In the specialized and fiercely competitive world of outboard racing, few names carry the historical weight and technical reverence of Quincy Welding, the trailblazing shop founded by O. F. (Chris) Christner.

What began as a small-town welding and machine shop in Quincy, Illinois, would become one of the most influential forces in the 2-stroke outboard development history, particularly within the high-stakes arenas of professional and modified outboard racing.

From the 1940s through the 1980s, Quincy Welding set new standards in performance, reliability, and mechanical innovation, helping Mercury outboards not only catch up to but surpass industry giants like Johnson and Evinrude, while also challenging elite European contenders such as Konig.

O. F. Christner was born near Mendon, Illinois, and began demonstrating mechanical aptitude at a young age, often repairing farm machinery for his family. By his teenage years, he had become a skilled auto mechanic and later added welding and machining to his resume.

His passion for performance engineering was ignited in the early 1940s when he began experimenting with old two-stroke fishing motors. One of his early triumphs was modifying a 7.5 hp Mercury outboard motor, guided with a tiller handle, to reach a top speed of 32 miles per hour—an impressive feat at the time that hinted at Christner’s potential as one of the most gifted 2-stroke tuners of his generation.

In 1948, Christner opened Quincy Welding & Radiator, and after attending a Chicago boat show with his son David, he crossed paths with Carl Kiekhaefer, the founder of Mercury Outboards. After a conversation that led Christner to drop Neptune motors and commit fully to Mercury, he became an official dealer.

However, he didn’t just sell Mercury outboards—he reinvented them through meticulous 2-stroke tuning and modification, gradually transforming the brand’s stock engines into race-winning machines.

His pioneering work in 2-stroke outboard modifications turned Mercury’s early fishing motors into competitive racing engines that could challenge and beat the top performers from Johnson and Evinrude.

The foundation of Quincy’s technical legacy began with the creation of what became known as the Quincy Modified Mercurys, or Quincy Mods. Christner’s approach to 2-stroke engine tuning was methodical and performance-focused.

• He modified the Mercury powerheads to run on alcohol and nitromethane, enabling higher compression ratios and greater thermal efficiency.

  
  

• Intake and exhaust porting were reshaped to increase volumetric efficiency and improve gas flow.

  
  

• He introduced cylinder head pads—metallic inserts welded into combustion chambers—to change compression ratios and optimize burn characteristics.

  
  

• He reengineered carburetors for better fuel delivery and developed tuned exhaust stacks that improved scavenging and widened the power band.

These modifications laid the groundwork for modern 2-stroke tuning, which continues to be used by enthusiasts and motor builders today.

As Quincy Welding’s reputation grew in 2-stroke outboard development, so did its racing success. The shop became the epicenter of a thriving race team that included Christner’s sons, sons-in-law, and a host of talented drivers.

Throughout the 1950s, Quincy engines racked up championships in the Modified Outboard Racing classes, competing successfully against the dominant Evinrude and Johnson motors of the era.

By offering both complete race motors and a range of custom hardware—including throttle systems, props, life jackets, and ignition gear—Quincy Welding positioned itself not just as an engine builder but as a full-service performance shop dedicated to 2-stroke outboard racing technology.

However, by the mid-1950s, a formidable competitor emerged from Europe. Dieter Konig, a German engineer, began importing his lightweight, high-revving race motors into the U.S. racing scene.

Konig engines used advanced features such as megaphone exhausts and loop-charged scavenging, presenting a serious challenge to Quincy’s Mercury-based 2-stroke outboards. But O. F. Christner was never one to back down from innovation.

He responded by designing and implementing his open megaphone exhaust systems on the Quincy-modified Mercury engines. This enhancement led to a new generation of performance motors dubbed the Quincy Mercs, which continued to hold their own against Konig and other rising competitors.

The true breakthrough, however, came in 1963 with the introduction of the Quincy Looper—a design that represented a seismic shift in 2-stroke outboard engine development. Prior Mercury engines, including the Mods, relied on deflector pistons for scavenging.

The Looper replaced this with a loop-charged scavenging system, allowing the use of flat-top pistons and producing a far more efficient and powerful combustion cycle. In this configuration, fresh air-fuel mixture entered the combustion chamber and was directed across and around the piston crown in a looping path, significantly improving cylinder filling and reducing fuel loss through the exhaust port.

With dual exhaust stacks exiting both sides of the cylinder block, the Looper had both aesthetic and functional appeal, quickly becoming one of the most iconic engines in modified outboard racing history.

The performance gains were immediate. D Hydro class boats, which had previously topped out near 75 mph, suddenly found themselves running nearly 30 mph faster with a Quincy Looper on the transom.

These engines were so dominant that they redefined what was possible with 2-stroke outboard powerplants, becoming a benchmark not only in the United States but globally.

From 1963 to the early 1970s, the Quincy Loopers helped establish total dominance in alky-fueled classes. Racers like Jerry Waldman, David Christner, Earl Hull, and Jim Schoch brought home countless national titles, solidifying Quincy Welding’s role as one of the most important contributors to 2-stroke performance tuning in the racing world.

Waldman’s unmatched achievement of winning five national championships in one year—all with Quincy engines—stands as a high-water mark for any outboard racer.

In 1969, O. F. Christner’s contributions caught the attention of Mercury once again, and he was brought on to work at the company’s secretive Lake X testing facility in Florida.

There, he applied his knowledge of 2-stroke tuning and experimental development to help Mercury evaluate endurance engines and prototype powerheads. Even as he worked behind closed doors for Mercury, Christner remained deeply engaged in the evolution of 2-stroke outboard modifications.

Upon returning to Quincy in 1975, Christner—working alongside his youngest son, Paul—designed the Quincy Z Looper, a next-generation racing motor built to compete in a rapidly changing environment. The Z Looper incorporated more advanced scavenging strategies and port timing refinements, but initial reliability challenges kept it from immediate success.

That changed in 1977, when Jeff Kugler, using a Z engine in his first professional race, won the national title in M Hydro at Alexandria, Louisiana. Soon, Z Loopers were once again setting and resetting speed records, especially in the 125, 250, and 350 Runabout classes.

In 1984, O. F. Christner retired, and Quincy Welding officially closed its doors. The company’s racing operations were taken over by Jack Kugler and Larry Latta, while Christner moved to Florida.

Yet, even in retirement, his passion for innovation endured. He developed a groundbreaking 2-cycle engine that required no oil in the fuel mixture, a concept so far ahead of its time that it was patented in 1999, when Christner was 87 years old.

In 1991, O. F. Christner was inducted into the APBA Honor Squadron, a tribute to his monumental contributions to professional and modified 2-stroke outboard racing. The citation acknowledged that his modified Mercury-based engines had powered countless competitors into the sport and set enduring records in speed and reliability.

His legacy lives on through the vintage racing community, where restored Quincy Mods, Quincy Mercs, and Quincy Loopers continue to compete in exhibitions and historic races.

O. F. Christner passed away in 2003, marking the close of one of the most impactful careers in 2-stroke engine development history. His wife Vera, who created the memorable “Mr. Quincy” advertising character, passed in 2008. Together, they built a family-run company that punched far above its weight, delivering innovation that pushed the entire outboard racing industry forward.

Quincy Welding was more than a business—it was a proving ground for American ingenuity, a place where 2-stroke outboard modifications turned fishing motors into race champions.

Through hands-on experimentation, deep mechanical insight, and fearless innovation, O. F. Christner changed the trajectory of 2-stroke outboard tuning forever, leaving behind a legacy that continues to ripple through the waters of racing history.