It Was Really Short Sighted Thinking By Sanctioning Bodies - Bullied?
In stock racing the advent of the Merc XS engines in relations to what was already there with the H engines especially in Class D Stock did a disservice to stock racing only sanctioning bodies would let get by. When things only got scarce the way they are getting today and worse are sanctioning bodies looking at alternatives to declining class entries. Class D Stock is about the best example of corporate bullying to sink a whole load of Merc 55Hs from running ever again. Now that things are scarce and there is no Mercury facotry support for class D engines is now left to the hands of private builders to keep the class going. Allowing the Mercury 55Hs to use Mark 58 type 44 cubic inch Mercurys to keep H type engines running was innovative and should be expanded because they are now in principle no different than the Merc 44XS is. All things being relative its interesting that the collector's value of a prime Mercury 55H is not far off the money for a vintage in used condition Mercury 44XS from some disaffected racer, so we are kind of back where things costing similar all over again.
There seems to be some truth that there are a whole bunch of Mercury 55H's ready to be rebuilt to Mark 58 - 44 cube specs if governing bodies in the USA become oriented to serving their members first as opposed to manufacturers interests in keeping things status quo? It would be some show with Merc 44Xs, Mariner 44Xs, Mark 55Hs, Mark "58" Hs and Tohatsu's all out there trying things on for size. That would be racing again. :)