Molinari Racing Boat History and Information

[Lars Strom]

More about Paris Six Hours 1978

[Lars Strom]

The Havasu Race 1979..

Our Jimbo McConnell is pretty involved with his nice Molinari boat....

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[Master Oil Racing Team]

That's the other boat Lars. Barry Woods, or (Molinari driving) most likely at Parker. My memory is failing me. When I first thought of 35, Bob Witt came into my head and I thought.....no...that might be Barry Woods, but I didn't think on it long enough and posted Bob's name.

[Lars Strom]

Jepp..You are probably right Wayne and again thanks for helping out with this thread.

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I meet Renato every other weekend for close to fifteen year at the boat races..

Raced in his team, been to his house and purchased boats from him.
Still don't know if he liked me or not..
Renato never showed his feelings.

You did not see Renato in a bar or party with everybody else after or before a race.

I still respected him a lot..Renato was like a racing machine..100% focused on winning races..not friends.

Renato never looked for racing boat customers..they came to him.

The first picture is from Stockholm GP 1983..the second I can only guess 1969 or 1970..Don't know when he raced the Merc with loud pipes.

PS..Ron..Renato did not have a "little mustache" there..!!..

[Lars Strom]

Renato won the Rouen 24 hours many times with outboards..but 1979 was in the inboard R-3 class.

A Saffa/Molinari/Fiat Abarth

[TBuck2003]

Great stuff Lars... My Dad and Kenny Stevenson were best friends growing up in NE Ohio. I got to spend a lot of time with them growing up. Kenny was very talented. I love to see all these OMC's !!!!!

[Lars Strom]

Thanks TBuck2003,

The most controversial Saffa/Molinari/Evinrude race boat was the "Molinari Monster" 1979..

I did a complete story about that last year..please click on the link below and read..

The Molinari “Monster”..the real story

http://svera.se/blogg/molinari-monster-the-real-story/

[Ron Hill]

I got this post on FB today..better here..Thanks OVE.

"Nice history you have written Lars .. about Molinari ..He knew how to build and race boats .I would have liked to see him today , I belive the he look like a Italian traditional grandpa ,with all the good italian habits Perhaps he also ride scooter yet!"
Thank You.
OVE from Norway.


Edit..Well Ove..This is Renato a few years ago

It looks like Renato has aged! Glad I haven't gotten OLD!

Is Molinari booze connected to Renato?

[Ron Hill]

Gary Mumaw took the picture and Margarite Woods gave me this picture at Jack Leek Memorial Service, she said it was Barry!

[boatmark59]

Great thread Lars. The Cees article is kind of funny - him talking about not having many more years at the top since he was thirty five. I worked with him at Chattanooga one race - 1988 I think - and he hadn't lost any of the intensity that I could see. This was of course early in the safety cell times, and Cees decided this was a good time to go to war with the tech inspectors over mirrors. They were required, but he refused to have them. We finally compromised. I got some $3.00 bicycle mirrors and duct taped them to the sides of the cell. (I mean like flat against the cell) No one was happy, but he raced . . . no idea how he finished but it may have been blown up.

I was working for John Nichols out of Florida on the IOGP (Merc) series, and we were I believe the Veldon importers of the time. We had Cees's composite boat (the one with removeable sponsons) but could never get it to run. We didn't have time to work it out so we ran a new wood Veldon the rest of the year. It was one of those years when whatever bad that could happen, did.

The Chattanooga weekend I was actually on my way to Sacramento with the Champ boat. I didn't have any powerheads in my truck, but John decided since we were there we should run something. We borrowed a powerhead from the Pittsburg guys whose name I can never remember (they owned a motorcycle shop?) and proceeded to destroy it within about five minutes (don't ask :-) - I'll only say drivers should keep their hands in their pockets at all times!)

We tore stuff up, we ran bad, it was so hot the beer wouldn't stay cold . . . . just a lovely weekend at the races.