary John]

I haven't seen the Golden Meteor ad in over 60 years! I was 8 years old at the time when I saw the GM 90 in person in a marina showroom. It was the biggest monster I had ever seen and wondered who had wallets fat enough to own one? Our family owned a 40 hp Seahorse at the time and I thought that the V60 and V75 models were for the rich and famous. Now look at what you can buy!? The 9.5 hp low profile was introduced in 1964 and was produced until 1973. I still believe the 9.5 was the design inspiration for the OMC F1 V8 six inch mid section change. I have four 9.5s in my barn today together with three folding 3 hp motors with weedless gearcases. OMC's weedless gearcases were a stroke of genius and haven't been improved on at all ever since. I think the first signs of trouble for OMC began in 1974. Along with the termination of 9.5 hp, the sales brochures had a gap between the 50 hp down to the new 9.9 hp twin . The venerable 40 and 25 hp Lark and Seahorse models disappeared.?

I believe the lowering of the V-8 powerhead was a direct result of the 4 rotor Wankel racing engine. The rotary powerhead shape allowed the engine to be mounted almost directly to the gearcase. It wasn't until the V-8 went with FI that the additional clearance in front allowed the engine to be lowered and clear the swivel brackets.