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    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Thumbs up Lars "Lasse" Strom the Story-teller!!

    To Ron Hill,

    Dear Ron,

    Please help me put the 4 photos on Boat Racing Facts this time, next time I train my son.

    Picture 1

    My SE Boat from 1974, I won the European SE Championship 1973,74,75 and 76.
    At that time there was no World title for the SE class.

    Picture 2

    Poster of my Aspen/Evinrude F1 V8 Boat 1983, Stockholm GP, very big race part of the world Championship that year downtown Stockholm, 250,000 spectators.

    Picture 3

    A little story and photo in Swedish about me, but very interesting so please put it in.
    I Translate one day. (Maybe)

    Picture 4

    World famous Erik Eriksson and Lars, I think Marina Del Ray, CA
    Erik Eriksson was a good friend of mine, and a close friend to Ron Hill.

    He past away in a Helicopter crash a few years ago, and Ron asked me for a Picture of Erik


    Regards

    Lars[/QUOTE]

    Lars, you are good to go. Look for an email from me about your password. Time to start bragging about all those races!
    Attached Images Attached Images
    Last edited by Ron Hill; 08-29-2021 at 04:51 PM.

  2. #2
    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Hi again,


    I have been writing my Boat racing story's in Sweden for the last 6 month at www.Boatlife.se and the Swedish Powerboat
    Federations Home Page. www.svera.org

    My stories have been of big interest, and the Swedish Powerboat Federation made a folder
    and gave them out to the public at the Stockholm Boat show this year when they celebrated the 60's
    anniversary

    All that in Swedish, but like to try my English now, so please have some patience with me.

    I was born in Stockholm Sweden 1953 and my Family runs a Coffee processing plant that was founded 1890.
    My dream was not coffee, but Outboards and Racing so I never worked in the Family business

    Racing gave me the opportunity to start my own dealer ship and I sold lots of Evinrude Outboards, more than anyone else in the world according to some at OMC, but not the way I was supposed to
    all the time. "Some export" back to the USA in the eighty's that turned the overseas Outboard market up side down.

    That's a story I maybe tell you later, but in 1991 after I sold my business we moved to Florida and
    I was a Resident Alien (Green Card holder) for a few years and then become an American citizen after 9-11.

    So I am now a really proud American that fly the Red, White and Blue everyday at my 200 Acre Ranch
    in Warsaw, MO close to Lake of the Ozarks.

    I have seen many places in the world, and I strongly believe this is still the land of opportunities and the
    only place to be.

    Yes, gas prices are high, but still far lower than where I come from.

    Now I think you know me little bit better and I slowly are going to tell you my Racing History that started
    in 1970 with a 60 Hp Evinrude with electric shift and two stupid breaker points, but that engine made me
    a Swedish Champ that year.

    I raced for about 20 years, and my plan is to tell you the highlights.

    Here is some US names you recognize that has made my Racing possible and they know me if you ask them.
    Sorry, I know some are not with us anymore.

    John Tucker, Jack Leek, Paul Kalb, Jim Wagner, Jim Brackenfield, Charlie Strang, Jim Nerstrom,
    Ric McChesney, Ron Hill, Edgar Rose, Gary Garbrecht, Ralf Evinrude and Mouse.

    I am sure I forget some, but I am going to start next time with the first Big race I won that made
    it possible to make a living out of Boat racing.

    SE European Championship
    1973 Lappenranta, Finland
    I went to that race with a brand new Clerici SE Boat and a Evinrude 65 SS with
    the old X - 115 gear case and the shifter on the mid section.

    I did not have a propeller with me(Backordered) and never tested the boat, an won the Race!!!!
    A very unhappy Roger Jenkins was second.

    Full story about this next time...

    Lars Strom

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    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Allen J. Lang View Post
    Welcome aboard Lars. Good looking equipment you had to run. Will be looking forward to your future posting of racing days.
    Ye Olde Desert Geezer

    Thank you,

    The picture of the yellow SE Boat with # 48 was taken the week after
    Paris 6 hours 1974.
    Evinrude Sweden made this poster.
    That was the first year the 70 HP came with the smaller gearcase, for Racing
    only.
    Standard in 1975, short shaft only 75 hp

    If you look close you see the big fuel cap for fast refueling.

