Thread: Super Swede ... Lars Strom

  1. #151
    Team Member mintominto's Avatar
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    Hi Lars,

    Here's your request,

    The 850cc competitors list from the 1975 Cardiff programme.

    Hope it's OK.
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  2. #152
    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Thank you Mintominto

    Very good,

    I am working on translating the story.

    Bo Nilsson and me went together to the Cardiff race, and after that to
    Amsterdam.

    I do not remember if Amsterdam was 2 x 1,5 hour or 3 hour Race.

    The Cardiff race very interesting because the ON World Championship
    took place at the same time and one of the reasons we went there.

    After you read my story, please let me know if you remember the race the
    same way.
    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. #153
    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Default Team Bo Nilsson and me.

    Back in Sweden I made a deal with friend and the always hard racer Bo Nilsson to go to the Race in
    Cardiff, England and Amsterdam.

    Took my trailer to a welding shop and they spent a week to change the trailer into a two boat trailer
    and it turned out pretty good.

    We had never been to England before so I called Thor Line and made a really good deal for tickets
    on the big ferry. Pretty expensive at that time with car and the trailer.
    It is a 24 hour trip so you
    need a cabin to.

    Everything was at the last minute, and we was running late to Gothenburg and the Thor terminal.

    The big heavy trailer slowed my Opel Station wagon down, and we got to Gothenburg just in time to see
    the big ship leave, without us.

    Bad start and we went to a Cargo Line Company and they promised us to make space for our car
    and trailer.
    The ship left a few hours later, but this ship was heading somewhere else in GB, and there was no
    cabin so we had to sleep in the Opel.

    The captain of the ship was friendly and he promised us that we are going to be the first ones off the ship.
    Driving to Cardiff was going to take many hours and we where late,
    because we missed the first ferry.

    Docked in England I was ready to go and Bo was reading the map.
    We left the ferry as the first car and I was driving true the big port and got the big surprise
    a few minutes later,
    when we found out we was on the wrong side of the road....

    Bad mistake, but driving on the left side of the road was a new thing for me and we was in a hurry.
    We arrived in Cardiff just in time to make the race.

    Well, the race was in a big dock like a giant swimming pool and my boat was not set up for
    that extremely ruff water and no time to change that before start

    After 10 minutes in the race I parked the boat to watch Bo race, but he parked next to me and we watch the SE race together.

    This was not a big race for the SE class, but the ON World Championship took place at the same time and was part of
    the reason we went to Cardiff

    As a big Evinrude fan I wanted to see Cees VD Velden, that just switch from Mercury to Johnson
    win the race.

    I think this was the first Race OMC used a new type of mid section, instead of the old kind of
    ugly looking longer mid section.

    I remember Renato Molinari and Bob Herring had the new look Molinari boats, really low and smooth

    Cees did pretty good but I think he had a bad incident and damage the boat Saturday, but was allowed
    to take off the engine and bring the boat somewhere else overnight to have it fixed.

    Sunday morning Cees was ready to race again and the ruff water was a problem for the bigger
    boats to and after a really good race Cees VD Velden was the new ON World Champion.
    I remember being invited to a party at this big fancy building with the Lotus F1 owner
    Colin Chapman.

    Well, my race weekend was nothing to brag about but I fell in love with Boat racing in GB and
    that was the start of many good races for me in GB.

    After the race, we stayed in London for a few days, before Bo and me was heading to Amsterdam
    to try to stay out off trouble..... and that's next story
    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. #154
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    [QUOTE=Lars Strom;56782]When I was back in Sweden after the Race in Italy I received a letter from USA.
    I could not wait to open it, and it was from Bill Muncey and an entry form for the Race of Champions
    at the Miami Marine Stadium.

    If I remember right there was 15 SE Cats rigged with an Evinrude 75 hp.
    All the boats prepared the same way and the plan was to find the best driver in the world.

    This was it for me, my big dream to travel to the United States and Race.

    I filled out the entry form with my racing resume and photos.

    I was 100% sure to be part of this dream race but after a few weeks I received a new letter from
    Bill Munceys race of Champions, with disastrous news.

    I did not qualify, you had to be a World Champ and there was no World Championship race in the
    SE class back then.
    I was now 3 times European/Continental Champion, but not good enough.

