Thread: Super Swede ... Lars Strom

  1. #131
    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Default Off Topic Swedish Midsummer....

    Tomorrow is the big Day in Sweden, greater than Christmas and the sun is up
    24 hours in the Northern part of Sweden.

    Big time Party

    If you are interested, click here for more info in English


    http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/Article____14830.aspx
    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/

  2. #132
    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Default Disqualified???

    The Scandinavian SE Championship 1975 took place in Forsaa, Finland.

    Around 25 boats were in place at this beautiful Lake, and Mercury had just released the new 650 XS SE race engine and lots of people was hoping the new Merc could give the OMC drivers a run for the money.

    Driver Bo Nilsson was backed up by AGB, the Swedish distributor for Johnson and I by Huzells, the Swedish distributor for Evinrude.

    The strongest Finn was Mercury's Bimbo Aminoff and a few more drivers from Denmark and Norway with the new Merc.

    The rest was using OMC 3 Cyl. 75 Hp.

    Four heat and three counts as normally and a clock start.

    I did not know how strong the new Merc was, but I was very well prepared and after the first heat the good news was
    that the new Merc was no match (sorry Mercury) and the fight was as usually between Bo and me and some other OMC drivers.

    In the second heat Bimbo Aminoff took the lead but after a few laps I past him and so did Bo but
    I made a mistake in one turn and Bo past me for the win.

    Well, I do not remember exactly but it came down to the last heat and the winner of that heat was the overall winner of the race and I was the lucky one again with only like half a second over Bo Nilsson, and I was now the Scandinavian Champion for the third
    consecutive year.

    Well not yet, because third was Mercury's Bimbo Aminoff and he filed a protest.

    Bo and I did not have any spray paint on our gear cases.

    You where allowed to sharpen the skegg, and sand on the gear case if you still was within the template.

    We pass that test easy, but the Chief technical inspector said that you must spray paint the gear case,
    and ours was just polished aluminum so he disqualified Bo and me.

    Bimbo Aminoff was now declared the winner, and Bo Nilsson went nuts.

    I know how angry he can get, and it turned ugly and after a major argument we left for Sweden
    and straight to Roland Rosenholtz, the Swedish Power Boat Federations chairman to tell
    him the story, but he was already informed.


    Mr. Rosenholtz made a few phone calls to Finland and UIM.
    After a few days I received the Trophy and the price money
    from Finland and I was officially the Scandinavian Champion 1975.

    Thank you Roland Rosenholtz


    Photo from the Race

    Lars Strom Boat # 1 (Looks like I am losing my helmet!!)

    Bo Nilsson Boat # 6

    PS. Next story: Lars is swimming again....
    Attached Images Attached Images
    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/

  3. #133
    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Default One more thing after the Race in Forssa, Finland.

    Paul Kalb called me and was upset with me not having spray paint on the gear case and
    told me to paint them in the future.
    I did, but the bad news was it did not slow me down and the next story is about that
    and the European/Continental SE Championship in Sabadia, Italy.

    I was asked by Paul if I like to drive his/OMC's SE Clerici or my own boat in that Race, and that
    got interesting to, after I took a swim in a local Race in Stockholm with my own very fast boat.


    My wife is telling me it is time for a Midsummer break and we are heading to Tan-Tar-A Resort
    at Lake of the Ozarks for the weekend without the laptop......


    Happy Midsummer


    http://www.tan-tar-a.com/
    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/

  4. #134
    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Default Back after a fun weekend at the Lake

    Are working on the next story, and it is about all the rumours before
    my next swim and the big race in Sabadia, Italy 1975.

    The SE European/Continental Championship

    __________________________________________________ ______________

    Rest in Peace, Scott Kalitta
    You where one of my Racing Heros
    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/

  5. #135
    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Default First time in the history of the SE class, 3 years in a row

    After the Race in Forsaa, Finland and my enormous success in the SE class the past 3 years winning over
    50 races rumors was circulating that I had a special engine from OMC.

    Well, I DID NOT and the engine I used on my own Clerici SE boat 1975 was a stock short leg 75 Hp
    Evinrude from my inventory at my dealership.