    That was my first Paris 6 hours and I remember that Race as it was yesterday.
    C. Scotti crasched and I did see when it happend.

    I was in Paris for the 1973 6 hours, but the Swedish Powerboat
    Federation sent my entry form to late and Mr. Bradinaire refuse to
    let me start.
    At that time all the entry forms for internationell Races had to go true the
    local NA.
    On top of that, Paris 6 hours 1973 was the first Race OMC paid me to do,
    and it did not start out very good....

  4. #4
    Team Member Master Oil Racing Team's Avatar
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    Looking forward to more stories and pics Lars. This is from the November 1979 UIM News Bulletin, and I think it must be you Lars. I have seen a number of typos in these bulletins.
    Attached Images Attached Images


    Thanks Lars Strom thanked for this post
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    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Master Oil Racing Team View Post
    Looking forward to more stories and pics Lars. This is from the November 1979 UIM News Bulletin, and I think it must be you Lars. I have seen a number of typos in these bulletins.
    Hi Wayne,

    Thanks for your response, 1979 was a year when lots of good things happen in my life.
    I got married, my first son was born and I expanded my Evinrude dealership in Sweden by buying
    a second dealership in Stockholm.
    On top of that Sjoeberg Racing built his first Mod 50/F3 boat, and we finished 3 in Paris 6 hours with
    that boat.

    I understand you where racing König Engines, and 1977 I made a bad mistake by switching from OMC to
    König/Volvo Penta for the Mod 50/F3 class and was always the fastest boat, but the engine blow
    up more or less in every race.
    This specially design König 3 Cyl Mod 50/F3 had lots of horse power, but came apart all the time.
    The only good thing was I become a good friend to Dieter and he was a very nice man and lots of fun things
    happened in West Berlin that year.

    Lars (Lasse) Strom

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    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Master Oil Racing Team View Post
    I wasn't paying attention when I missed the (Lasse) Lars on a previous post.

    I kind of had that feeling about the Konig/Volvo Penta engines Lars. I didn't like the looks of the carbs, rotary valve and length of that belt. Maybe for a short sprint....but it looked like trouble to me for the laps you guys ran.

    When you joined BRF I recognized your name and looked into some programs, but I didn't find the ones I was looking for. Were you in Berlin at Spandau in 1977? I will look in some old Powerboat & Waterskiing magazines for some old racing articles.

    Since you ran some of the Konig/Volvo Penta's I guess you knew Gert Lowisin. What a great guy. And did you ever know Leif Ahlborg and Roland Stoltz? They ran OA, OB and if anything else I don't know.
    Hi again,

    Well, 1977 was a year when OMC Racing had the first setback from Japanese outboards slowly taking over
    in Europe.

    The year before, OMC told all the distributors in most countries in Europe that OMC is going to
    take over.

    For example, Evinrude in Sweden was imported by Huzells, and I had a very good relationship with Huzells
    and they gave me lots of money to race Evinrude Outboards.
    Johnson had AGB in Sweden and they where good for drivers using Johnson outboards.

    This is in my opinion the first really big mistake OMC made, and was the start for lots of bad mistakes,
    that sadly put the them out of business later, as we all know.

    Huzells owner Bill Huzell was really upset with OMC taking his business away after 10 years of hard work to distribute
    Evinrude in Sweden, so he went to Japan and took over Suzuki outboards for Sweden.
    His old Evinrude dealers in Sweden liked Billy, and they all signed up to have Suzuki as a second
    brand.

    AGB did the same thing, and grabbed the Mariner Brand for Sweden.

    I can still not understand that OMC did not think better, Billy Huzell was a rich smart business man and his
    top priority was to make Suzuki Outboards very strong in Sweden now, and that's how the price war
    started in Europe.

    Remember, OMC did the same thing in most countries overseas.

    I was loyal OMC, and stayed as an exclusive Evinrude dealer, but 90 % of the Evinrude dealers
    was now Evinrude/Suzuki and on the Johnson side Johnson/Mariner.

