BUDWEISER/LUCAS OIL TEAM BIDS GOODBYE TO TIM AND KIM RICHARDS

POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 16) – The Budweiser/Lucas Oil team bid an emotional farewell to veteran crew chiefs Tim and Kim Richards at the Automobile Club of Southern California Finals Feb. 13-16.  The tuning duo retired from the sport at the season-ending event.

Led by owner Kenny Bernstein, team members gathered to pay tribute to the Richardses and honor their achievements during the eight years they were with the team, including a sixth NHRA championship for Bernstein and a total of 33 cumulative victories for Bernstein and son Brandon.  Bernstein praised Tim and Kim for their loyalty, dedication and especially for their meticulous race car preparation that contributed to the safety of both drivers.

The Bernsteins joined with the Anheuser-Busch sports marketing team to send the Richardses on a farewell junket to New York, one of the couple’s favorite cities.  In the Big Apple, Tim and Kim will enjoy the Broadway play ‘Billy Elliot’ and will have an opportunity to view a Giants game from the comfort of the CBS network suite.   Lastly, the team joined in a Budweiser toast.

For their final event with Kim and Tim calling the tuning shots, the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team made four consistent qualifying runs, ultimately settling in the No. 5 qualifying spot with a 3.849/311.05.

In the opening round of eliminations, driver Brandon Bernstein faced off against David Grubnic. Both drivers hazed the tires, but Bernstein wisped the tires further down track, giving him the round advantage and win 4.026/276.80, to Grubnic's 5.273/128.59.

“We’re happy to be moving on,” said Bernstein.  “Tim will work on the problem and we’ll be ready to go for round two.”

In the quarterfinals against Urs Erbacher, Bernstein had a remarkable reaction time advantage (.058 vs. .198) and looked to be a shoe-in for the win.  But his hopes were dashed when he lost traction past the 330-foot mark and Erbacher streaked across the finish line first with a 3.926/309.84 vs. Bernstein’s 4.538/243.81.

“We had huge potential going into the race today,” said Bernstein.  “We had four really consistent runs in qualifying and that’s what it takes to win rounds.  We threw everything we had at it today to try to have a big ending to the season, but the car just wouldn’t respond.

“Tim, Kim and the team worked diligently this season.  We understand the stress crew chiefs endure day in and day out and we’re happy for them that they will get a chance to do some of the things they’ve dreamed about.

“They launched our career and we owe them a lot.  Hopefully they’ll come back and visit with us at a few races in the years to come.”

Bernstein finished seventh in NHRA Top Fuel point standings, his fifth consecutive top ten finish.

#          #          #

The Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel Dragster will compete in the 44th Annual Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in Pomona, California.

AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NHRA FINALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying

Saturday, November 15, 2008

ESPN2

11:00 p.m. – 1:00 a.m. ET

NHRA Race Day

Sunday, November 16, 2008

ESPN2

11:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. ET

Eliminations

Sunday, November 16, 2008

ESPN2

7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET

We hope to have the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel Dragster in the finals for you to watch.  We will have continuous internet updates daily.  Follow the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel team at www.kennybernstein.com and www.brandonbernstein.com.  

BUDWEISER/LUCAS OIL TEAM CLOSES A CHAPTER AS TIM AND KIM RICHARDS PARTICIPATE IN FINAL RACE BEFORE RETIREMENT

POMONA, Calif. -- The Automobile Club of Southern California Finals Nov. 13-16 marks the final race of the 2008 season and for the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team it will also turn the final page for Tim and Kim Richards as crew members in the sport of drag racing.

The tuning duo has led the Kenny Bernstein-owned Top Fuel team to 33 victories and a Top Fuel championship in the seven years they have worn the vibrant red team jerseys.

“We will miss Tim and Kim, their work ethic, integrity and friendship,” said the six-time NHRA champ.  “Safety was top of mind with them and they were very thorough in their preparation.

“We are indebted to them and fortunate to have had them these past years. They are a talented couple.”

“We would like to send them off to retirement with a win,” said driver Brandon Bernstein.  “it would be a fitting end to their career.

“They have done so much for me as a driver.  Tim and Kim tuned me to my first win in only my second national event as driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster.  We had three victories in our first eight races. We were honored to be voted Rookie of the Year in 2003.  All the successes were because of their tuning capabilities coupled with the driving tips, advice, and coaching from dad.

“I’ll be sad to see them go, but happy for them that they will be able to do some of the things they’ve dreamed about.”

Under the tuning direction of the Richards, Kenny scored 16 wins, while Brandon tallied 17.

Tim Richards has a career total of 81 race wins and six NHRA Top Fuel championships. Kim has partnered with Tim for 50 of those victories.  Kim began her racing career working with her father Dick LaHaie on his Top Fuel car, and she helped tune him to his 1987 NHRA Top Fuel championship.

Heading into his final race, Tim Richards has 657 round wins.

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Thursday, Nov. 13 at 2:30 p.m.  There is a second session Friday at 2:30 p.m., followed by two qualifying rounds Saturday, noon and 3:30 p.m.  Final eliminations are scheduled to begin Sunday at 11 a.m. 

AUTOMOBILE CLUB OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FINALS TELEVISION ADVISORY 

Qualifying – Nov. 15 – ESPN2

11 p.m. – 1 a.m. ET 

NHRA Race Day – Nov. 16 – ESPN2

11-11:30 a.m. ET 

Eliminations – Nov. 16 – ESPN2

7 – 10 p.m. ET

Budweiser Lager Lesson:   In the mid-nineteenth century, German-American brewers perfected the crisp, refreshing beer style now called American lager, changing not only Americans’ choice of beers, but how and where Americans enjoyed beer, ultimately converting America into a country of beer lovers.

BRANDON BERNSTEIN LOSES BY NARROW MARGIN IN LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS (Nov. 2) –   Brandon Bernstein came to “The Strip” at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Sunday morning upbeat, optimistic and ready to race in the ACDelco Nationals.

Having solidified the No. 8 qualifying spot (3.864/313.00 mph), he and No. 9 qualifier Clay Millican were the first pair to roll to the starting line.  It was a close race, but Millican edged Bernstein for the round win.  The numbers for Bernstein:  .063-second reaction time with a 3.872-second elapsed time at 312.93 miles per hour vs. Millican’s .035-second reaction time with a 3.878-second elapsed time at 311.85 miles per hour.

“Brandon’s reaction time was very respectable,” said team owner Kenny Bernstein. 

“With tune-ups so evenly matched, Clay’s exceptional reaction time was enough to get him to the finish line first.”

ESPN2 NHRA drag racing color commentator Mike Dunn said he’d take a .063-second reaction time any day.

“I guess all you can say is that we were on the wrong end of a good race,” lamented Brandon.  “It’s been a frustrating season.

“We’re looking for a good showing at Pomona to send Tim and Kim (Richards) off to retirement on a high note.”

Bernstein is seventh in NHRA Top Fuel point standings.

#          #          #

Budweiser Lager Lesson:  Every day at 3 o’clock, Budweiser’s expert brewmasters sample Budweiser from every stage of the brewing process to ensure quality and consistency across every batch of beer.

KENNY BERNSTEIN NAMES ROB FLYNN TO LEAD BUDWEISER/LUCAS OIL RACING TEAM

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Oct. 15) - Kenny Bernstein has confirmed that Rob Flynn will take over as crew chief on the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster at the end of the season. Flynn will be accompanied by Mike Guger, who has been named assistant crew chief.

The duo will replace Tim and Kim Richards who have announced their retirement from the sport at the end of the year.

"Sometimes timing is everything," said Bernstein. "It was a whirlwind weekend at Richmond. When Tim and Kim told us of their decision to make this year their last, suddenly Rob and Mike became available. The pieces of the puzzle just began to fit together.

"We are excited to welcome them to our Budweiser/Lucas Oil team. It will be our first opportunity to work with Rob, and of course, Mike has spent several years with our team in the past. They have proven that they can win races and nearly won the championship last year, so we're very optimistic that we can continue to field a highly competitive team for Budweiser, Lucas Oil, Mac Tools, and all our sponsors."

Flynn has been in the sport more than 30 years, most recently as crew chief with David Powers Motorsports where he tuned Hot Rod Fuller to six victories in 12 final round appearances from August of 2005 to the present.

"I think it's a wonderful opportunity," said Flynn. "I feel I have some big shoes to fill coming in after Tim and Dale before him. But we're very motivated."

"Last year it was Kenny's team and Brandon and our team chasing the championship and we each lost by a round.

"Kenny's team is one of the marquee teams in motorsports. I'm confident that together we will do well and I'm looking forward to next year's Countdown."

Guger says joining the Kenny Bernstein organization is like coming home again. This will be his third tour with the six-time champion.

Guger initially joined the Budweiser King Funny Car team at the end of 1981.

In 1998 he left the sport of drag racing to pursue a career in Indy Car Racing. At the end of 2006 he made the decision to return to drag racing, signing on with David Powers Motorsports as assistant crew chief to Rob Flynn in 2007.

"I'm very familiar with Kenny's operation," said Guger, "and he fields one of the best organizations in all of motorsports. He is highly respected in all motorsports circles."

"I watched Brandon grow up and it's going to be fun to work with him as a driver."

Flynn and Guger will join Kenny Bernstein Racing in December.

###

Budweiser Lager Lesson: Budweiser is one of the most difficult beers to brew because it is fermented at cooler temperatures, thus taking more time to brew, yet resulting in a clean, crisp taste that you don't get from other beers.

BROWNSBURG, Ind. (Oct. 13) - Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel team owner Kenny Bernstein today announced Tim and Kim Richards’ decision to retire from the sport of drag racing at the end of the 2008 NHRA season.

“We are deeply indebted to Tim and Kim for their dedication and talent,” said six-time champion Bernstein. “When Tim and Kim joined our team in 2001 we enjoyed a record-setting year filled with eight race wins and 12 final round appearances culminating in our sixth NHRA championship, our second in Top Fuel.

“Also in 2001, our Budweiser team won 61 rounds of competition which set a Top Fuel record for the most rounds won in one season. That record held until Dallas of this year.

“Through the years Tim and Kim have tuned our team to a total of 33 Top Fuel victories. That is an enviable record for a tuning duo. Beyond that, their work ethic, integrity, and friendship means more to us than all of their victories combined. Obviously, they will be severely missed.”

Kenny scored 16 wins, while Brandon tallied 17.

“When you’ve been around the sport as long as we have,” said Tim, “all the years start to run together and the physical and mental stress takes its toll. Kim has been working in this sport full time since 1982 and I’ve been in the sport maybe 10 years more than that.

“The sport consumes you but that’s what is required to be successful, and we won’t continue in the sport without a 100 percent commitment. There’s no way to shortcut the job. For us it’s all or nothing. We’re worn out and it’s time to stop.

“I’ll be 65 in January and I don’t want to keep working until I’m 70 or 75. Kim and I want to enjoy life and do some of the things we dream about.”

Kim, who has many responsibilities on the race car says the years have taken a physical toll.

“We have completely enjoyed the time we have spent working with and for Kenny,” said Kim.