    A legal higher compression cylinder head was the only change, and the race power trim and stiff
    rubber mount.

    I can tell the truth now, and the speed advantage was from the boat and the set up and my driving
    style.
    One way to get the much higher top speed was to raise the engine up much higher than normal race set up.
    The stock gear case was like a brake, and I was 2-3" above everybody else, BUT that made it very difficult
    to drive/handle the boat.
    The prop lost the grip, and the engine lost the cooling water but the trick was to just before
    the prop lost the grip to use power trim and throttle/steering to avoid that to happen.

    I tested for many days and weeks how far you could drive before the engine started to overheat,
    and that was around 900 meters.

    I lost many power heads before I found out a way to back of just a little to pick up enough water to cool
    the engine on the straight a way before the turn.

    On top of that you have to use the power trim in and out in a special way to make the "air bag" under the tunnel to lift the boat
    and I have to say that was my best advantage.

    The Big race this year was Sabadia Italy, and I called friends in Italy to find out about this new
    place for the race and was told that it is in a Lagoon, shallow water and flat water.

    That was for me great news, and I worked on raising the engine even higher on the transom and
    picked up a few more MPH.

    There was a local race in Stockholm before the Big one, and I used that race as a test, and hooked
    and rolled.
    Damage the boat, a few days after I told Paul Kalb that I preferred to race my own boat instead
    of the factory SE boat.

    I got help to repair my boat just in time to make it to Italy.

    Normally I was hiding everything I was doing, (learned from Molinari) but for this Big race I changed that
    and parked the boat in the pit so everybody could see my set up and prop.
    I told the Race officials that I want my engine inspected before the race to put an end to "the special engine"
    rumor.

    They said No, but told me that my engine is going to be inspected very seriously after the race if I was
    the winner.

    I have never felt so ready to win a race and now all the good things started to happen.

    Around 35 boats was at the race, and most drivers looked at my race set up and started to raise
    up there engines higher. That was my plan...

    Mercury had maybe 10 drivers using the 650 XS.
    4 heat, 3 counts and clock start and I was pretty good at them and took the start and turned first
    and just pulled away on this long 2 turn race course.
    Many drivers was hooking left and right, because they could not drive with the engine that high.

    This Race was for me a perfect race. I won 3 heat in a row and did not Race the last one and asked
    the officials to start taking my engine apart and they did.

    The power head, mid section even the gear case to check gears and impeller and everybody could now see it was a stock 75 hp Evinrude.
    Never worked on the ports or pistons.
    Just standard.

    Lots of disappointed people when my engine was cleared, but Lars was happy and the European Champion for the third consecutive year.


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

    I won the SE European/Continental championship 4 times.

    1973 in Lappenranta, Finland
    1974 in Evian, France
    1975 in Sabaudia, Italy
    1976 in Nora, Sweden... (Yes, I used the new FT 19 S this year and that is an other story later)
    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/

  6. #136
    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Default Top speed on my SE Clerici Evinrude 75

    I been asked by PM how fast my SE boat was going.

    The answer is around 85-90 MPH, in good weather condition.



    Newspaper photo of my 1975 SE Clerici/Evinrude 75hp
    Attached Images Attached Images
    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. #137
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    Default

    Lars,

    If I remember correctly the 'Flying Farmer' from England was Nick Cripps.

  8. #138
    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Stuart King View Post
    Lars,

    If I remember correctly the 'Flying Farmer' from England was Nick Cripps.


    Thank you Stuart,

    I think you are right.

    Was not really 100% sure, but Nick Cripps later moved to the Bahamas
    and I visited him there.
    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. #139
    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Default Found this old photo

    The man in the yellow Johnson jacket is OMC´s Race Mechanic Jean,
    Do not remember how to spell his name correct, but he was very helpful to me
    over the years. (from OMC Belgium)
    The man smoking a cigarette is Rutger Friberg and he was the
    Swedish drivers team leader.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    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/

  10. #140
    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Default Using Boatracing success to sell Real Estate works...

    Yes, I sold Water front properties in Florida a few years.
    Attached Images Attached Images
    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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