    Back to Racing,

    1977 was now the first year Evinrude/Johnson was distributed in Sweden by OMC Sweden and the policy
    was, NO RACING and everything had to go true Paul Kalb at OMC's European headquarter in Brugge, Belgium,
    and his budget was cut in half.

    My relationship with Paul Kalb (Racing boss Europe) was not so good, he had his favorite drivers and I always won over them.
    1977 was also the year when Molinari started Racing for OMC, but Renatos deal was with OMC USA,
    not Belgium.

    I had a brand new Mod 50/F3 Molinari Boat on order and an Evinrude engine for that boat, but after a meeting
    with the BIG man at Volvo Penta, Sweden we made a deal and I got my biggest check ever (at that time) to
    Race Volvo Penta/Konig in Mod 50/F3 1977.

    I went to Como, to pick up my new boat, and to Clerici to pick up a second boat if the Molinari Boat
    did not work with the Volvo.

    Direct to Dieter Konig, West Berlin to install engines and after that Uppsala, Sweden where
    the Volvo Penta outboard factory was located, and Gert Lowisin was living next door.
    My deal with Volvo was to have Gert Lowisin 24/7 to help me that year in racing, and Gert was a very
    good man to have on your side.

    This was a very interesting year for me in Racing, and I raced more or less every weekend somewhere
    in Europe, and when "that thing" on the transom stayed together I Won, but most of the times it came a part.

    Believe it or not, but I raced Paris 6 hours with a Konig..... and was leading with many laps after
    4 hours, when I hit something and sank.... not the engine this time.
    We used 50/50 Gasoline/Methanol and it did not take away to many horsepower.

    The Sprint World Champion Ship OE that year was in Brodenbach, and OMC was not very happy
    with Lars racing a Volvo and Jenkins Racing a Archimedes. (Same thing)

    Michael Werner was the home favorite with Mercury's secret OE engine with the EFI box.

    OMC at that time did not have the speed, and where using the "Gas in a bottle" ( laughing gas), to make it better,
    but the officials of the Race said it was not legal, so OMC never raced and filed a protest.

    I was fighting hard with Werner and won one heat, he the next etc. and it was down to the final heat
    I had to win on a better time and I did, but then the Race officials said that my heat was 2/10 of a second
    slower than Werner's so he was now the World Champ. (at that time they used stop watches)

    I don't now if it was right or wrong, but a week later UIM made a decision about the OMC protest and the Race
    was not a official World Championship Race anymore.

    There is many stories about my year with Volvo/Konig and I can go back to that later.
    When it comes to money, it was a very good year but I did not get the Trophy's I wanted so after Paris
    6 Hours I told Volvo that, I am out.

    Volvo did not have a problem with that and late 1978, the Volvo Penta outboards
    was history.

    Not many people know that, but Volvo Penta Outboards was the first one the Japanese Outboards
    put out of business.

    Well, maybe they killed them self with poorly designed production outboards.....


    One more thing,

    My real name is Lars Strom, in Sweden your nick name for Lars is Lasse, but over here Lassie is a dog,
    so my name is now Lars.....

    Sorry, one more thing.

    I am going to stick with my plan to tell my Racing Story's year by year, that is the only way to remember
    correct, so next time I am back to Lappenranta, Finland 1973.
    Lars Strom

    Life is good





    Check my own racing history at BRF...http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...ead.php?t=6727

    My racing web site SVERA.se....http://svera.se/blogg/paris-6-hours/

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Master Oil Racing Team View Post
    That is the way I like to do it to Lars. I found something about you in Powerboat & Waterskiing, but I'll hold on to it until you get to that time. Looking forward to more of your story.

    OK, good and thanks for understanding.

    I forgot to tell you that Leif Ahlborg is a good friend of mine, and he visited
    me in Florida a few years ago and we went to a SST 120 race.

    Leif is now a Boat race Promotor. www.nolimit.se
    Lars Strom

    Life is good





    Check my own racing history at BRF...http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...ead.php?t=6727

    My racing web site SVERA.se....http://svera.se/blogg/paris-6-hours/

  8. #8
    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Default From another BRF thread..

