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...

[Master Oil Racing Team]

Really look forward to each part of your story Lars. Thought I'd throw in a pic of Roger Jenkins and his Volvo motor as part of your story.

[Lars Strom]

Wayne

I raced Roger Jenkins for many years and we were sometimes good friends
but many times at war...

I visited Roger as a friend 1991 last time at his house in Wales, and
stayed there for a few days.

We where drinking Carlberg beer, laughing about old days and that was a lot of fun.

Thank you Roger,

You made my Racing so much better

[Lars Strom]

After Auronzo, Italy Bo and I took my Chevy Cheyenne Full size 4x4 Blazer to OMC in Bruges, Belgium
to prepare an OE Boat for Amsterdam and Rotterdam. (OMC paid for the fuel).

OMC booked us at the Hotel Sofitel, together with all the drivers from the USA.

We had a really good time at this fancy Hotel and I remember one of the US race drivers drove his Rental car
through the automatic big glass doors all the way up to the front desk.

Well, they did not like than, so he just turned the little rental car around and drove out from the
Hotel ..!!!!

No, I am not telling you who that was... but the Hotel complained to OMC about the little incident.

At the factory Paul Kalb told us we could use two of his boats, but I did not like them.
Bo picked one and I told Paul that I rather drive my own SE boat in the two Races.
The problem was that my boat was in Sweden.

Paul told me he pay for the transport so I called World Famous Christer Monstret Eriksson in Sweden.
24 hours later my Boat was in Amsterdam.

That Race was very ruff and many boats broke, but my Clerici was strong and very good.

I won both Races, and Bo had bad luck and did not finish any Race.

Next Race was Paris 6 hours and I picked Bo as my co-pilot in a Paul Kalb OMC OE Boat.

I don't know, but Paul always ordered boats that was no so good.

On page 7, story # 69 is all my Paris 6 hour experience.

Please, go back and read.

Paris was always the last Race of the season.

Next story is about 1977, and Lars is for the first and only time unfaithful to my Evinrude Love.

[Lars Strom]

I found a photo of Bo Nilsson.

Bo is to the right (Lars to the left)
We raced for many years and are still very good friends.
I talked to Bo today.
He is in the horse racing business now.

[Lars Strom]

The 2 Hours of Duvnäsviken or The Swedish 2 Hours GP

This race took place in Nacka, my little hometown a few miles outside Stockholm.
Actually where my Dealer ship was located.

Normally this race was in the summertime, but no permit from the local government so Per Benson
the Officer of the Day for the Race changed date to late October.

This was a very popular race, and a mix of all kind of race boats.

I remember there was frost in the morning, before the race.

Well, Barry Woods told me the year before in Amsterdam that they used Texas Boots in the
Formula 5000 cars in USA.
So I put my new Texas boots on and headed for the race and people looked funny at me.

Are you going to race like that? was the question from lots of people.
My answer was yes.

The race was fun with a mix of Outboards, Inboards, Offshore Boats and SE boats.

After two hours, a really ice cold driver with Texas Boots was the overall winner, and everybody was
shaking there heads...and I was laughing.

[Master Oil Racing Team]

A great story Lars. Here is an article that appeared in the January 1977 issue of Powerboat & Waterskiing.

[Lars Strom]

Hi again Wayne,

I have to be honest.

I remember this "Profile" in Powerboat and Waterskiing Magazine from 1977, but I have not
seen or read it for 30 years.

Thank you so much for posting it.

Well, I got in trouble over that article in Sweden.

Some people in Sweden was very upset that I was not supporting the SB class.
SB was a class for 25 HP outboards and at that time a Junior class.

I should not have made that statement, but we used to call it the "Hot Dog race".

Meaning when they where racing, the spectators went to get Hot Dogs.

31 years later, I think it is time to apologize for that statement.

I am also really happy to see that my Racing stories is matching this article.

Again the last time I read this article was 30 years ago and I got tears in my eyes reading it today.

[LIQUID NIRVANA]

[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

[Lars Strom]

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.