Page 7 - Nitro Madness Magazine Fall 2017
P. 7

THE

            the engine torque on the chassis provided excellent                        Linkage
            handling under power for their relatively short chassis
            After some modifications in ’67, it was the best                           Source !!!
            handling and best performing of the several AA/FDs
            we raced in the ‘60s.”                                                                         Melissa
                                                                          Manifolds
              Their last driver, Dave Edstrom, would go on to           New
            build and race a rear-engine AA/FD.  Suffering from
            diabetes, he unfortunately would soon become blind.                                                            ®
            Not letting his handicap overcome his love for drag         Monster              See
                                                                                         kinsler.com
            racing, he became the engine builder and tuner for his
            son Mike, who drove their very popular “Blind Faith”                                                    NEW
            AA/Funny Car.  Edstrom passed away in 1991.  Dave
            Anderson had left to race his own car, but later would
            gain fame as the driver of the “Pollution Packer” rocket
            car.  He had some of the first 300+ mph quarter-mile
            runs as well as setting several records at Bonneville.     DRAGON  CLAW                            Excellent
            Dave sadly lost his life in a rocket car accident and                       We Do                  Durability
            NHRA soon dropped the division which had been                                 It All
                                                                                                                    TM
            created for that class.                                                                    Monster Mesh  Filters
              After several decades away from the sport, former         LS Crossram
            partner Terry Kalvestran, a vice-president at a major                         Our CUSTOM    Huge amounts of
                                                                                           Made Manifolds
                                                                                             Set Records!
            tubing manufacturer in Minneapolis, retired.  Fred                                          premium quality
                                                                                                        filter media for
            Becchetti, also retired after 40 years of teaching and                                      minimum     S.S. Filter
                                                                                                        pressure drop.
                                                                                                                     Mount

            research in Applied Physics, had recently left the                                           Precisely
            University of Michigan.  He told us:  “We had both                                           Repeatable
            been following drag racing and reminiscing about the                                         High
                                                                                                         Speed
            good old days when amateurs like us could race and           HONDA
            be competitive even running a AA/FD part-time while
            attending college.”  This, inevitably, led to discussions                                   Quick Disconnect
            about possibly restoring the BFK ‘flexy-flyer’ between                          WORLD’S           Bypass
                                                                                             Largest
            the two.                                                                             Stocking
                                                                                                    Distributor
              Unfortunately, the team’s other race partner Pete        All Billet Alum                 Kinsler Leak Tester
            Fitzgerald, who had been living in Texas, had recently                                         Check engine leakage;
                                                                                                         barrel valve setting.
            passed away but the pair did contact his widow and                                           Most accurate and
                                                                                                         repeatable on the market
            brother to get their approval  They also brought in
            their old driver Dave Edstrom’s son and former AA/
            FC driver Mike Edstrom as a partner.  After soliciting                             View
            some key advice on the project from local nostalgia                              Catalog
            racer and motor-sports parts manufacturer Roger                                             Precision
                                                                                                          Jets
            Stanke, a meeting in Minneapolis in early 2016
            finalized the plans for the project.                                                      Mark Wallace
                                                                                                      © Dan Kaplan
              “Terry and I would supply the rolling chassis and
            the trailer while Roger would be contracted to build
            the period-correct 392 blown nitro hemi at Stanke           Manufacturing, Sales, & Service.
            Motorsports” said Becchetti.  “Mike would drive the         Constant flow,  Electronic, and  Lucas    See Our New Handbook at
                                                                        mechanical fuel injection.
            race car, provide his pickup truck as the tow vehicle,     Tel: 248-362-1145         k insler. com
                                                                       Fax: 248-362-1032
            Fall 2017                                 Nitro Madness Magazine                                           7
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