Hot Singles ! - Pictures

[Mark Poole ModVP]

I am pretty sure the above pictured 191 boat had the first 'Super Strangler' on the transom under a standard cowling. It was the first race for the engine. Wasn't the Parker race late in the year like Havasu? If so, then that should be 1971. I remember seeing a few Super Stranglers and Stinger GP's around mid '72.

[John Schubert]

I am pretty sure the above pictured 191 boat had the first 'Super Strangler' on the transom under a standard cowling. It was the first race for the engine. Wasn't the Parker race late in the year like Havasu? If so, then that should be 1971. I remember seeing a few Super Stranglers and Stinger GP's around mid '72.

Parker was always in the Spring or late winter, March or April if I recall my time racing there correctly.
My avatar is from Parker with Bill Muncey as my co-driver. I finished 3rd

[willabee]

Parker was always in the Spring or late winter, March or April if I recall my time racing there correctly.
My avatar is from Parker with Bill Muncey as my co-driver. I finished 3rd

Lake Como & Paris in October .....
Havasu in November .....
Miami in February .....
Parker in March .....

Add a couple of visits to Lake X in December/January and it's no wonder those Wisconsin winters didn't seem so long.

( I think Parker was the first Sunday in March )

[Mark Poole ModVP]

Okay March. That explains the fishing motor cowl. They must have got started on the cool looking cowls right after this race!

[willabee]

Okay March. That explains the fishing motor cowl. They must have got started on the cool looking cowls right after this race!

Is this the cowl you're referring to?

[John Schubert]

Is this the cowl you're referring to?

NoBill, that is the Super Strangler cowling that came with the 8 barrel carbs

[Bob V]

This is the cowl in question..

[lars strom]

[willabee]

Alright, now you guys have me totally confused.

The cowl pictured above looks like the cowl on boat #191 running at Parker in March of 72. Mark Poole ModVP says that is the 'fishing motor' cowl and that they made a 'cool' cowl after the Parker 72 race. Every cowl I found in my pictures through the Morgan City race in May looks like this one. I don't know what they looked like for St. Louis in August, but they were different for Havasu 72 as shown on the #54 Ted May Scotti.

Fast Johnny Schubert says May's cowl is a Super Strangler made for the 8 barrel carb motors, but is not the 'cool' cowl that Mark is talking about. So ..... there was one more cowl used between May and November?

[John Schubert]

Alright, now you guys have me totally confused.

The cowl pictured above looks like the cowl on boat #191 running at Parker in March of 72. Mark Poole ModVP says that is the 'fishing motor' cowl and that they made a 'cool' cowl after the Parker 72 race. Every cowl I found in my pictures through the Morgan City race in May looks like this one. I don't know what they looked like for St. Louis in August, but they were different for Havasu 72 as shown on the #54 Ted May Scotti.

Fast Johnny Schubert says May's cowl is a Super Strangler made for the 8 barrel carb motors, but is not the 'cool' cowl that Mark is talking about. So ..... there was one more cowl used between May and November?

You'll note that the older style cowl in the preceding pictures is in fact a modified cowl for racing. The from cover plate/emblem has been replaced with a stepped out plate to allow for better breathing. This was never on a production motor. Ted's cowl was first introduced for the 8 barrel motors that were produced in the Kenosha, WI plant for purchase by the general public. The front of the cowl had a louvered plate for better breathing. Essentially for "U" class. The Johnson Stinger GT was similar to the Super Strangler, but orange in color with black down the center. And I believe these were introduced for 1972.

[Mark Poole ModVP]

I was thinking that Parker was late in the year. Late '72 they were all using the Strangler/Stinger GP cowls. Havasu '72 was all Strangler/Stinger GP cowls.

[John Schubert]

I was thinking that Parker was late in the year. Late '72 they were all using the Strangler/Stinger GP cowls. Havasu '72 was all Strangler/Stinger GP cowls.

Mark, it is the Super Strangler & Johnson Stinger GP

[Mark Poole ModVP]

If you had worked on OMC's for years or owned an OMC dealership you would notice that by 1985 OMC outboards only used the Evinrude style cowls (on both Johnson and Evinrude) Up until then the Johnson cowls were a little simpler shaped while the Evinrude cowls had some extra molded in features. I suppose this was one more thing that OMC was doing to cut costs. Starting around this same year, all of the powerheads were painted black on both brands. They also stopped using metal and plastic placards and used only decals.

[Lake X Kid]

The Porsche was cornering hard, and tire grip was squealing with tension /
On Como mountain curve, the driver was leaning the car on its suspension /
The road trip started at, Auronzo (quick, agile) which also defines this 911 /
European Championship was, to be determined at this mountainous haven /

F1 boat engines came to wake-up, the snow ski resort area north of Venice /
Not close enough to Austria to be heard, and weeks before 6 hours of Paris /
Mike Downard representing, the USA arrived, with his 4 blade secret prop /
Tom Percival in his Jaguar with family inside, motored-up to lake’s hilltop /

Honey, sister-in-law of Cees came too, a blond beauty that Bob admired too /
At a host event by the city, the night before the race, in shyness I withdrew /
They held a beauty contest, and a lady asked me “do you think I am pretty?” /
In my mind I said of course Gillian, Tom rescued me and said she is pretty /

Next day I was more confident, “pull the kill switch,” as he putted by pits /
I told Tom, with his boat sinking, on the starboard side with transom splits /
In the race, Bob Spalding and Percival could not seem to avoid each other /
Side by side, might be were the gash occurred between teammate brothers /

I jerry rigged Tom’s kill switch to work, a clothes pin type that misaligned /
Patch was glued and nailed to hole, by Como’s singing carpenter as assigned /
Mike’s blow over (trim pump’s malfunction solenoid) became an Italian show /
Cees, Bob and Tom, were racing for third behind Cesare and Renato’s tempo /

I have seen this cousin rivalry before, these two racing for the win at Bolsena /
A boat length behind on Lake Santa Caterina too, Cesare Scotti has dilemma /
Cesare gets pinched between Renato on the right and back-marker on port side /
The compressed air between, Renato and the other boat lifts Cesare boat to glide /

Straight up out of the water and level, like jumping a wave, a literal air wave /
boat and driver returned to the water’s surface level, recovery a close shave /
Cesare raced second to cousin Renato again, and some say as boat builder too /
This race meant a lot to Renato, surely why he brought the carpenter there too /

“Do you want to ride back with me?” Winning is a shared moment to delight in /
Slowing from autostrade excessive speed, the 911’s braking power made me grin /
On long sweeping right-hander curve over Como ravine, I looked down at the lake /
Renato Molinari squealing tires, I have confidence in you, with no nervous shake /
rsr

[FUJIMO]