“As a place to work and a team to race with, it offered us the best chance of winning,” continued Tim. “Kenny has been good to us as an employer and we couldn’t think of a better place to work.

“We also want to thank everyone at Budweiser, Lucas Oil, Mac Tools and all those sponsors who have supported this team. They represent premiere companies in each of their categories and they have wholeheartedly backed our team.

“We still have a job to do and we will pour our heart and soul into the job for the remainder of the season. After that, we look forward to some rest and relaxation.”

Tim Richards has a career total of 81 race wins and six NHRA Top Fuel championships. Kim has partnered with Tim for 50 of those victories. Kim began her racing career working with her father Dick LaHaie on his Top Fuel car. She helped tune him to his 1987 NHRA Top Fuel championship.

Bernstein has not confirmed a crew chief for 2009.

# # #

BERNSTEIN’S DAY SHORTENED AT VIRGINIA NATIONALS

RICHMOND, Va. (Oct. 12) – The first round of competition at the Virginia NHRA Nationals was pressure packed with Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel pilot Brandon Bernstein facing off against Antron Brown.

With only one-thousandth-of-a-second separating the two in qualifying, and both vying for a position in the Countdown to 1, it was a pivotal round.

Bernstein qualified ninth with an elapsed time of 3.824 seconds at 312.71 mph.

In a close opening round match, Brown raced to the win light first, clocking 3.803/314.90 to Bernstein’s 3.832/312.93.

“The heat’s on,” said Bernstein.  “Antron is a very capable, tough competitor.  We’re all so close together in the standings that we’re going to shuffle positions each race.  Though we lost a position this weekend, we have two races left and two more opportunities to gain points.”

Bernstein is seventh in NHRA point standings, five points out of sixth place, 43 points out of third, and 75 points out of second place.

#             #             #

Budweiser Lager Lesson:  Budweiser is one of the most difficult beers to brew because it is fermented at cooler temperatures, thus taking more time to brew, yet resulting in a clean, crisp taste that you don’t get from other beers.

“Our Dragster and Funny Car will showcase the New York-New York logo throughout the ACDelco Nationals Oct. 31-Nov.2, and we invite fans who may be planning to attend the race to book their rooms at our favorite Las Vegas resort,” said Bernstein.

“Our Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel and Monster Energy Funny Car teams are looking forward to experiencing ROK Vegas™.” ROK Vegas™ is the sexy new nightclub mesmerizing party-goers with riveting rock ‘n’ roll mash-ups and rock-inspired imagery.  ROK features the first-ever 360-degree video screen in a Las Vegas nightclub.  From every angle, guests are surrounded by concert footage, live club feeds, lasers and animation all chosen by the intuitive Video Jockey (VJ).  Club-goers revel in the “concert-like” setting as ROK’s DJ spins mash-ups choreographed in time with remarkable video imagery displayed above.  ROK’s intimate setting also includes an exclusive outdoor VIP lounge just steps away from the pulsating Las Vegas Strip “Away from the racing action, our team members enjoy the restaurants, shows, and of course ‘The Roller Coaster’ in the Big Apple of Las Vegas,” continued Bernstein.

“We were happy to carry the New York-New York name and logo to victory circle last April,” said Budweiser/Lucas Oil driver Brandon Bernstein, “and we’re hoping to repeat that feat at the ACDelco Nationals.”

The Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster began carrying the New York-New York logo at the ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals in 2006.

New York-New York showcases a remodeled contemporary 84,000-square-foot casino. Set against a backdrop of famous New York landmarks, the gaming area includes 80 gaming tables. More than 60 televisions broadcast major sporting events in the casino’s table game areas allowing players to experience the energy and excitement of gaming along with the exhilaration and intensity of sporting events. For those who follow professional sports, New York-New York offers a Race & Sports Book.  Located adjacent to ESPN Zone, the book features 46 televisions, 12 61-inch big screen televisions, comfortable seating, beverage service and electronic satellite wagering.

Inspired by the famous energy and landmarks of New York City, New York-New York features 12 New York-style skyscrapers showcasing 2,023 guest rooms and suites. Other featured Big Apple icons include a 150-foot-tall replica of the Statue of Liberty; and a 300-foot-long replica of the Brooklyn Bridge.  Within the resort are award-winning restaurants including Gallagher's Steakhouse, Il Fornaio and Nine Fine Irishmen, an authentic pub offering the best of Irish drink, food and music.  New York-New York also offers the provocative and sensuous Cirque du Soleil production, Zumanity.  New York-New York is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM MIRAGE™.  For more information and reservations, visit the web site at www.nynyhotelcasino.com, or call toll free at (800) 693-6763. 

BERNSTEIN SETS SIGHTS ON GAINING POSITIONS IN COUNTDOWN
POINT BATTLE AT VIRGINIA NATIONALS

RICHMOND, Va. –The heat is on as the NHRA Countdown to 1 enters the final stages of racing. As the NHRA drag racing circuit makes a stop at the Virginia Nationals Oct. 10-12, and with only three races to go before champions are crowned, Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel driver Brandon Bernstein hopes to continue to capitalize on the consistency his team has shown recently.

“Certainly our goal is to win the championship,” said Bernstein, “but the leader has begun to out-distance himself from the field.  So these next three races are critical.

“But there’s an interesting scenario building in the top half of the Countdown field.

We sit sixth as we head to Virginia, but our team is less than two rounds, or just 35 points out of second.  You could throw a blanket over positions two through six right now and we’re going to make an attempt to shuffle the deck in our favor.

“For the two races leading into this event our Budweiser/Lucas Oil team has received the Full Throttle award for excellence and consistency in qualifying.  Tim (Richards, crew chief) had this car on a string.  If we can keep this consistency and if I can contribute from the cockpit, then we have a solid shot at making some moves up the point ladder.”

Bernstein finished in the final four in the Dallas and Memphis events preceding the Virginia Nationals, and he has four runner-up finishes to his credit this season.

  “The top ten teams that are in the Countdown to 1 are all first-rate teams capable of winning races.  And there are many teams that aren’t in the Countdown that are capable of winning and working as spoilers.  Each race and each round is a nail biter.  A stumble means a tumble in the point standings, it’s that close.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, Oct. 10 at 2 p.m. with a second session at 4:30 p.m.  There are two qualifying rounds Saturday, 12:30 and 3 p.m. with final eliminations scheduled to begin Sunday at 11 a.m.

VIRGINIA NATIONAL S TELEVISION ADVISORY 

Qualifying – Oct. 11 – ESPN2

11:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. ET 

NHRA Race Day – Oct. 12 – ESPN2

11-11:30 a.m. ET 

Eliminations – Oct. 12 – ESPN2

7:30 – 10:30 p.m. ET

Budweiser Lager Lesson:  Budweiser is one of the most difficult beers to brew because it is fermented at cooler temperatures, thus taking more time to brew, yet resulting in a clean, crisp taste that you don’t get from other beers.

BUDWEISER/LUCAS OIL TEAM LEADS TOP FUEL QUALIFYING FIELD IN MEMPHIS;
GAINS GROUND IN SEASON STANDINGS WITH FINAL FOUR SHOWING

MEMPHIS (Sept. 28) –At the O’Reilly Midsouth Nationals, Brandon Bernstein drove to his 13th career No. 1 qualifying position, his second of the season, with a 3.825-second elapsed time at 313.88 miles per hour.    For the second consecutive week, the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team earned the NHRA Full Throttle award for excellence and consistency in qualifying. 

“It seemed like Tim (Richards) had the car on a string,” said Bernstein.  “We were consistent and strong in every single qualifying attempt and we held the No. 1 qualifying slot from the first qualifying pass to the last.  The team did an awesome job!”

It was consistency on Friday and Saturday that led to the team’s high spirits for Sunday’s eliminations at Memphis Motorsports Park.

In the opening round, Bernstein defeated Pat Dakin, 3.884/308.78 to Dakin’s respectable 3.967/301.60.

“It’s very important that we go rounds today,” said Bernstein.  “Here’s one in the bank, now if we can only get three more.”

In the quarterfinals, Bernstein faced off against Larry Dixon.  It was an even leave out of the gate, but Dixon dropped a cylinder and lost traction.  The Budweiser/Lucas Oil team took the win with low elapsed time of the round, 3.880/297.09 to Dixon’s 4.541/174.59.

“Larry and his team are tough customers,” said Bernstein.  “Tim had a handle on what the track would hold and made another impressive tuning call.”

Bernstein transferred to the semifinals to face Doug Herbert.  It was a great side-by-side battle but Herbert was first to the win light, winning by about two feet, taking a hole shot victory.

“That was a crusher,” said Bernstein.  “We were so close. I feel like I let the team down on this one.  If I had just a little better reaction time we might have gotten by him.”

It was the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team’s second consecutive final four showing, and at the end of the day they held low elapsed time (3.825) and top speed (313.88) of the O’Reilly Midsouth Nationals.

Though Bernstein remains sixth in Top Fuel standings, he has significantly closed the gap between himself and second place.  He is only 10 points out of fifth place, 11 points out of fourth place, and 35 points (less than two rounds) out of second place.                                                                          

#          #          #

Budweiser Lager Lesson:  Budweiser is lagered over beechwood chips for nearly three weeks and “kraeusened” to produce natural carbonation, resulting in our signature crisp and refreshing taste.

BERNSTEIN MAKES FINAL FOUR IN DALLAS;
ADVANCES TO SIXTH IN NHRA TOP FUEL POINT STANDINGS

ENNIS, Texas (Sept. 21) –Brandon Bernstein was born and raised in Dallas and always enjoys coming home to race in the company of friends and family.  Bernstein, who made a semi-final showing at the O’Reilly Fall Nationals and gained positions in point standings, was optimistic about going rounds when he arrived at the Texas Motorplex race morning.  His confidence was bolstered by four consistent, strong qualifying passes.

 With their No. 2 qualifying effort (3.842/315.19), the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team earned the $4000 Full Throttle check for excellence and consistency in qualifying.

In the opening round of eliminations, Bernstein pulled to the starting line to face Doug Herbert.  When the tree turned green, Herbert dropped a cylinder and began to lose traction while Bernstein crossed the finish line first with a 3.894/311.49.

"We've had a dominant car all through qualifying,” said Bernstein.  “Hopefully we can put it all together today.  When we're at the starting line, we know the point standings in our head, and we know we need to go rounds to make up a deficit from Charlotte."

In the second round of competition Bernstein and opponent Antron Brown both dropped cylinders, but Bernstein got the win light with a 3.965/296.24 vs. Brown's 4.016/281.42. 

 "That was a huge round win for us,” said Bernstein.  “We're going rounds and it feels like we've got it going on this weekend."

In the semifinals, Bernstein faced fellow Brat Packer J.R. Todd. 

“When we race each other it seems we’re pretty evenly matched,” said Bernstein. “We have to focus on our driving techniques and forget who’s in the other lane.”

By the 300-foot mark, the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster had lost traction and was trailing smoke caused by tire spin.

“Words can’t express the emotion you’re feeling when the car starts to smoke the tires,” said Bernstein.  “You just know your day is over and you just deflate.  We’re doubly disappointed because we had a good car and we had shown a lot of consistency. 

