Michael Werner was one of the top UIM drivers in OE and he competed with a Merc.
Michael Werner was one of the top UIM drivers in OE and he competed with a Merc.
Hi Guys!!!
I was involved in the the Mod-50 Hydro project. A few comments; I don't think the PRO and OPC Nationals were on the same weekend. And, I don't think OMC knew about the project. I say this as Jack Leek talked to me while standing next to the hydro on top of my car and thought it was one of our PRO boats.
Lee
If I remember correctly..................
Michael Werner's OE Mercury engine had Bosch fuel injection while the the Merc Mod 50 engines had carbs. This may have been part of the reason for Michael's success in OE/Mod 50.
In the same time period there were 2 Mod 50 Merc's being run here in Canada on hydro's by Ron and Steve Allison. Hydroplanes and tunnel hulls were run together in Canada for a few years and it made for some very interesting racing.
Glenn
Hi again,
I was heavily involved in this class and know more or less everything that happen during 1975 and up in Europe...
The biggest conflict was in the OE World Sprint Championship
Brodenbach Germany 1977..
There is a story about that year 1977...
Thread... "Super Swede Lars Strom"
and my plan is to continue with the next 10 years of my racing..
click below
http://www.boatracingfacts.com/forum...t=6727&page=22
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/
Seems I went to Hinton, and sold my DeSilva runabout, so I had room on my trailer to bring home some antiques for my house... I was going from Hinton to Janesville, Wisconsin and Dayton was on the way. Seems to me, DePue was the first week of August like it has been for almost 50 years... Rained Monday thur about Wednesday....Then, they started racing at Dayton's Hydro Globe...
Those two FJJ were sight to see. Most were Allisons and with two big Merc 150's, I didn't want to be racing with those guys...
Seems, Lee Sutter didn't even show up til about Saturday morning in time for driver's meeting. As I recall he had a crew of NONE.....I helped him and I was helping John Rinker....Only boat racers there that I actually knew...
I kind of bitched at Lee the first heat, telling him he could REALLY hurt himself with that hydro out there with all those big boats...After he won that first heat...the clamps were lose..seems the pro was too...Lee did about 40 things, while I was trying to tighten the clamps...
The five minute gun fired, we were still pouring in gas....Lee was gone and I hadn't told him to becareful...Seems he might not have won the second heat, but he knew he had the points to win...
Realistically, Lee Sutter was one of the smartest boat racers of our era...
Seems this engine might have come from Ron Anderson, and even Mercury might not have know Lee was at Dayton...Lee never worked for Mercury...
I helped John Rinker, I got a third the first heat...I told him if he could beat those guys to the first turn he could win.....I said, "Just like Sutter did..." John blew over just at the first turn buoy and broke his back....
John told me the best thing about the blow over was he got out of Production at Rinker Boats and got in to development....and Rinker Boats began to grow...
Pro Nationals in 1976 was at Winona. We had been having low water at DePue, and Bob and Judy Smith...et al, (a little lawyer lingo there) were doing a fantastic job with the Midwest Power Boat Association).
I was out of racing by then and didn't know about that race. It was great to read about it. Lee Sutter was at the top of the heap of outboard racers from those days. He is a good guy and knows his stuff. Lee was familiar with both styles of hulls, and he was shrewd in his tactics to win.
Come on Lee/Dad...this is a great story. Tell us some the behind the scenes facts, about the testing, and about how much accelation it had before you had back off b/c it vibrated so much. I believe Lee won at two classes in Winona (250 hydro and runabout) and Ron Anderson won in 350 hydro at Winona then took Ron's hydro (blue A&H) over to Dayton the next weekend to run Mod 50 to try and beat OMC who was dominating the class at the time. Jimbo and Jeff Brown.
[QUOTE=Sutter's Gold Jr.;69692]Come on Lee/Dad...this is a great story. Tell us some the behind the scenes facts, about the testing, and about how much accelation it had before you had back off b/c it vibrated so much. I believe Lee won at two classes in Winona (250 hydro and runabout) and Ron Anderson won in 350 hydro at Winona then took Ron's hydro (blue A&H) over to Dayton the next weekend to run Mod 50 to try and beat OMC who was dominating the class at the time. Jimbo and Jeff Brown............................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ............Jeff might have lost , anyways, but a cracked magnet in his flywheel causing his mod 50 motor to miss as soon as it reached 6000 rpm , and not going over 6000made it a dead dog . Tom Ireland, the OWNER of Jeffs boat was beside himself. His Sport E also ran crappy (2 cylinders) at the OPC Nats. I was there , and talked a lot with Tom . I got there late Friday nite, No rooms available ( the NRA had their annual shooting championships the same weekend . I slept in the front seat of BOB LARSON's pickup.
Last edited by Roy Hodges; 03-12-2009 at 11:15 PM. Reason: spelling
I'm with you Chris. Your Dad was not only one of the great racers of his day, but was part of some historical events, not to mention a part also of historical figures. Some time back Lee and I traded e mails about him signing some pics for my autograph collection. He was more than happy to, but on my part, I haven't made the prints. My scanner is not doing well, and I wanted to send some good ones. Two I had in mind appeared in Powerboat when he won at Winona. I usually send an extra copy of the photos I want autographed. When I send them, I will include a set for you because you have been good at posting stuff here on BRF, and I enjoy your input. Both mine and your Dad's were good friends and we always had a good time in you're Dad's company. Lee has soooo much to tell. I hope you can convince him to let some of it out.
I was 15 yrs old at the time, lived next door to a designer from the race group, watched them test Hauenstiens bellcraft with the mod 50 kilo motor on it, Fred, Olaf AAen,Anderson, and otheres would be there, that got me into this, Terry Robinson was the guy, i went mod 50 racin with him a bunch in those years,whenever broken boats werent bein fixed, those sure were the days, I bought that bellcraft after Fred was done runnin it, should have put it away somewhere
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