    Here is some I wrote on Jackie Wilsons thread..

    -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


    The OMC pat to bankruptcy started already in the mid seventies by making enormous
    mistakes in Europe.

    I remember when OMC told the world 1986 they made the biggest deal in the history of the Marine business..signing a contract to deliver all the stern drive power to Bayliner for
    3 years..(87-88-89).

    Well.. some time later Brunswick told the world they made the biggest Marine business deal..
    The purchase of the Bayliner factory and later Sea Ray..
    OMC had the possibility to do that before Brunswick but did not at that time, see the need for that..

    Many poor decisions where made at the Headquarter in Waukegan.
    They hired a President from the washing machine business and he wasted many like an old washing machine used water..

    Poor quality and not keeping up with Yamaha was another reason..
    In many ways Brunswick was smarter and made better decisions.

    I told OMC for many years ago to team up with Merc to fight the Japs..
    Not even on the map..
    ...instead
    Merc signed up with Yamaha to fight OMC..
    and maybe that is Mercury's biggest mistake ever..Time will tell..
    Now Yamaha is slowly taking over the outboard business.
    In Europe and the rest of the world ...Yamaha has already done that..

    Penske was so close to purchase OMC but Soros/Green Marine and other investors could not agree about a deal..

    I was asked by David Jones (the OMC - President) 1998 to come up with something to save the Northern Europe market..
    Was hired as a consultant and did lots of work..but no money to do what needed to be done..

    I still love the outboard business..but in a way I am glad I left some years ago..





    Quote Originally Posted by Lars Strom View Post
    Hi again,

    Well, 1977 was a year when OMC Racing had the first setback from Japanese outboards slowly taking over
    in Europe.

    The year before, OMC told all the distributors in most countries in Europe that OMC is going to
    take over.

    For example, Evinrude in Sweden was imported by Huzells, and I had a very good relationship with Huzells
    and they gave me lots of money to race Evinrude Outboards.
    Johnson had AGB in Sweden and they where good for drivers using Johnson outboards.

    This is in my opinion the first really big mistake OMC made, and was the start for lots of bad mistakes,
    that sadly put the them out of business later, as we all know.

    Huzells owner Bill Huzell was really upset with OMC taking his business away after 10 years of hard work to distribute
    Evinrude in Sweden, so he went to Japan and took over Suzuki outboards for Sweden.
    His old Evinrude dealers in Sweden liked Billy, and they all signed up to have Suzuki as a second
    brand.

    AGB did the same thing, and grabbed the Mariner Brand for Sweden.

    I can still not understand that OMC did not think better, Billy Huzell was a rich smart business man and his
    top priority was to make Suzuki Outboards very strong in Sweden now, and that's how the price war
    started in Europe.

    Remember, OMC did the same thing in most countries overseas.

    I was loyal OMC, and stayed as an exclusive Evinrude dealer, but 90 % of the Evinrude dealers
    was now Evinrude/Suzuki and on the Johnson side Johnson/Mariner.

    Back to Racing,

    1977 was now the first year Evinrude/Johnson was distributed in Sweden by OMC Sweden and the policy
    was, NO RACING and everything had to go true Paul Kalb at OMC's European headquarter in Brugge, Belgium,
    and his budget was cut in half.

    My relationship with Paul Kalb (Racing boss Europe) was not so good, he had his favorite drivers and I always won over them.
    1977 was also the year when Molinari started Racing for OMC, but Renatos deal was with OMC USA,
    not Belgium.

    I had a brand new Mod 50/F3 Molinari Boat on order and an Evinrude engine for that boat, but after a meeting
    with the BIG man at Volvo Penta, Sweden we made a deal and I got my biggest check ever (at that time) to
    Race Volvo Penta/Konig in Mod 50/F3 1977.

    I went to Como, to pick up my new boat, and to Clerici to pick up a second boat if the Molinari Boat
    did not work with the Volvo.

