Re: What makes for a ‘racing’ lower unit?

[Mumbles]

With the propeller in front of the gearcase, the blades are biting into undisturbed water but when the prop is at the rear, the blades have to grab water which is swirling around having just come over the gearcase and this makes for less tractive force. When being raced, the tractor units would out perform a conventional rear mounted unit in the straight stretches but would lose any advantage gained while going thru the turns. Apparently the tractor units became a handfull to operate in the turns and would have to slow down and then be passed by the rest of the fleet.