Copy of story from page 2, # 11
1977 was also the year when Molinari started Racing for OMC, but Renatos deal was with OMC USA,
not Belgium.
I had a brand new Mod 50/F3 Molinari Boat on order and an Evinrude engine for that boat, but after a meeting
with the BIG man at Volvo Penta, Sweden we made a deal and I got my biggest check ever (at that time) to
Race Volvo Penta/Konig in Mod 50/F3 1977.
I went to Como, to pick up my new boat, and to Clerici to pick up a second boat if the Molinari Boat
did not work with the Volvo.
Direct to Dieter Konig, West Berlin to install engines and after that Uppsala, Sweden where
the Volvo Penta outboard factory was located, and Gert Lowisin was living next door.
My deal with Volvo was to have Gert Lowisin 24/7 to help me that year in racing, and Gert was a very
good man to have on your side.
This was a very interesting year for me in Racing, and I raced more or less every weekend somewhere
in Europe, and when "that thing" on the transom stayed together I Won, but most of the times it came a part.
Believe it or not, but I raced Paris 6 hours with a Konig..... and was leading with many laps after
4 hours, when I hit something and sank.... not the engine this time.
We used 50/50 Gasoline/Methanol and it did not take away to many horsepower.
The Sprint World Champion Ship OE that year was in Brodenbach, and OMC was not very happy
with Lars racing a Volvo and Jenkins Racing a Archimedes. (Same thing)
Michael Werner was the home favorite with Mercury's secret F3 engine with the EFI box.
OMC at that time did not have the speed, and where using the "Gas in a bottle" ( laughing gas), to make it better,
but the officials of the Race said it was not legal, so OMC never raced and filed a protest.
I was fighting hard with Werner and won one heat, he the next etc. and it was down to the final heat
I had to win on a better time and I did, but then the Race officials said that my heat was 2/10 of a second
slower than Werner's so he was now the World Champ. (at that time they used stop watches)
I don't now if it was right or wrong, but a week later UIM made a decision about the OMC protest and the Race
was not a official World Championship Race anymore.
There is many stories about my year with Volvo/Konig and I can go back to that later.
When it comes to money, it was a very good year but I did not get the Trophy's I wanted so after Paris
6 Hours I told Volvo that, I am out.
Volvo did not have a problem with that and late 1978, the Volvo Penta outboards
was history.
Not many people know that, but Volvo Penta Outboards was the first one the Japanese Outboards
put out of business.
Well, maybe they killed them self with poorly designed production outboards.....