“On the positive side we advanced a couple of spots in the point standings.  We have to do well in Memphis next weekend and continue our climb.”

Bernstein jumped from eighth to sixth in NHRA Top Fuel point standings

Budweiser Lager Lesson:  Budweiser is brewed with the finest two and six-row barley malt, a blend of European and American aroma hops, our own Budweiser yeast and the freshest American brewer’s rice, producing a medium-bodied, crisp and pure beer brewed for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment.

BUDWEISER/LUCAS OIL TEAM LOOKING TO GO ROUNDS AS
COUNTDOWN APPROACHES HALF-WAY POINT

MILLINGTON, Tenn. – Brandon Bernstein and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team are looking for a strong performance at the O’Reilly Midsouth Nationals Sept. 26-28.  One of 10 finalists battling for the Top Fuel championship, Bernstein acknowledges the pressure mounts as the Memphis Motorsports Park event marks the halfway point in the Countdown to 1.

“For the past two years we’ve been in the final four at this event,” said the second generation driver.  “We need to go one better and get a final round showing here.  It’s all about consistency, going rounds, and gaining points.  There’s a tough field of competitors in our category, and any of us are capable of winning.  It just puts a ton of pressure on the driver and the team to focus on the task at hand.

“We are fortunate to be guided by veteran tuners Tim and Kim Richards who have a lot of experience in keeping a steady pace under pressure.  And of course Dad who has won six championships and 69 national events, is there to advise me when the battle gets heated.

“We were a player last year for the championship going into the final race of the season.  We hope to be there again as the countdown winds down to the final event.”

The Budweiser/Lucas Oil team has four runner-up finishes this season.

Nitro qualifying for the O’Reilly Midsouth Nationals begins Friday, Sept. 26 at 4 p.m. with a second session at 6:30 p.m.  There are two qualifying rounds Saturday, noon and 3 p.m., with final eliminations scheduled to begin Sunday at 11 a.m.

O’REILLY MIDSOUTH NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – Sept. 27 – ESPN2

10:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m. ET

NHRA Race Day – Sept. 28 – ESPN2

11-11:30 a.m. ET

Eliminations – Sept. 28 – ESPN2

7 – 10 p.m. ET

Budweiser Lager Lesson:  Budweiser is brewed with the finest two and six-row barley malt, a blend of European and American aroma hops, our own Budweiser yeast and the freshest American brewer’s rice, producing a medium-bodied, crisp and pure beer brewed for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment.

BERNSTEINS ENJOY RACING IN DALLAS HOMETOWN

Dallas— The Bernstein name is well-known in Texas racing circles.  Each year when the NHRA circuit makes it annual stop at the Texas Motorplex, it’s as if Kenny and Brandon Bernstein journey back to their roots.

When six-time NHRA champion Kenny Bernstein and his son Brandon get to the Motorplex for O’Reilly Super Start Batteries Fall Nationals Sept. 19-21, they will see many familiar faces.

Kenny started his racing career in and around the Dallas area.  Some of the car owners that he originally drove for in the early days of his career, Mitchell and Donald Anderson, Vance Hunt, along with Bobby Langley, are annual guests in the Bernstein pit area.  They still bench race and tell tales of the early days of racing.  The only one missing from the familiar confines of the pit area is Kenny’s father Bert, who succumbed to cancer in 2005 shortly after watching his grandson Brandon win in St. Louis.

Brandon’s mother and many Texas A & M college friends are always on-site to cheer the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team.  Brandon won the Dallas event in 2006 with family and friends helping to celebrate the team’s victory.

This year the Texas event is the second race in the six-race playoffs in the Countdown to 1 to determine the championship.

“It’s always nice to be home in Dallas,” said Brandon.  “It’s comfortable and being around family and friends will hopefully ease the stress of the playoffs.  We still have to be focused.  Every round of every race is going to be critical in terms of staying alive for the championship.

“We’ve got four runner-up finishes this season, so it would be great to peak now and go on a winning streak to build some points.  Last year we were in contention for the championship until the semifinals of the final race of the year.

“We’re going to work hard to hopefully be in the hunt at the final race.  There’s some tough competition out there but we have a lot of talent and experience on our team.  We’ve got our fingers crossed.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, Sept. 19 at 3:45 p.m. with a second session of qualifying at 6:3 p.m.  There are two qualifying rounds Saturday, noon and 3:15 p.m., with final eliminations scheduled to begin Sunday at 11 a.m.

O’Reilly Super Start Batteries Fall Nationals Television Advisory 

Qualifying – Sept. 20 – ESPN2

10 p.m. – 12 a.m. ET 

NHRA Race Day – Sept. 21 – ESPN2

11 – 11:30 a.m. 

Eliminations – Sept. 21 – ESPN2

7 – 10 p.m. ET

Budweiser Lager Lesson:  In the mid-nineteenth century, German-American brewers perfected the crisp, refreshing beer style now called American lager, changing not only Americans’ choice of beers, but how and where Americans enjoyed beer, ultimately converting America into a country of beer lovers.

BERNSTEINS CONNECT WITH NASCAR FRIENDS AT INAUGURAL
CAROLINAS NATIONALS AT STATE-OF-THE –ART ZMAX DRAGWAY

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Sept. 14) – On the 19th NHRA tour stop at the Carolinas Nationals, competitors finally got an opportunity to see the highly-touted new Bruton Smith-owned zMAX Dragway@ Concord.  Known as the “Bellagio of drag strips”, all agreed it was aptly named.   The Budweiser/Lucas Oil team joined with the teams praising the facility.

“This facility raises the bar,” said driver Brandon Bernstein.  “It is a beautiful venue and it’s even more remarkable when you think it was built in a mere six months. 

“The race was sold out on Saturday and Sunday.  It was a knock-out crowd!

 “And we were able to see some of our NASCAR friends in Charlotte before they headed out to New Hampshire to race.  We enjoyed spending time with Kasey Kahne who made a couple of laps on the drag strip Tuesday night during an NHRA/NASCAR party at zMAX.”

For team owner Kenny Bernstein, it was his first trip back to Charlotte since he sold his NASCAR racing team operation in 1995.  Ricky Rudd who drove Bernstein’s team colors to victory at Watkins Glen in 1988 and at Sears Point in 1989, came to zMAX on Friday as did Richard Broom and several of the team members who worked for Bernstein during the years he owned a NASCAR team.

“It was a blast to catch up with so many of the guys,” said Bernstein.  “We hadn’t seen Ricky in years so it was fun to reminisce with him.”

At the inaugural Carolinas Nationals, the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team qualified No. 7 with a 3.875/309.49.

In the opening round of eliminations, Bernstein faced off against friend and fellow “Brat Pack” member J.R. Todd.  Bernstein lost traction and hazed the tires down track, and Todd crossed the finish line first with a 4.335/236.55.

“It seems we have come up against J.R. far too often in the first round this year,” said Bernstein.

“He’s our buddy and we don’t like it when one of us has to go home early.

“Needless to say, the first round of the playoffs didn’t go as we planned, but we’ve got five more

to go so we’ll have to get after it to gain some ground.”

Bernstein is eighth in NHRA Top Fuel point standings.

#          #          #

Budweiser Lager Lesson:  Budweiser American lager was introduced in 1876 when company founder Adolphus Busch set out to create the United States’ first truly national beer brand – brewed to be universally popular and transcend regional tastes.

BRANDON BERNSTEIN COUNTS CHAMPIONSHIP VETERANS FATHER AND CREW CHIEF
AS ASSETS AS HE BEGINS HIS OWN CHAMPIONSHIP QUEST IN CHARLOTTE

CHARLOTTE, N.C--  In the world of NHRA drag racing, the biggest buzz is arguably the new state-of-the-art  zMAX Dragway@ Concord.  It has been named The Bellagio of drag strips, it’s in the heart of NASCAR country, and it is the first of six races in the playoffs that will determine championships in the professional categories.

Brandon Bernstein, driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster is seeded sixth as he begins his quest for his first championship at the Carolinas Nationals Sept. 12-14.

Last season the second generation driver had a shot at becoming the Top Fuel champion until a pressure-packed semifinals match in Pomona, Calif., the final race of the season.

“We were excited to be a factor in last year’s Countdown,” said Bernstein.  “Consistency is going to be the key factor.  Certainly there’s a lot of pressure if you’re still in contention when it comes to the final race.

“Last year Dad (six-time NHRA champion Kenny) counseled me to just treat each round as you would any other race and focus on the task at hand.  So I’ve been through the experience once.  Fortunately in our crew chief Tim Richards we have a veteran tuner who has six championships to his credit, including my father’s last Top Fuel championship in 2001.  Racing under pressure is nothing new to him.  So between Tim and my Dad, I have a lot of help from people who have first -hand experience staying calm and focused in the heat of the battle.

“Because this drag strip is new and none of the teams have really had a chance to test on it, it will create a pretty level playing field.  The crew chiefs will have to get a read on what the car wants tune-up wise pretty quickly.

“I’m also looking forward to spending some time with my NASCAR friends.  Because of my association with Budweiser through the years, we’ve had a chance to work with such great friends as Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Kasey Kahne.   We are looking forward to spending some time with our friends early in the week before they head out of town for their weekend of racing.

“We need to go rounds at this first race and keep putting points in the championship bank.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, Sept. 12 at 3:30 p.m. with a second session at 6:30 p.m.  There are two qualifying rounds Saturday, noon and 3:30 p.m., with eliminations scheduled to begin Sunday at 11 a.m.

CAROLINAS NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – Sept. 13 – ESPN2

4 – 6 p.m. ET

NHRA Race Day – Sept. 14 – ESPN2

11 – 11:30 a.m. ET

Eliminations – Sept. 14 – ESPN2

7 – 10 p.m. ET

Budweiser Lager Lesson: Every day at 3 o’clock, Budweiser’s expert brewmasters sample Budweiser from every stage of the brewing process to ensure quality and consistency across every batch of beer

BRANDON BERNSTEIN QUARTERFINALS FINISHER AT MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS;
READIES FOR THE PLAYOFFS TO DETERMINE TOP FUEL CHAMPION

CLERMONT, Ind. (Sept. 1) – Most NHRA drivers would tell you that their goal is to win a championship.  Second in order of importance is to score a win at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.  Brandon Bernstein, driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster, was unable to win the sport’s most prestigious race; however, he now begins preparations for the Countdown to the Championship.

After a strong qualifying effort (3.868/311.99) that earned him the No. 4 starting berth for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, second generation driver Bernstein was optimistic when he arrived at O’Reilly Raceway Park on the morning of “The Big Go” as it’s known in the drag racing industry.

In the opening stanza of eliminations, the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team defeated Hot Rod Fuller with a 3.906/310.98.  Fuller was close behind and crossed the finish line with a 3.945/303.78.

 "We're pumped up for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals,” said an excited Bernstein.  “ I'm feeling good today and I think Tim's right on the money.  (Referring to crew chief Tim Richards)

“ I knew Hot Rod was right there with me because I could hear him but thankfully we got the win light.”

