Super Swede ... Lars Strom

[Lars Strom]

Japp..that´s why I put the little yellow spot there..

I raced there 11 times..1973 to 1986.

If I remember right, one lap was just under 3 miles long and hundreds
of thousands of people was watching the race.

When you tell people about racing in Sweden, Italy, USA, England, South Africa etc.
they maybe listening..but when you tell them you raced 6 hours on the river Seine
next to the Eiffel tower in the center of Paris.. they always want to know more..

Check this video..including Cesari Scotti, a young Jack Leek, Jimbo McConnell and more..


Paris 6 Hour Enduro 1968
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POEkV6D0OWI

[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.

...

A new photo from Bengt Martinsson..Thank you

This is a great photo for a few reasons..

First..one of my best friends Christer "Monstret" Eriksson is holding my SE Clerici/Evinrude/FT-19s at the European Championship race in Nora, Sweden 1976.
Erik later died in a Helicopter crash flying to oil rigs outside the coast of Louisiana

Ron Hill was also a good friend of Christer "Monstret" Eriksson.

One of few photos I have of Erik.. and my very fast Clerici..

[Mark75H]

Thanks, Lars.

I like these pictures and the stories behind them

[Master Oil Racing Team]

I agree with Sam.

[Lars Strom]

Thank you Sam and Wayne..
I just wish I had have a digital camera back then..

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The only way to see that I was using the new Evinrude FT-19 S at the picure in post #328
is the little sticker back on the cowling..red arrow..

[Powerabout]

I'm amazed that OMC madde a race engine with a heavy lower (pan) and upper cowl?

[Lars Strom]

The stock Mod 50/OE/F-3 engine used the same cowling as the FT-19S
... later the OE/F-3 engine used a different cowling..

Well..it was good "enuff" to beat the competition...
$3,800.00 was a very good price to..


EDIT..
Merc 650 XS and 650/700 X used plastic..but did not have any power..!!!
Sorry Merc fans..

[Master Oil Racing Team]

All I can say is that those compact low gravity packages look like brutes.

[Ron Hill]

A new photo from Bengt Martinsson..Thank you

This is a great photo for a few reasons..

First..one of my best friends Christer "Monstret" Eriksson is holding my SE Clerici/Evinrude/FT-19s at the European Championship race in Nora, Sweden 1976.
Erik later died in a Helicopter crash flying to oil rigs outside the coast of Louisiana

Ron Hill was also a good friend of Christer "Monstret" Eriksson.

One of few photos I have of Erik.. and my very fast Clerici..

It was usually about this time of the year that Eric would show up from Sweden. He worked part time for Morgan Craft Boats, who just closed their doors last month after fifty years in the Mercury business.

Bob at Morgan Craft always joked that he weighed Eric when he came to work and when he went home at nght...I never really believed that Eric would take anything without Bob knowing about it, or he'd never hire him year after year.

I'm not sure how many winters Erik came to California, but we usually stuffed his baggage with props when he headed back to Sweden.

He never failed to brag about the Great Lars Strom, his GOOD FRIEND.

At least once, seems maybe twice, Erick worked the LA Boat Show for us. He would never take any money for working, said he'd get even with me on props, and he probably did. I remember him having a big cell phone about the size of a 12 volt battery....It worked pretty well, but weighed a ton..

I never like the idea of him becoming a helicopter pilot,as my dad often said, "Flying was for the birds.." But Eric seemed to love those thinks. His demise, wasn't his fault you told me. I miss the guy....He seems so full fo life.....it gives me good feeling to think about him...

Thanks for posting the picture of him!!!

ADD: His English wasn't too well but while working boat shows it kept us from being bored!

[Lars Strom]

Thanks Ron..nice comments and we all miss the very colorful Christer "Monstret" Eriksson..


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I have done some of my Racing Stories on Facebook and comments like this below from a
French Power Boat Racer makes it so much more fun..
Thank you Antoine Sire.. and a picture of your SE class boat..

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..from Facebook today..

Thanks Lasse,

Nice pictures, great times, so much fun, so much danger for such an uncertain glory.
You were the king of the 75 Stinger !
When I was 16 you were one of my idols. I built paper models of the boats of that time : Clerici, Burgess, Cougars...
Then at 17 I began to race in the national SEN class, I had no money, just found sponsors. Although sometimes a bit too cautious to be really fast, my best achievements were SE French Champion in 1984 and 2nd overall at the Rouen 24 hours with a 2.4 Mercury V6 in 1990.
I also came 5th in OE at the Paris 6 hours in 1981 teaming with Claudine Corchia. While my biggest passion has always been motor racing, I cherish this boating period, when I was given a chance to approach such briliant people as Cees Van der Velden, Renato Molinari, John Hill.
At that time we didn't know each other and you were a thousand times better driver than I was, but I am happy that we are finally friend on facebook.
Now I do some motor racing and was lucky enough to finish 4th in the Belgian Funcup Championship in 2010.

Antoine Sire

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