Dave Koffel is an American gasser drag racer.[1]
Koffel drove a dark blue 1949 Packard, dubbed Flintstone Flyer, in E/Gas.[2] He later drove a 1959 Studebaker, Flintstone Flyer Too, in F/G.[3]
The Packard, built in Koffel's garage, had a 292 cu in (4,790 cc) Chevrolet V8 (from a 1961 Corvette) and a four-speed manual transmission.[4] The motor was a 283 cubic inch motor that was bored out to achieve 292 cubic inches.
In 1961, Koffel fitted the car with fuel injection, setting a new NHRA national record in E/G at 13.33 seconds and 104.04 mph (167.44 km/h) at the NHRA Nationals at Indianapolis Raceway Park.[5] Koffel went on to win the 1962 NHRA E/G national title, with a pass of 13.71 seconds at 102.85 mph (165.52 km/h).[6] It was his first gasser class title.
In 1963, Koffel replaced the steel front end panels with custom fiberglass items produced by Walt Sari of Ashtabula, Ohio.[7] With the fiberglass panels fitted, Flintstone Flyer won the F/G national title at the 1963 Nationals in Indianapolis. He recorded a pass of 13.69 seconds at 101.80 mph (163.83 km/h).[8]
Notes
[edit]Sources
[edit]- Davis, Larry. Gasser Wars, North Branch, MN: Cartech, 2003, pp. 13, 183, and 187.