When I was going through photos this weekend, particularly the series of photos I posted of Jerry Simison, I was wondering about reliability of motors in the other outboard categories. Jerry's motors usually didn't quit in a heat, but it happens to the best in Pro racing often enough. I have only been around PRO and OPC racing for the most part. The only time I watched stocks was in conjuction with Pro racing in Florida and the west coast.
In Pro it's common to stick pistons, disentigrate crank bearings, break belts, shuck lower unit gears, have something shake loose, loose lower units, shear pins, break props, lose exhaust stacks, develope water leaks, carb floats pop loose, etc. Generally, anything that can happen will happen.
I figure the mods might have the same types of problems as Pro, but how well to stocks stand up? In any number of Pro races, sometimes they never even leave the pits, and often they don't make the start or break down during the race. Sometimes attrition is high. I never saw attrition as high in the OPC races I went to, but what about stocks and mods? What were some of the problems other outboard categories experienced while under way? I'm not talking about being hosed down and sitting out the race that way, but total or partial engine failure. There are quite a few members who have run in most or all of these categories. What do you think?
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