In the quarterfinals, Bernstein rolled into the staging beams to face Doug Kalitta.  When the starting line Christmas tree turned green, both drivers lost traction at the hit of the throttle.  Both continued their efforts to put traction to the ground getting on and off the throttle as they made their way down the drag strip.  Kalitta got to the finish line first, stopping the clock at 5.447/229.04 vs. Bernstein’s 6.479/144.44.

“I was very hopeful today,” said Bernstein.  “The track was very tricky with the sun beating down on it creating a lot of heat and slick conditions.  We gave it a good shot but we were the first pair down the track in the second round and didn’t have the benefit of being able to get a read on the track from other dragsters racing before us.  We thought the tune-up would hold, but it was just too aggressive.

“Our next event at Charlotte starts the six-race playoffs.  We’re anxious to see the new facility and try out the new track down there.  These six races will be pressure packed and consistency will be all-important.  Our team is ready to rumble.”

Bernstein starts his quest for the championship sixth in NHRA point standings.

BRANDON BERNSTEIN AND BUDWEISER/LUCAS OIL TEAM
AIMING FOR THE TOP AT INDY

CLERMONT, Ind. – Most NHRA drivers will tell you that the most prestigious win in your career would be a victory at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.  Budweiser/Lucas Oil pilot Brandon Bernstein is no exception.

The second generation driver, who had the most successful career start of any other Top Fuel or Funny Car driver in NHRA history, winning five of his first 13 races, came ever so close to winning the coveted Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in 2006, ultimately taking runner-up honors.

“Certainly it is an achievement to reach the finals of this event,” said Bernstein.  “A runner-up finish just whets your appetite because you know your team is capable.  We had a mechanical failure in that particular final round.

“A win at Indy would give you a lot of momentum heading into the first race of the playoffs in Charlotte.  Not to mention that we would like to have an Indy ‘Wally trophy’ sitting on our display shelves next to Dad’s.

“It’s traditionally a dogfight to make the field for this event so all the drivers and team members come prepared and have high expectations.  We have a seasoned crew chief, Tim Richards, to lead the charge and we’re very optimistic.

“Additionally, since Mac Tools has been a sponsor of our team for two decades, we’d like to win for them.”

Bernstein has four runner-up finishes this season and has clinched a spot in the Countdown to 1.

With the Indy race putting closure on the regular racing season, 10 competitors in each of the four professional categories will do battle in the last six races of the year for the coveted NHRA championship.  The Countdown to 1 begins at the all-new zMAX Dragway @ Concord in Charlotte Sept. 12-14.

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying for the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals begins Friday, Aug. 29 at 6:30 p.m.  There are two qualifying sessions Saturday, 1:45 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., and two on Sunday, 12:45 p.m. and 3:40 p.m.  Final eliminations are scheduled to begin Monday at 11 a.m.

MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS TELEVISION SCHEDULE

NHRA Race Day – Aug. 31 – ESPN2

11-11:30 a.m. ET

Qualifying – Aug. 31 – ESPN2

11:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. ET

Qualifying – Aug. 31 – ESPN2

5 p.m. – 7 p.m. ET

Eliminations – Sept. 1 – ESPN2

12 p.m. – 2 p.m. ET

Eliminations – Sept. 1 – ESPN2

7 p.m. – 10 p.m. ET

Budweiser Lager Lesson:  Budweiser is lagered over beechwood chips for nearly three weeks and “kraeusened” to produce natural carbonation, resulting in our signature crisp and refreshing taste.

BUDWEISER/LUCAS OIL TEAM RUNS LOW ELAPSED TIME OF FIRST ROUND
AT MAPLE GROVE RACEWAY

READING, Pa. (Aug. 17) – As the regular NHRA racing season winds down before the playoffs begin, the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team has clinched a position in the Countdown to 1 and continues to ride comfortably in sixth place in NHRA Top Fuel standings.

At the Toyo Tires Nationals, Brandon Bernstein drove to the No. 9 qualifying position with a 3.899-second elapsed time at 304.74 miles per hour.

Native Pennsylvanian Tim Richards, crew chief of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster, spent many of his formidable years racing at Maple Grove Raceway near his Scranton hometown. Richards used his considerable tuning skills in tandem with Bernstein’s driving skills, to win the opening stanza of the Toyo Tires Nationals with low elapsed time of the first round, 3.858 seconds at 310.84 miles per hour. Opponent Hillary Will challenged with a 3.929/300.33.

“We were the first pair out,” explained Bernstein, “and I was a little edgy. You just don’t know what the track is going to hold. I would have rather been the fourth or fifth pair out, but Tim made a great tuning call and it’s all good. We’re going to the second round.”

In a monster match with Tony Schumacher in the second round, Bernstein’s 3.926/303.64 was not quick enough to hold off the 3.894/301.60 Schumacher effort.

“That’s the toughest team out here right now,” said Bernstein. “We gave it a good try, but we weren’t quite quick enough.

“We’re looking forward to a strong performance at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in two weeks.”

# # #

Budweiser Lager Lesson: In the mid-nineteenth century, German-American brewers perfected the crisp, refreshing beer style now called American lager, changing not only Americans’ choice of beers, but how and where Americans enjoyed beer, ultimately converting America into a country of beer lovers.

BRANDON BERNSTEIN CLINCHES SPOT IN PLAYOFFS

BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 10) --Though the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team was unable to win their third-in-a-row Top Fuel trophy at the Lucas Oil Nationals, they did accomplish another one of their goals: they secured one of the top 10 spots in the Countdown to the Championship.

“We certainly want to win races,” said driver Brandon Bernstein, “but it’s a big relief to know we have a confirmed spot in the playoffs. That will give us these next two races to really focus on fine tuning everything before the Countdown to the Championship begins in Charlotte in September.”

Bernstein qualified No. 9 at Brainerd International Raceway with a 3.972/303.16.

In the first round of Sunday’s eliminations, a red light start ended the day for Bernstein, while Hot Rod Fuller took the round win.

Bernstein remains sixth in NHRA Top Fuel standings.

Budweiser Lager Lessons: Budweiser is brewed with the finest two and six-row barley malt, a blend of European and American aroma hops, our own Budweiser yeast and the freshest American brewer’s rice, producing a medium-bodied, crisp and pure beer brewed for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment

BRANDON BERNSTEIN TO PARTICIPATE IN NHRA CHARITY SOFTBALL CLASSIC
BEFORE HEADING INTO TOYO TIRES NATIONALS

READING, Pa. – Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel driver Brandon Bernstein’s goal this year is to complete the Toyo Tires Nationals August 15-17.

Last year, Bernstein never turned a tire at Maple Grove Raceway as he was plagued by a painful kidney stone. At mid-morning on Friday, he was transported and admitted to the Reading Hospital and Medical Center where ultimately, the kidney stone had to be surgically extracted.

Rit Pustari was called to “pinch hit” for Bernstein while he was in the hospital. Ironically, with weather plaguing a good part of the weekend, Bernstein’s kidney stone received a lot of press mileage.

“That’s a weekend I’d like to forget,” said Bernstein. “I’ve been keeping a pretty close watch on the kidney stone problem. My doctor is monitoring me and doing x-rays to hopefully keep this from happening again.

“This year at Maple Grove we’re concentrating on qualifying in the upper half of the field and going some rounds Sunday. With only two races remaining before the playoffs begin, it will be to our advantage to try to gain every position possible in NHRA point standings. Each position we gain is worth 10 points when the points are reset for the final six races in the Countdown to the Championship.

“Maple Grove Raceway is a quick, fast track, and our crew chief, Tim Richards, came from this neck of the woods.

“The three races on the West Coast Swing, Denver, Seattle, Sonoma, marked the first events where Top Fuel and Funny Car competitors raced to the 1000-foot mark. This shortened version was put in place for safety purposes while NHRA investigates other safety measures. In the first three races, Tim tuned us to three of the top ten Top Fuel elapsed times as well as three of the fastest miles per hour in the top ten.

“With all the oxygen in the air at Maple Grove, the engines breathe really well and can manufacture some quick e.t.s and fast speeds.”

Prior to the Toyo Tires Nationals, Bernstein will join other drivers and riders in the professional racing ranks for the NHRA Softball Classic to benefit Drag Racing Association of Women (DRAW).

In a sort of NHRA intramural softball game on Thursday, Aug. 14, fans will have the opportunity to watch coach Antron Brown’s “Burn Down Bombers” square off against Funny Car coach Gary Scelzi’s “Superchargers” at FirstEnergy Stadium in Reading. Bernstein and Monster Energy Funny Car teammate Tommy Johnson, Jr. will be on Brown’s team.

“This is going to be a lot of fun,” said Bernstein, “but you can bet it will bring out every competitive gene in each one of the players on the teams. We’ve got a good group on our team and I think we’ve got the advantage. We’ll see!”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, Aug. 15 at 3:30 p.m., followed by a second session at 6:30 p.m. There are two qualifying rounds Saturday, noon and 3 p.m., with eliminations scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday.

NHRA Softball Classic: Aug. 14 at FirstEnergy Stadium, home of the Reading Phillies (Reading, Pa.) Autograph session from 5- 6 p.m., first pitch at 7 p.m. For directions, visit www.readingphillies.com. Contact FirstEnergy Stadium to purchase tickets. $8 adult general admission, $10 adult reserved admission (field level), $5 children. Proceeds will benefit Drag Racing Association of Women (DRAW). NHRA announcer Bob Frey will be joined by Bob Wilber, a team publicist, to call the action on the field.

TOYO TIRES NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – August 16 – ESPN2

6 – 8 p.m. ET

NHRA Race Day – August 17 – ESPN2

11-11:30 a.m. ET

Eliminations – August 18 – ESPN2

10 a.m. – 1 a.m. ET

Budweiser Lager Lessons: For more than 130 years, Budweiser American lager has been brewed using the original family recipe passed along by five generations of Busch family brewmasters, truly making Budweiser “The Great American Lager.”

BRANDON BERNSTEIN LOOKING FOR LUCAS OIL NATIONALS HAT TRICK

BRAINERD, Minn. – Brandon Bernstein, driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster is looking to defend last year’s Top Fuel victory at his sponsor’s title rights race, The Lucas Oil Nationals, Aug. 8-10.

The two-time Lucas Oil Nationals Top Fuel champ is, in fact, looking for his third straight victory at Brainerd International Raceway.

“We’ve been fortunate to have won this race the last two years,” said Bernstein. “This is a track where Tim (Richards, crew chief) seems to excel. Our past performance gives us a boost of confidence going into this event.

“At this track we’ve always been able to go rounds and our record is two wins, two showings in the final four. We really need to keep rolling through rounds in Brainerd. With three races remaining before the field of 10 is set to begin the six-race playoff series, we have a chance of gaining some positions in the point standings.

“At this juncture we’re sixth in NHRA Top Fuel standings, one point out of fifth and 15 points out of fourth. The points are reset as we enter the playoffs and they tighten up. The point swing from fourth to sixth is 20 points, which is a round. That could be critical to our team.

“In the past, our Budweiser/Lucas Oil team has won races early in the season. This year we have four runner-up finishes and we seem to be peaking more right now. That could be advantageous to us in the long run.

