Super Swede ... Lars Strom

[Lars Strom]

I was very excited about year 1976.
This was my second year as an exclusive authorized Evinrude dealer, and my business was
doing way better than expected.

On top of that the SE Class European/Continental Championship race was going to take place
in Sweden and I could be the first driver in history to win 4 in a row.


I asked Franco Clerici to build me a boat with some of my own input, and for the first time Evinrude/Sweden
sent a driver to Cremona Italy to pick the boat up.

The boat was exactly the way I wanted, and we painted the boat to match the 1976 Evinrude Hustler.

OMC told me to start the season with a stock 75 hp motor, and as soon as the new Evinrude FT 19 S
was ready they sent me one.

There was rumors that Mercury was coming out with a second generation of 650 XS and I was
disappointed that the new Evinrude was delayed.

Early every spring the Swedish Power Boat Federation invited all the Press and Media to a Party
at Gåshaga Wärdshus.
I took my very good looking boat to that place early in the morning and cover it up to make it more interesting.

The press people asked me if they could take a photo of my "secret Boat", and I told them No.
Only the rear of the Clerici Boat.

The day after I got all the headlines in the news papers and many pictures of the Evinrude motor.
Not my "secret boat"....

The plan worked perfect!!
Remember, I was selling outboards not Race boats.

We raced 5 or 6 races, before the Big one in Nora, and my boat was perfect.
First place in all the races and the next one was now the European Championship.

One week before the Race I was told the new Evinrude FT 19 S was on the way to Sweden.
Way to late, because I was not happy starting to change things only a few days before
the Big Race.
I felt pretty good I could win with my stock 75, but OMC told me to install the new engine.

We did and tested.
The top speed was better, but not so good after the turns.

Well, at the Race in Nora there was many people upset because only Bo Nilsson and I had the
new engine.
I told OMC I can win with the old engine, but was told to just race and stay out of politics.

Lots of SE Boats at the Race, and I was worried about sabotage at night, so my friend
Christer "Monstret" Eriksson was guarding the boat all night with jumper cables in his hand to
scare people away.

RACE DAY

Same type of Race, 4 heat 3 counts and clock start or flying start as it was called in Swedish.

Everything was perfect at the last practice: the boat, the balance, set up, prop, engine and the driver was ready.

Without bragging, but I was very good to time the start.
Always wide open when I crossed
the starting line and that is a big part of winning a race.

I won the first three heat and Gert Lowisin was starting to take my engine apart when they
still raced for second place.
At that time I did not want Gert to do that, because he worked for Volvo Penta and was part
responsible for the Volvo Penta/Konig OE engine.

Anyway, he was the Chief Technical Inspector for the race and after 3 hours he said officially that my
engine was 100 % legal.

Now I was 4 X European Champion and celebrated with a big Outboard sale at my dealership.

The next race was the OE World Championship in Aurontzo, Italy and Paul Kalb told me
he was going to use some local Italien Drivers for the Race to save money.
Cut budget he told me!!!

That's when Billy Huzell the owner of the Evinrude Sweden told me to keep the Evinrude Ft 19 S and race Roslagsloppet next weekend
with my Offshore Piraya two seater.

Well, I did and won the Race with Bertil Wik as a co-pilot.
We was so fast, and arrived way to early in Oregrund. (2,5 hour race with refueling)
There was no finish line yet....

Bo and I made a plan to fly to Auronzo, Italy just to watch the OE World Championship.
The ON World Championship was at the same time.

Paul Kalb was not happy to see me there and Roger Jenkins was upset with Paul Kalb to,
so Roger was racing the Volvo Penta/Konig at this race.

This was the first time the Volvo was doing really good and Jenkins was leading the Race
when something went wrong.
Well, my brain started to spin: Me - Volvo - Sweden - Problem with Paul Kalb -
OMC kicking out Billy Huzell who really was behind my success in Racing

The drivers Paul Kalb picked was way behind in the race and I was smiling.

Remember that OMC was using Laughing gas to go faster, but that did not help.

This was also the first time I did see Renato Molinari play dirty, well not really Renato but his
second boat driven by Zoppi I think his name was.

He sank Cees VD Velden on purpose by running in to his boat just in front of us at the far end of the race
course.

Molinari ended up winning both OE and ON at that race, but not really in a proper way. (ON)

Paul Kalb had a bad bad weekend, and after the Race he apologized.
Now he wanted Bo and Lars to race Amsterdam and Rotterdam with one of OMCs OE boats.

That's the next story...