Mercury Racing is pleased to announce the introduction of the all-new Mercury 60 EFI FormulaRace outboard. The 60 horsepower in-line four-cylinder engine expands Racing's breadth of low-emissions four-strokes; an offspring of the venerable Verado 350 SCi outboard. The two join Mercury Racing's line of OptiMax "XS" series of low-emissions two-stroke consumer outboards.

The engine, built at Mercury Marine's state-of-the-art outboard manufacturing facility in Suzhou, China, was designed specifically to meet increasing demand for engines in support of the popular Mercury FormulaFour outboard tunnel boat racing series. The series, featuring one-design 14-foot tunnel race boats powered by a production Mercury 60 EFI Four-Stroke outboard, was originated by Brunswick Marine Sweden and their dealer Mikael Frodé.

Although racing is basically exempt from emissions regulations, event promoters are beginning to realize that they need to create new classes and/or update existing boats with emissions compliant power. The 60 EFI FormulaRace provides racers and promoters with an affordable modern engine which is also environmentally responsible. Racing communities throughout Germany, Poland, China and the Middle East have expressed interest in the Mercury FormulaFour series.

Back to the Future

The 60 EFI FormulaRace features a production 60 horsepower four-cylinder powerhead mounted on a short (15 inch - 381 mm) shaft, die-cast mid section with race-inspired solid upper and lower mounts. Power is transferred to the water through the production 1.83:1 gearcase. A line of Mercury Racing Lab Finished® stainless steel propellers are available. An accessories kit sold with the engine includes competition steering bars.

The 15 inch mid section, five inches shorter than a normal (20 inch - 508 mm) model, lowers the engine's center of gravity. The lower center of gravity, combined with solid engine mounts, enhances boat handling and overall performance.

North American tunnel boat racing is stagnant in regards to new entries into the sport. Entry level classes currently feature antiquated "dirty" OMC 45 and 60 race engines which have been out of production for years. Turn-key, entry-level equipment is non-existent. The American Power Boat Association is working to bring new interest into the sport of outboard tunnel boat racing with the launch of a one-design class for the FormulaRace – modeled off the successful Mercury FormulaFour series in Europe.