“Tim has been coaxing a lot of consistency out of the car and there have been race day rounds where we’ve run low elapsed time of the round. I don’t envy Tim; the stress of all the changes that crew chiefs have had to adapt to which include a change in the nitromethane mixture (up from 85 percent to 90), a heavier chassis (to accommodate safety changes) and recently a change in the length of the race (also a safety consideration).

“We’ve got our fingers crossed and we’re hoping for the best.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying for the Lucas Oil Nationals begins Friday, Aug.8 at 3:30 p.m. with a second round at 6:15 p.m. There are two qualifying sessions Saturday, noon and 3 p.m., with final eliminations scheduled to begin Sunday at 11 a.m.

Budweiser drivers Bernstein and Kasey Kahne to make appearances at 68th Annual Sturgis (S.D.) Motorcycle Rally. On Monday, August 4th, Bernstein and NASCAR-favorite Kasey Kahne will team up to make visits on behalf of Budweiser at Glencoe Campground, Full Throttle and the legendary Buffalo Chip Campground. They will make their appearances between 5 and 7 p.m. that evening.

LUCAS OIL NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – Aug. 9 – ESPN2

8:30 – 10:30 p.m. ET

NHRA Race Day – Aug. 10 – ESPN2

11-11:30 a.m. ET

Eliminations – Aug. 10 – ESPN2

7 – 10 p.m. ET

Budweiser Lager Lesson: Budweiser American lager was introduced in 1876 when company founder Adolphus Busch set out to create the United States’ first truly national beer brand – brewed to be universally popular and transcend regional tastes.

BRANDON BERNSTEIN CONTINUES TO EARN POINTS AS
REGULAR SEASON RACING DRAWS TO A CLOSE
BEFORE PLAYOFF COMPETITION BEGINS

SONOMA, Calif. (July 27) – Brandon Bernstein and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel team showed solid, consistent performances during qualifying for the Fram Autolite Nationals, nabbing the No. 3 qualifying berth with a 3.821-second run at 310.98 miles per hour.

Capitalizing from data on their previous runs, the Kenny Bernstein-owned team scored low elapsed time of the first round (3.862.314.09), defeating J.R. Todd (6.448/99.41).

“That was a great tune-up by Tim (Richards, crew chief) and Kim (Richards),” said Bernstein. “It’s tough to run our close friend J.R., but we both recognize we have a job to do. We’re pretty equal in career battles against each other so you can’t predict who is going to win. This time it was our turn and we were able to gain another 20 points.”

In the second round of eliminations, Bernstein rolled to the starting line to face Steve Torrence. Torrence earned the round with a 3.867/306.19 vs. Bernstein’s 3.952/286.56.

“The car started spinning the tires a little down track,” said Bernstein. “It’s disappointing to lose after setting low elapsed time of the first round and when you still had strong numbers that would have won rounds in that session. These are the things that keep you humble in our sport.”

Bernstein remains sixth in NHRA Top Fuel point standings, only one point out of fifth and 15 points out of fourth. There are three race remaining before the top 10 in each professional category begins the six-race playoff for the championship.

Budweiser Lager Lesson: In the mid-nineteenth century, German-American brewers perfected the crisp, refreshing beer style now called American lager, changing not only Americans’ choice of beers, but how and where Americans enjoyed beer, ultimately converting America into a country of beer lovers.

# # #

BERNSTEIN LOOKING FOR CONSISTENT, SOLID PERFORMANCE
TO YIELD ROUND WINS IN SONOMA

SONOMA, Calif. – Brandon Bernstein is in his sixth season as pilot of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster. He has 17 career victories and would love to add a trophy from the Fram Autolite Nationals July 25-27 to his wall of ‘Wallys’ (event trophies named after NHRA founder Wally Parks).

The second generation driver, who is recognized as having the most successful career launch of any other Top Fuel or Funny Car pilot in NHRA history, wants to solidify his position in the top 10 drivers in the Top Fuel category who will enter the playoffs and have an opportunity to run for the championship. Counting Sonoma, there are four races remaining before the field of 10 is set.

“Our team loves to come to the wine country to race,” said Bernstein. “Besides the fact that it’s our sponsor’s title rights event, another of our sponsors, Matt Cordeiro and his family, live in the Sonoma area. There would be a big celebration with lots of Budweiser if we could bring this one home.”

In fact, one more race win would tie Bernstein with Shirley Muldowney for a career total of 18 victories.

Bernstein has four runner-up finishes to his credit so far this season.

“We’ve had some good consistency in the middle of the season,” said Bernstein. “We just came off a runner-up finish at Seattle, and we need to continue our charge to carry momentum into the final six races that will determine the championship.

“There’s a lot of tough competition out there, but we’ve got a tremendous amount of talent with our tuning duo of Tim (Richards, crew chief) and Kim (Richards) along with the remaining members of our team.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying for the Fram Autolite Nationals begins Friday, July 25 at 4 p.m. with a second session at 7:15 p.m. There are two Saturday qualifying rounds, noon and 3 p.m. with final eliminations scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Sunday.

FRAM AUTOLITE NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – July 26 – ESPN2

6-8 p.m. ET

NHRA Race Day – July 27 – ESPN2

11-11:30 a.m. ET

Eliminations – July 27 – ESPN2

7 – 10 p.m. ET

Budweiser Lager Lesson: Budweiser American lager was introduced in 1876 when company founder Adolphus Busch set out to create the United States’ first truly national beer brand – brewed to be universally popular and transcend regional tastes.

BERNSTEIN RIDES WITH THE U.S. AIR FORCE THUNDERBIRDS ;
FINISHES RUNNER-UP IN SEATTLE

KENT, Wash.( July 20) – It was an unforgettable week for Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster pilot Brandon Bernstein. As a prelude to the Schuck’s Auto Supply Nationals, Bernstein took to the skies with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds on Thursday and sustained a 9.2 G pull during maneuvers in which he flew inverted, went into a 14,000-foot vertical climb, and rolled through loops. The same day he went on the most memorable ride of his life, he also visited wounded soldiers at Madigan Army Medical Center at Fort Lewis.

On Friday, Bernstein got down to the business of driving the 8,000-horsepower Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster owned by his father, six-time NHRA champion Kenny Bernstein.

. The Budweiser/Lucas Oil team qualified second with a 3.820/314.68 and was awarded the $3000 Full Throttle check for excellence and consistency in qualifying.

In the first round of Sunday’s eliminations, Bernstein used low elapsed time of the round, 3.856/310.77, to defeat opponent Troy Buff’s 3.879/308.71.

“That was a close race and I couldn’t see who was ahead at the end,” said Bernstein. “We’re happy to put another 20 points in the bank.”

In the second round Bernstein rolled to the starting line to face off against Cory McClenathan.

Both drivers lost traction and were on and off the throttle, but Bernstein crossed the finish line with a winning 4.336/233.52 to McClenathan’s 4.910/197.65.

“It just comes undone and unloads,” explained Bernstein about the loss of traction. “There’s smoke everywhere and then you feel your rear lift up in the air. Then you think, ‘wait a second I’ve gotta get back in this thing because I don’t hear him, I can’t see him.’ You get on the throttle, back off the throttle, and then you get the win light. It’s a crazy sequence of events.”

For the third consecutive race, Bernstein met Doug Herbert, this time in the semifinals. Again, both cars lost traction but Bud/Lucas Oil crew chief Tim Richards scored his 650th career round victory with a winning tune-up of 4.262/241.71, defeating Herbert’s 4.380/240.85.

“That was a great job by our Budweiser/Lucas Oil team,” said Bernstein, “but it’s tough out here. The sun’s out hard on this track and it’s real tricky. Hopefully Tim can calm the car down a bit for the final and we’ll have a chance at it.”

In the money round against Tony Schumacher, the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster dropped a cylinder early in the run while Schumacher recorded a winning 3.902/309.98 to Bernstein’s 4.056/291.19.

“We’ve had a fantastic week,” concluded Bernstein, “and I was hoping it would carry over to winner’s circle here in Seattle. Tim did a great job, but Schumacher’s a tough customer. We made some headway tightening up the point battle and we hope to benefit from this momentum next weekend in Sonoma.”

Bernstein remains sixth in NHRA Top Fuel point standings, six points out of fifth and 18 points (less than a round) out of fourth place.

# # #

Budweiser Lager Lesson: In the mid-nineteenth century, German-American brewers perfected the crisp, refreshing beer style now called American lager, changing not only Americans’ choice of beers, but how and where Americans enjoyed beer, ultimately converting America into a country of beer lovers.

DIARY OF MY U.S. AIR FORCE THUNDERBIRDS FLIGHT:  BRANDON BERNSTEIN

I will always remember the date:  Thursday, July 17.  There’s no denying that driving a Top Fuel car or Funny Car provides a thrill and a kick in the seat of the pants that is hard to describe, and on land, at a launch of 5 G’s it’s probably a ride that can’t be beat.  But on Thursday, July 17 I went on a ride that was the thrill of a lifetime.  I had the opportunity to ride with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, a bigger than awesome ride pulling 9.2 G’s. 

Taking a ride with the Thunderbirds is more complex than just showing up at a hangar and hopping on board. 

In fact, the approval process takes a long time.  I believe it took a couple of months for me to clear all the levels of approvals necessary to get the nod.

On the day of the ride, I first met with the flight surgeon.  Besides taking the normal blood pressure readings and the laundry list of medical readings you need, she spent a lot of time talking with me about gravity and even put me through a series of breathing exercises to do in the air once we started to experience Gs.  Breathing is used in conjunction with a gravity suit that actually puts pressure on your lower body and you tense the muscles in that area to help your body withstand the force as these G’s push down from the top of your head as well as on your sides. 

Next came the flight apparel fitting.  There’s a basic flight suit and to that you add a piece of apparel that looks like riding chaps.  These babies are the inflatable kind that help put pressure on your lower body as I described before.  Then came the helmet, mask and parachute fittings.  By now I was looking the part.  It took a while to get the proper fit of all these pieces, but when we were properly

“tailored”,  we met with our pilot, Major Anthony Mulhare.  All the girls think he could have been cast in Tom Cruise’s role of ‘Maverick’ in Top Gun.

Major Mulhare spent a great deal of time talking me through procedures, how to handle any nausea I might feel, and he even brought a model of the plane to explain maneuvers.  He also showed me on a map where we would fly.  He explained emergency procedures, which thank the good Lord above, we didn’t need, but you have to cover all the bases.  We probably spent more than an hour talking, and the more we discussed the flight, the more excited I became.  When it was time to walk to the flight line to board the F-16, I was completely at ease with Major Mulhare and the procedures, and I was totally ready to roll.

When we got to the plane, there was another surprise, they even had my name on the cockpit canopy.  Major Mulhare sat on the side of the airplane while I got strapped in and went through procedures with me once again.  Now I’m starting to feel like ‘Goose’ in Top Gun.  After we were both strapped in and the engines came alive, we went through a series of airplane checks to make sure

all parts and pieces were operating properly.

The take off was very cool because shortly after we left the tarmac we went into a vertical climb to 14,000 feet.  I looked back and the ground had disappeared in a scant three seconds.