    Direct to Dieter Konig, West Berlin to install engines and after that Uppsala, Sweden where
    the Volvo Penta outboard factory was located, and Gert Lowisin was living next door.
    My deal with Volvo was to have Gert Lowisin 24/7 to help me that year in racing, and Gert was a very
    good man to have on your side.

    This was a very interesting year for me in Racing, and I raced more or less every weekend somewhere
    in Europe, and when "that thing" on the transom stayed together I Won, but most of the times it came a part.

    Believe it or not, but I raced Paris 6 hours with a Konig..... and was leading with many laps after
    4 hours, when I hit something and sank.... not the engine this time.
    We used 50/50 Gasoline/Methanol and it did not take away to many horsepower.

    The Sprint World Champion Ship OE that year was in Brodenbach, and OMC was not very happy
    with Lars racing a Volvo and Jenkins Racing a Archimedes. (Same thing)

    Michael Werner was the home favorite with Mercury's secret OE engine with the EFI box.

    OMC at that time did not have the speed, and where using the "Gas in a bottle" ( laughing gas), to make it better,
    but the officials of the Race said it was not legal, so OMC never raced and filed a protest.

    I was fighting hard with Werner and won one heat, he the next etc. and it was down to the final heat
    I had to win on a better time and I did, but then the Race officials said that my heat was 2/10 of a second
    slower than Werner's so he was now the World Champ. (at that time they used stop watches)

    I don't now if it was right or wrong, but a week later UIM made a decision about the OMC protest and the Race
    was not a official World Championship Race anymore.

    There is many stories about my year with Volvo/Konig and I can go back to that later.
    When it comes to money, it was a very good year but I did not get the Trophy's I wanted so after Paris
    6 Hours I told Volvo that, I am out.

    Volvo did not have a problem with that and late 1978, the Volvo Penta outboards
    was history.

    Not many people know that, but Volvo Penta Outboards was the first one the Japanese Outboards
    put out of business.

    Well, maybe they killed them self with poorly designed production outboards.....


    One more thing,

    My real name is Lars Strom, in Sweden your nick name for Lars is Lasse, but over here Lassie is a dog,
    so my name is now Lars.....

    Sorry, one more thing.

    I am going to stick with my plan to tell my Racing Story's year by year, that is the only way to remember
    correct, so next time I am back to Lappenranta, Finland 1973.
    Lars Strom

    Life is good





    Check my own racing history at BRF...http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...ead.php?t=6727

    My racing web site SVERA.se....http://svera.se/blogg/paris-6-hours/

  9. #9
    Preserving OMC Heritage LIQUID NIRVANA's Avatar
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    [QUOTE=Lars Strom;54914]Thank you,

    The picture of the yellow SE Boat with # 48 was taken the week after
    Paris 6 hours 1974.
    Evinrude Sweden made this poster.
    That was the first year the 70 HP came with the smaller gearcase, for Racing
    only.
    Standard in 1975, short shaft only 75 hp

    That is very interesting Lars about the smaller gearcase. We received a short shaft 1973 MODEL 75hp with that smaller gearcase at a dealership I worked for in 1974 in Australia. It was obviously a pre production motor. Fast Fred & I were discussing it sometime ago on this forum, I think. I will do a search.

    HERE IT IS: http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...light=evinrude
    Thanks Lars Strom thanked for this post
    Likes Lars Strom liked this post

  10. #10
    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Hi Ken,

    I recieved the short shaft 70 hp? really early 1974 (maybe January)
    with the smaller gear case and the race powertrim installed from the factory.
    I think a different cylinderhead to and stiff rubbermount.

    This engine replaced the 1973 SE engine called 65 SS, with the old
    X 115 gearcase and the shifter on the mid section.

    The new engine was close to 15 miles faster than the "old" 65 ss
    on the same boat.

    One more thing, the steering bars/wings came in the same box.
    I am 100% sure the engine was made in Waukegan, not Bruges.
    Lars Strom

    Life is good





    Check my own racing history at BRF...http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...ead.php?t=6727

    My racing web site SVERA.se....http://svera.se/blogg/paris-6-hours/

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