    I asked Evinrude in Sweden and OMC to help me and they tried, but the answer was still no.

    At that time I felt like the whole world was coming to an end, but life went on.............. and the Race,............................................. .................................................. ............
    .................................................. .................................................. .............................. the race of champions Lars speaks of ...........the boats were Seebolds .....................
    Set up & tested to within 1/2 mph by PAUL BENDER . he was gonna be an alternate driver, if the need had arisen. To equalize the speed ,he had to add weight to some boats . I believe those boats were later sold for $3500 each, ready to race (complete )

  5. #155
    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Default Race of Champions

    Roy Hodges,

    What happen to your reply about the Race of Champions???

    I am still disappointed I missed that opportunity.
    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. #156
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    Default Race of champions

    Quote Originally Posted by Lars Strom View Post
    Roy Hodges,

    What happen to your reply about the Race of Champions???

    I am still disappointed I missed that opportunity.
    ................................................
    .................................................. .................................................. ..................................
    Look at the bottom of page 16 (previous page ) it's still there . I don't blame you for being dissapointed , i would be too, if i were a top racer back then ( I WAS NOT) .- Roy

  7. #157
    Team Member mintominto's Avatar
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    CARDIFF 1975,

    Your story is pretty much as it happened. Cees and Tom Percival battled closely on day 1 swapping the lead several times in the opening heat.
    Cees eventually took the win but the inside rear of the left hand sponson blew out on his return to the pits. This left Percival as overnight points leader after an easy 2nd heat win with Cees absent.

    The boat was taken to the Cougar yard in Southampton (some distance) where Chris Hodges worked all night on the repair, all this took place under strict supervision from a race official.

    Cees returned to Cardiff on day 2 needing to win both the remaining heats. The 3rd heat produced one of the most entertaining races ever seen, yet again both drivers trading the lead at almost every turn. Cees seemed to be quicker in one direction with Percival having the advantage in the opposite, eventually Cees just edged it to take the win.

    Just when heat 4 promised more of the same, Percival's T3 suffered electrical problems. I think Cees realized he could now afford to nurse the boat home and allowed Bob Hering to pass him and take the final heat. Enough points were gained for Cees to be world ON champion, all in all a great meeting apart from the miserable weather.

    Cardiff docks still remain as a venue for the occasional meeting until present day, although much local development has taken place making the entire area almost unrecognizable compared with back in the day.

    Seems like you were out of luck for the Cardiff meeting right from the start, what with just missing the ferry followed by an unexpected long road journey. Sometimes you just kinda know when things start like that it aint gonna be your weekend.
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  8. #158
    lil timmy tthibodaux's Avatar
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    Hey Lars, did you race in the US against the World race in Miami in about 1984?? That was the last time I remember going to Miami Marine Stadium to race. Don't remember who all was there besides Seebold, Buck Thorton, John Sherlock and dad but I do remember it was a great race!!
    THIBODAUX RACING... Timmy Thibodaux

  9. #159
    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Default The Race of Champions, Miami Florida

    Quote Originally Posted by Roy Hodges View Post
    ................................................
    .................................................. .................................................. ..................................
    Look at the bottom of page 16 (previous page ) it's still there . I don't blame you for being dissapointed , i would be too, if i were a top racer back then ( I WAS NOT) .- Roy

    Hi again Roy,

    Thanks for the info.

    I did not know they used Seebold boats, and Evinrude engines, odd combination.

    Please, let us know more about the Race, do you remember the 15 drivers? and the winner?

    I remember Roger Jenkins was in the Race, and I asked him many times how he finished, but he did not say very much and no info in Europe after the Race.

    No Boatracingfacts back then....

    Any pictures??
    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. #160
    Burgess/Evinrude F1 V8 Lars Strom's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by tthibodaux View Post
    Hey Lars, did you race in the US against the World race in Miami in about 1984?? That was the last time I remember going to Miami Marine Stadium to race. Don't remember who all was there besides Seebold, Buck Thorton, John Sherlock and dad but I do remember it was a great race!!
    Hi again Timmy,

    No, I did not race there.

    I raced in Minneapolis and Pittsburgh F1 V8,
    and all my F1 racing started in 1983.

    I am planning to write all those stories to, but many years of F3 racing first.

    Thanks for asking and reading.
    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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