 It was very spectacular take off and one of race team staff held a cell phone so that the girls in the California office could hear the engines and they thrust us into the sky.

During the course of the hour flight, we were inverted, we did loops, we exercised task maneuvers over “Iraq” (which was really Clearwater, Washington) and we even went over to check out Mount Rainier. While we were performing  maneuvers, the Major asked if I was ready for my 9 G pull and I said ‘Bring it on.” We registered 9.2 G’s.  It was an amazing rush on my body. 

For all those people who have asked me time and again, “Did you get sick and did you pass out?”   No, I did not.  I only felt a tinge of queasiness upon the approach to landing, and as instructed, I hit the oxygen bottle for a little blast of 100 proof, fixed my gaze on the horizon, and I was fine.

After the ride and after our feet touched the ground, Major Mulhare gathered his flight team, which numbered somewhere in the vicinity of 15 folks, and gave them an overview of the ride.  He then presented me with a signed Thunderbirds photo, a certificate signed by Major Mulhare detailing the G force we achieved, souvenirs from a day I will never forget. But the most prized piece of memorabilia was the 9 G pin he put on my lapel.  Not everyone that flies with the Thunderbirds earns the 9 G pin.

I wear it proudly on the lapel of my crew shirt at the racetrack.

Following his address to his flight team, I had a chance to tell everyone how much we appreciated and respected what the members of the Air Force have done and continue to do to protect our country.  Then each member of the flight crew lined up and I individually shook hands as they filed past.

I was disappointed when the experience was over.  It was so awesome I wanted to jump back in the plane and take another ride.  We hope to catch up with members of the team when we get to Las Vegas.  Hopefully it will be a weekend off for the Thunderbirds and we’ll get to catch up with some of our heroes again.

BRANDON BERNSTEIN TO FLY WITH U.S. AIR FORCE THUNDERBIRDS
PRIOR TO NHRA RACE AT PACIFIC RACEWAYS

KENT, Wash. – Brandon Bernstein will satisfy his need for speed this week while gearing up for the Schuck’s Auto Supply NHRA Nationals July 18-20 at Pacific Raceways.

On Thursday, July 17, he will get a taste of the jet set life as he flies with the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds at McChord Air Force Base.

“It’s an absolute thrill to get the opportunity to fly with the Thunderbirds,” said an excited Bernstein. “It’s going to be an awesome experience, I know. I plan to record some footage of the day and hopefully of the flight. In our dragsters we record five G’s when we leave the starting line and a negative five when we pull the parachute at the end of the run. It will be interesting to see how that compares with the intense power of the airplanes.

“We have blocked five hours for this flight. This isn’t a plane you jump into and go. It takes a lot of preparation, medical clearance and a few hours of education before you fly. I’ve heard a lot of stories about blacking out or getting sick. I’m hoping for the best!”

On Friday, Bernstein will jump into the familiar confines of the cockpit of his 8,000-horsepower Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster to begin qualifying for the 14th event in the 24-race series.

“Seattle falls in the middle of a hectic three weeks of racing we call the West Coast Swing,” explained Bernstein. “We need a good three race series to keep our standing in the top 10. After the first 18-race ‘regular season’, 10 drivers in each category are eligible for the playoffs and a crack at the 2008 world championship.

“Last year we were in the hunt until the semifinals of the final race of the season. It hurt to be that close and watch your hopes evaporate. We’re ready to give it another shot this season.”

Bernstein has competed at Pacific Raceways for four years as pilot of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster and has been in the final round two of those years, winning in 2005 and notching a runner-up finish last year.

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, July 18 at 3:30 p.m. with a second qualifying session at 6 p.m. There are two qualifying rounds Saturday, 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. with eliminations schedule to begin Sunday at 11 a.m.

Bernstein to visit Fort Lewis. Bernstein and Funny Car teammate Tommy Johnson, Jr. will visit soldiers at Madigan Army Medical Center in Tacoma Thursday, July 17. They will greet soldiers and sign autographs at the base’s main PX from 11 a.m. to noon. They will then shift to nearby McChord Air Force Base where they will meet some of the base personnel. McChord will host Air Expo 2008 July 19-20, featuring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and other exciting aerial attractions.

SCHUCK’S AUTO SUPPLY NATIONALS

TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – July 19 – ESPN2

8-9 p.m. ET

NHRA Race Day – July 20 – ESPN2

11-11:30 a.m. ET

Eliminations – July 20 – ESPN2

9 p.m. – 12 a.m. ET

About the Thunderbirds: The U.S. Air Force Air Demonstration Squadron is an Air Combat

Command unit comprised of eight pilots (including six demonstration pilots), four support officers, four civilians and about 120 enlisted Airmen performing in more than 31 career specialties.

A Thunderbirds' demonstration includes six aircraft, performing formation flying and solo routines. The four-aircraft, diamond formation demonstrates the training and precision of Air Force pilots, while the solo maneuvers highlight the maximum capabilities of the

Lockheed Martin F-16.

The team's first performance was June 8, 1953 at Luke Air Force Base, Ariz. Since then, the Thunderbirds have flown air demonstrations in all 50 states and more than 61 foreign countries.

Background information on the Thunderbirds is available online at: www.airforce.com/thunderbirds.

Budweiser Lager Lesson: Budweiser is lagered over beechwood chips for nearly three weeks and “kraeusened” to produce natural carbonation, resulting in our signature crisp and refreshing taste.

BUDWEISER/LUCAS OIL TEAM OUT WITH TRACTION TROUBLE IN DENVER;
BERNSTEIN SIXTH IN POINT STANDINGS

DENVER, Colo. (July 13) – For competitors at the Mopar Mile-High Nationals at Bandimere Speedway through the years, the heat and altitude of the mile-high city have presented tuning challenges

In order to help combat the elements on what is arguably the most picturesque track on the circuit, John Bandimere, Jr. became the first track operator to install cooling coils under the first 120 feet of the racing surface.

Also new beginning with this event was a switch for the two nitro categories to race to the 1000-foot mark instead of the traditional 1320-foot quarter-mile. This was an interim safety measure instituted in the wake of the untimely death of Scott Kalitta.

Brandon Bernstein qualified the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster 10th under the new format, with a 4.037/299.33.

In the opening round of eliminations, Bernstein faced off against Doug Herbert. Early in the run, the tires broke loose on The Great American Lager car while Herbert had a trouble-free run, taking the round win with a 4.035/295.46 vs. Bernstein’s 5.242/151.04.

“It’s a pretty helpless feeling to sit and watch as Doug just zips on down the racetrack while we’re struggling to get traction to the ground,” explained Bernstein.

“We’ll just put this behind us and concentrate on Seattle coming up next weekend. We’ve had some good success there in the past and we look forward to going some rounds.”

Bernstein remains sixth in NHRA Top Fuel point standings.

# # #

Budweiser Lager Lesson: Budweiser is one of the most difficult beers to brew because it is fermented at cooler temperatures, thus taking more time to brew, yet resulting in a clean, crisp taste that you don’t get from other beers.

FOLLOWING TWO CONSECUTIVE RUNNER-UP FINISHES,
BRANDON BERNSTEIN LOOKING FOR A VICTORY IN DENVER

DENVER, Colo. – Brandon Bernstein hits the Mopar Mile-High Nationals July 11-13, the first of three races that comprise the West Coast Swing, on the heels of two runner-up finishes.

“Riding the momentum of two final rounds in two weeks gives us some confidence heading into the summer series,” said Bernstein. “We’ve just been running in some heat and our Budweiser/Lucas Oil crew chief Tim Richards traditionally has some very competitive tune-up combinations for hot, sticky tracks.

“Bandimere Speedway is a bit of a one-off tune-up because of the altitude but through the years Tim has had success there. We need to continue to go rounds to make sure we stay in the top 10 to transfer to the playoffs.”

“The West Coast Swing has the ability to make or break our chances to remain eligible for the 2008 world championship. Going into Denver we have nearly a 200-point advantage over the 10th place cut-off which is comfortable, but we can’t afford to fall behind.”

Bernstein is only five points out of fifth place in Top Fuel category point standings.

The Mopar Mile-High Nationals are included in the last six races before each of the professional category fields are reduced to 10 who advance to the playoffs. Then follow six races to determine the championship.

Bernstein and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team have tallied runner-up finishes this season at Gainesville, Fla., Englishtown, N.J., and Norwalk, Ohio.

The second generation driver has 17 career victories to his credit.

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, July 11 at 5:30 p.m. with a second session at 8 p.m. There are two qualifying rounds Saturday, 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., with final eliminations scheduled to begin Sunday at noon.

MOPAR MILE-HIGH NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – July 12 – ESPN2

10 p.m. – 12 a.m.

NHRA Race Day – July 13 – ESPN2

11-11:30 a.m. ET

Eliminations – July 13 – ESPN2

8 – 10 p.m. ET

Budweiser Lager Lesson: Budweiser is brewed with the finest two and six-row barley malt, a blend of European and American aroma hops, our own Budweiser yeast and the freshest American brewer’s rice, producing a medium-bodied, crisp and pure beer brewed for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment.

BRANDON BERNSTEIN REACHES SECOND FINAL IN TWO WEEKS
AT SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NATIONALS

NORWALK, Ohio (June 29) -- Brandon Bernstein drove the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster to the finals at the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, his second final round in two weeks. At the halfway mark of the season, and only six races before the field of drivers in each pro category is reduced to 10 who advance to the playoffs, the Kenny Bernstein-owned team has tallied three runner-up finishes. With Sunday’s final round appearance at Summit Motorsports Park, the second generation driver advanced to sixth in NHRA Top Fuel point standings and is presently comfortably seeded in the group that will be eligible for the 2008 world championship.

Bernstein qualified third with a 4.640-second elapsed time, and with the category’s top speed, 315.86 mph.

In the opening round of eliminations, Bernstein and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil crew took a decisive victory over Luigi Novelli, 4.688/304.39 to Novelli’s 5.162/214.28.

“The car was on a great run but we started to spin the tires about the 1000-foot mark,” said Bernstein. “I got close to the center line, but I didn’t want to make a big move to jerk the car back. We probably lost a little elapsed time on that run, but a round win is good.”

In the second round, Bernstein rolled to the starting line to face Antron Brown. Bernstein never trailed and led wire to wire. The Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster streaked across the finish line with a 4.650/307.72 while Brown struggled with an ailing engine, 4.861/274.16.

“That’s a great team,” said Bernstein. “Antron is tough on the lights, and you have to be up for him, but our Budweiser/Lucas Oil team needed that win. We need to keep racking up rounds and points.”

In the semifinals, opponent Cory McClenathan left before the Christmas tree was activated, signaling a foul start. Bernstein automatically got the win, running a competitive 4.654/300.93.

“I didn’t see Cory’s red light and I thought I was dead late,” said Bernstein. “Cory is a friend and a good competitor. I’m just glad I wasn’t late like I thought I was. Another round win! Kudos to Tim (Richards, crew chief) and Kim (Richards) and the team. We’re going to the finals!”

In the money round, it was Bernstein vs. Doug Herbert. It was a close race with Herbert crossing the finish line first.

“As much as we wanted to win the event, we know Doug has dedicated his season to his two sons who were fatally injured in an automobile accident earlier this year. It was an emotional win for him. He also had his daughter with him. We have a lot of compassion for him as well as the Kalitta family. Our racing fraternity is all about families. Doug lost his sons, and we just lost Scott Kalitta.

“In the big picture, it’s about families. Our team will have another day.”

Notable: The Budweiser/Lucas Oil team leads the season’s Full Throttle Pit Crew Championship for excellence and consistency in qualifying.

# # #

Budweiser Lager Lessons: Budweiser is brewed with the finest two and six-row barley malt, a blend of European and American aroma hops, our own Budweiser yeast and the freshest American brewer’s rice, producing a medium-bodied, crisp and pure beer brewed for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment.

BRANDON BERNSTEIN LOOKING FOR CONSISTENCY AND ROUND WINS IN NORWALK

NORWALK, Ohio –Brandon Bernstein comes into the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals June 27-29 on the heels of a runner-up finish in Englishtown, N.J. He hopes to continue gaining round wins and points as the season reaches the halfway point in Ohio.

Last year at the inaugural NHRA event at Summit Racing Equipment Motorsports Park, Bernstein and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team earned their third Full Throttle award for excellence and consistency in qualifying.

Driver Brandon Bernstein and the Kenny Bernstein-owned team will be looking to repeat the consistency in qualifying that they enjoyed here last season.

“When we get into the hot summer months, it takes a shrewd crew chief to create a tune-up that can help one of these powerful dragsters negotiate the track without losing traction,” said Brandon. “Fortunately we have veteran tuners Tim (Richards, crew chief) and Kim (Richards) that have a lot of experience in this regard. Tim has a good hot weather tune-up combination and he just proved that at Englishtown where we qualified second and went to the finals in eliminations.

“As a driver, you always have to be ready to pedal the car. In these hot, humid conditions, you are really sensitive to the feel of the beginning of any loss of traction. You want to catch it and hopefully feather the throttle and get traction back down to the ground before too much time is lost. A lot of summer rounds are won or lost on pedal fests to the finish line.

“We need to continue to gain points to assure a position in the top 10 to transfer to the Countdown to 1 for the battle for the championship. Going into the Norwalk event, we’ll have seven races to go before the field of 10 is set for the Countdown to 1. After that it’s a six-race playoff to determine the champion.

“This is a new format this year. We like it. We want to be in the hunt. At this time we’re pretty comfortably seated in the field and we want to keep it that way and continue to work our way up the point ladder.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying for the Summit Racing Equipment Nationals begins Friday, June 27 at 4:30 p.m. followed by a second session at 7:30 p.m. There are two qualifying sessions Saturday, 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., with eliminations scheduled to begin Sunday at 11 a.m.

SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – June 28 –ESPN2

10 p.m. – 12 a.m. ET

NHRA Race Day – June 29 – ESPN2

11-11:30 a.m. ET

Eliminations – June 29 – ESPN2

Budweiser Lager Lesson: For more than 130 years, Budweiser American lager has been brewed using the original family recipe passed along by five generations of Busch family brewmasters, truly making Budweiser “The Great American Lager.”

BERNSTEIN RUNNER-UP AT ENGLISHTOWN;
JOINS FATHER AND RACING FRATERNITY IN MOURNING SCOTT KALITTA

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. (June 22) – Brandon Bernstein finally changed his fortune at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park. At the Lucas Oil Supernationals he drove the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster to a runner-up finish, his first career final round appearance at Raceway Park.

The same track that sidelined the second generation driver in 2003 with a collision into and over the retaining wall, sadly this year claimed the life of second generation Funny Car driver Scott Kalitta during qualifying for the event. The Kalittas have long been friends of the Bernsteins and the entire racing community mourned the loss of the personable driver, husband and father of two sons. Though Saturday activity at Raceway Park was halted following Scott Kalitta’s accident, Sunday’s eliminations were run as scheduled.

Bernstein qualified second for the Lucas Oil Supernationals with a 4.525/323.27.

In the opening round of eliminations Bernstein defeated Todd Paton who had a fiery blower explosion on the starting line. The Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster sailed down the quarter-mile crossing the finish line with a 4.692/316.60.

"That was step one and one round win,” said Bernstein. “We're racing with heavy hearts today. (Referring to the death of Scott Kalitta yesterday during a qualifying accident) We are trying to stay focused on the job at hand. I know that's what Scott would want us to do.

“Scott was great! I just loved being around him. He could entertain you for hours with stories about his dad and his team. He had been out here for so many years that he had a lot of humorous tales. We will miss him, but he will remain in our hearts.”

In second round pairing Bernstein faced Bob Vandergriff, Jr. Vandergriff lost traction near half track. Bernstein battled the same malady near the finish line but got the round win with a 5.068/238.13 to Vandergriff’s 8.655/96.96.

“When you have tire smoke way down track you’re always fearful of the other guy coming around you right in the lights,” explained Bernstein. “When I lifted my foot off the throttle in an attempt to settle the car down before I got back on the throttle, I didn’t hear him, but you still think he might come up on you. I got back on the throttle and was fortunate to get our Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster across the finish line first.”

The semifinals saw a battle between Bernstein and Hot Rod Fuller. Bernstein had the better reaction time off the starting line and held the advantage all the way to the finish line. He clocked 4.616/319.22 while Fuller started to mix up cylinders at the end of the track finishing his day with a 4.813/256.84.

“I don’t have good memories of this track,” said Bernstein. “It’s great to be going to a final round here.”

The money round was a face -off between Bernstein and one of the fiercest Top Fuel competitors, Tony Schumacher. It was a solid performance by both drivers, but Schumacher took the win light, 4.589/325.06 to Bernstein’s 4.562/323.04.

Though Bernstein remains seventh in NHRA Top Fuel point standings, he significantly narrowed the gap between himself and fourth place.

# # #

Budweiser Lager Lesson:

Budweiser American lager was introduced in 1876 when company founder Adolphus Busch set out to create the United States’ first truly national beer brand – brewed to be universally popular and transcend regional tastes.

BRANDON BERNSTEIN WANTS TO REVERSE KARMA AT ENGLISHTOWN

ENGLISHTOWN, N.J. – Despite notching two No. 1 qualifying efforts at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Brandon Bernstein, driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster, hasn’t had a win or final round appearance at this track.

Bernstein would like to change that when the NHRA circuit makes its 11th stop of the season at the Lucas Oil Supernationals June 20-22.

Conversely, Brandon’s father, six-time champion Kenny Bernstein, has won seven events at the New Jersey track, more than any other professional driver in any category. Kenny won four Funny Car events and three Top Fuel titles at the wheel of Budweiser-sponsored race cars.

Brandon, who had the most successful career launch of any Top Fuel or Funny Car driver in NHRA history won five of his first 13 starts. His path to success was interrupted in 2003 when he crashed at Raceway Park in the first round of eliminations. The back injuries he suffered from the incident sidelined him for the remainder of the year.

“I feel like I need to conquer this track,” said Bernstein. “I don’t think about this track any differently than any other, and each time we light the engine, it’s business as usual and I concentrate on the task at hand.

“It just seems like we can’t catch a break here or like we have some kind of bad karma. Obviously we have a very talented crew with Tim (Richards, crew chief) and Kim (Richards) leading the charge for us. We’re overdue and I hope we can change our luck at Raceway Park over the weekend.

“Additionally, we need to keep adding points to assure that we have a berth in the Countdown to 1. We’re just past halfway in the regular season countdown, the Countdown to Ten. The top 10 drivers will transfer to the six-race dogfight for the championship.

“It’s time to get on a winning streak,” said Bernstein.

Bernstein has won races each year since his 2003 rookie season and would like to continue to add to his success. Bernstein has 17 career victories.

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying for the Lucas Oil Supernationals begins Friday, June 20 at 4 p.m. followed by a second session at 7 p.m. There are two qualifying sessions Saturday, 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., with eliminations beginning Sunday at 11 a.m.

LUCAS OIL SUPERNATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – June 21 – ESPN2

4:30 – 5:30 p.m. ET

Qualifying – June 21 – ESPN2

7 – 8 p.m. ET

NHRA Race Day – June 22 – ESPN2

11 – 11:30 a.m.

Eliminations – June 22 – ESPN2

8 – 11 p.m. ET

# # #

Brandon Bernstein took the reins to the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster from his father, Kenny, whose 39 Top Fuel victories and 30 Funny Car victories make him No. 2 driver on the career nitro win list. Brandon was named Southern California Auto Club Rookie of the Year in 2003, and has amassed 17 career victories to date including a career-high five wins and a third-place overall finish in the 2007 NHRA POWERAde Series.

Just like the Bernstein family legacy on the track, Budweiser American-style lager follows the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brew masters. Brewed with only the finest hand-selected ingredients and Beechwood aged for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment, Budweiser is “the Great American Lager.”

TRACTION TROUBLE HURTS BERNSTEIN IN CHICAGO

JOLIET, Ill. (June 8) – Hot, hazy, humid Chicago weather led to tricky track conditions at the Torco Racing Fuels Route 66 Nationals. As a result, the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster did not hit its normal quick, fast pace during Sunday’s eliminations.

Driver Brandon Bernstein qualified in the No. 12 position, 4.616/325.30.

In the first round of eliminations, Bernstein faced off against David Grubnic. Both drivers lost traction down track and were on and off the throttle trying to get power to the ground. Grubnic crossed the finish line first, 5.132/284.15 to Bernstein’s 5.936/173.54.

“As a driver, you have to be ready to pedal the throttle when it’s hot and the track is slick,” said Bernstein. “But sometimes you can’t settle the car down quickly enough to get it hooked up again. It was a challenging and exciting run, but it’s no fun when you lose.”

Bernstein remains seventh in NHRA Top Fuel point standings.

# # #

Brandon Bernstein took the reins to the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster from his father, Kenny, whose 39 Top Fuel victories and 30 Funny Car victories make him No. 2 driver on the career nitro win list. Brandon was named Southern California Auto Club Rookie of the Year in 2003, and has amassed 17 career victories to date including a career-high five wins and a third-place overall finish in the 2007 NHRA POWERAde Series.

Just like the Bernstein family legacy on the track, Budweiser American-style lager follows the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brew masters. Brewed with only the finest hand-selected ingredients and Beechwood aged for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment, Budweiser is “the Great American Lager.”

BRANDON BERNSTEIN LOOKING TO FOLLOW FATHER’S
PATH TO VICTORY CIRCLE AT ROUTE 66

JOLIET, Ill. –Among their fondest memories, Brandon Bernstein and his six-time NHRA champion legendary father, Kenny, recall a day at Route 66 Raceway in 2001 where they shared victory circle. The father/son duo, who became the first in NHRA history to win at the same national event, celebrated for the first time in 2001 at Las Vegas and then a few weeks later in Chicago. Brandon was competing in his one-year stint in the Lucas Oil sportsman series driving an Alcohol Dragster, and Kenny won the Top Fuel trophy driving the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster.

For Budweiser/Lucas Oil team owner Kenny Bernstein, Route 66 was a track where he excelled, having won four times, more than any other professional driver in any category to date.

Kenny’s son Brandon is looking for his first victory at the high performance drag strip when the NHRA makes its 10th stop of the season at the Torco Racing Fuels Nationals June 6-8.

The second generation driver came close to a victory here in 2004 but a giant wheel stand in the final round caused him to abort the run. That was the weekend Bernstein scorched the state- of-the art quarter-mile dragstrip, setting a national speed record and track speed record (333.41 mph) and a personal best elapsed time (4.477 seconds) before the wheel standing thrill ride ended what might have been a perfect weekend.

“We have been fortunate in our career to have won 17 national events,” said Bernstein. “We would like to put Route 66 in our personal win column.

“This track is quick and fast and chances are high that if you stumble, the other guy is already at the finish line. You don’t see a lot of pedaling here. It’s just stomp (the throttle) and go.

“Tim (Richards, crew chief), Kim (Richards) and the team recently tried a new tune-up combination that looks promising. We hope it pays dividends at Chicago.

“We were runner-up at Gainesville in March, but we’re looking for our first victory of the season. Plus we need to gain points and it’s important to go rounds. There are four or five of us bunched pretty close together in points and you can gain or lose a couple of positions in one weekend of racing.

“We are all looking to be in the top 10 after Indy (Sept. 1) to earn a spot in the Countdown to the Championship. It’s been a dog fight so far this season and I don’t see anything changing.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying for the Torco Racing Fuels Nationals begins Friday, June 6 at 3:30 p.m., followed by a second session at 7 p.m. There are two qualifying sessions Saturday, 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., with eliminations scheduled to begin Sunday at 11 a.m.

TORCO RACING FUELS NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – June 7 – ESPN2

5 – 7 p.m. ET

NHRA Race Day – June 8 – ESPN2

11-11:30 a.m. ET

Eliminations – June 8 – ESPN2

5 – 7 p.m. ET

Brandon Bernstein took the reins to the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster from his father, Kenny, whose 39 Top Fuel victories and 30 Funny Car victories make him No. 2 driver on the career nitro win list. Brandon was named Southern California Auto Club Rookie of the Year in 2003, and has amassed 17 career victories to date including a career-high five wins and a third-place overall finish in the 2007 NHRA POWERAde Series.

Just like the Bernstein family legacy on the track, Budweiser American-style lager follows the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brew masters. Brewed with only the finest hand-selected ingredients and Beechwood aged for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment, Budweiser is “the Great American Lager.”

BERNSTEIN REMAINS IN TOP 10 AS REGULAR SEASON COUNTDOWN
HITS HALFWAY MARK AT TOPEKA

TOPEKA, Kan. (June 1) – The O’Reilly Sumer Nationals at Heartland Park Topeka marked the halfway point of the 18-race Countdown to the Championship regular season. At the conclusion of the first 18 races, the top 10 in Top Fuel point standings will transfer to the Countdown to 1. Following the Topeka event, Brandon Bernstein and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team continue to reside in the top 10 as they have all season.

Bernstein qualified eighth in Kansas with a 4.623/324.75.

In the opening round of eliminations, Bernstein rolled to the starting line to face good friend J.R. Todd. They were the first pair down the track, and Bernstein was the first winner in the opening volley.

Winning by a car length, the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster clocked 4.625/311.99 vs. J.R. Todd’s 4.667/286.74.

"J.R. is one of my best friends,” said Bernstein, “but both of us have a job to do today. Our team was fortunate to get this round win, now we need to keep going and keep banking those points.”

In the quarterfinals, Bernstein’s opponent was Larry Dixon. The cars were equally matched but Dixon reached the finish stripe first with a 4.691/302.14 to Bernstein’s 4.698/309.70.

“What can you say other than it was a good old drag race,” said Bernstein. “When we got back to the pits and looked at the data from the run, the computer graphs showed that we were spinning the tires down track. If the tires hadn’t gotten a little loose down there, we might have gotten around him, but who knows. Larry’s a good driver and they have a tough team.”

Bernstein remains seventh in NHRA Top Fuel point standings.

# # #

Brandon Bernstein took the reins to the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster from his father, Kenny, whose 39 Top Fuel victories and 30 Funny Car victories make him No. 2 driver on the career nitro win list. Brandon was named Southern California Auto Club Rookie of the Year in 2003, and has amassed 17 career victories to date including a career-high five wins and a third-place overall finish in the 2007 NHRA POWERAde Series.

Just like the Bernstein family legacy on the track, Budweiser American-style lager follows the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brew masters. Brewed with only the finest hand-selected ingredients and Beechwood aged for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment, Budweiser is “the Great American Lager.”

BUDWEISER/LUCAS OIL TEAM HUNGRY FOR A WIN A TOPEKA

TOPEKA, Kan. --Brandon Bernstein has confidence that new tune-up combinations by Budweiser/Lucas Oil crew chief Tim Richards put them in a good position to defend last year’s Top Fuel victory at Heartland Park Topeka. Bernstein comes off a final four finish at Bristol, Tenn. as the NHRA circuit makes its ninth stop at the O’Reilly Summer Nationals May 30-June 1.

“We were going some rounds at Bristol with some really competitive elapsed times,” said Bernstein. “I think Tim’s on to something here that may give us an edge.

“We’re looking for our first win of the ’08 season, and we’ve had good success at Topeka in the past. That helps give us confidence going into the event.”

Bernstein has a remarkable record at Heartland Park Topeka, making three final round appearances in the four years he’s raced there. He won in 2004 as well as last year, and was runner-up in 2006.

The Budweiser/Lucas Oil team’s best finish this season is runner-up at Gainesville, Fla. in March.

“We need to get some rounds behind us to assure a spot in the Countdown to the Championship,” continued Bernstein. “There are a lot of Top Fuel cars that are very evenly matched so there is some very close, competitive racing. It’s great for the fans, but it’s a nail-biter for the crew chiefs and drivers. Everyone has to be focused and on their game. Our team is pretty hungry for a win so we’ll be digging deep.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying for the O’Reilly Summer Nationals begins Friday, May 30 at 4:30 p.m. followed by a second session at 7 p.m. There are two qualifying rounds Saturday, noon and 2:30 p.m. with final eliminations set for 11 a.m. Sunday.

O’REILLY SUMMER NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – May 31- ESPN2

5:30 – 8 p.m. ET

NHRA Race Day – June 1 – ESPN2

11-11:30 p.m. ET

Eliminations – June 1 – ESPN2

4 – 7 p.m. ET

# # #

Brandon Bernstein took the reins to the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster from his father, Kenny, whose 39 Top Fuel victories and 30 Funny Car victories make him No. 2 driver on the career nitro win list. Brandon was named Southern California Auto Club Rookie of the Year in 2003, and has amassed 17 career victories to date including a career-high five wins and a third-place overall finish in the 2007 NHRA POWERAde Series.

Just like the Bernstein family legacy on the track, Budweiser American-style lager follows the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brew masters. Brewed with only the finest hand-selected ingredients and Beechwood aged for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment, Budweiser is “the Great American Lager.”

BRANDON BERNSTEIN DRIVES BUDWEISER/LUCAS OIL DRAGSTER
TO FINAL FOUR AT BRISTOL

BRISTOL, Tenn. (May 18) -- Intermittent rain played havoc with the running of the O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals, but through the delays caused by rain and time spent drying the race surface, the Kenny Bernstein-owned Budweiser/Lucas Oil team made a solid final four showing.

Driver Brandon Bernstein qualified sixth in the Top Fuel field at Bristol Dragway with a 4.571/320.86.

Bernstein won the opening round of eliminations, defeating Bob Vandergriff, Jr. with a 4.586/324.44 vs. Vandergriff's 4.740/330.23.

"We are focused this weekend,” said Bernstein. “We need some round wins. The team is doing a great job and I need to be on my game."

Bernstein scored a big win over Doug Kalitta in the second round. The two drivers were fairly even in career matches against each other, but Bernstein was able to gain one more notch in his win column. The Budweiser/Lucas Oil car darted around on the top end of the race track, but crossed the finish line first with a 4.545/326.71 to Kalitta’s 4.810/280.19.

"The car was a handful that time, “said Bernstein. “It was all over the track. But this is great win for our team. We're going rounds. We had to do it."

Bernstein transferred to the semifinals to face Larry Dixon. Dixon had the performance advantage and took the round win with a 4.555/317.05 to Bernstein’s 4.600/322.88.

“All in all it was a good weekend,” said Bernstein. “We got some round wins. Tim (Richards, crew chief) was trying some new tune-up combinations and they look like they have potential.”

Bernstein maintains seventh position in NHRA Top Fuel point standings.

# # #

Brandon Bernstein took the reins to the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster from his father, Kenny, whose 39 Top Fuel victories and 30 Funny Car victories make him No. 2 driver on the career nitro win list. Brandon was named Southern California Auto Club Rookie of the Year in 2003, and has amassed 17 career victories to date including a career-high five wins and a third-place overall finish in the 2007 NHRA POWERAde Series.

Just like the Bernstein family legacy on the track, Budweiser American-style lager follows the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brew masters. Brewed with only the finest hand-selected ingredients and Beechwood aged for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment, Budweiser is “the Great American Lager.”

BRANDON BERNSTEIN: PAST SUCCESS BUILDS CONFIDENCE
FOR O’REILLY THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS

BRISTOL, Tenn. – Brandon Bernstein, driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster hopes that the team’s past accomplishments at the O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals will pay dividends at this year’s May 16-18 event.

“Bristol is a track where we’ve had pretty good success,” said the second generation driver. “We won here in 2003 and 2007 and we were the No. 1 qualifier in 2003 and 2005. The fact that we’ve performed well here in the past helps build confidence going into this year’s event. We know we are capable of winning.

“One of my favorite memories, though, was in 2005 when my friend Eric Medlen and I were the No. 1 qualifiers. It was raining and qualifying was done for the day and I remember Eric and I got on our golf cart to go to the press room for interviews. We were pretty soaked, but we were like a couple of kids, we were so excited to be the No. 1 qualifiers. That’s a good memory.”

Though Bernstein finished runner-up in Gainesville in March, he has yet to score a victory this season. Last season Bernstein’s Bristol win was his third and he had logged five victories before the prestigious Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.

“In this game right now as far as the countdown to the championship is concerned, you aim for success throughout the year while you want to peak at the end of the season,” said Bernstein.

“We’ve had a slower start this year but know we’ve got a good car. We’ve just had some mechanical issues that knocked us out in previous races at the beginning of the season. I think we’ll get those fixed and get some consistency in the race car.

“Bristol is a great race track and we have a lot of fans there. When my dad first got Budweiser onboard as a sponsor, Holston Distributing in Bristol was one of the original backers.

“We enjoy coming to Thunder Valley.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, May 16 at 4:30 p.m. followed by a second session at 7 p.m. There are two qualifying sessions Saturday 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., with eliminations scheduled to begin at noon Sunday.

O’REILLY THUNDER VALLEY NATIONALS
TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – May 17 – ESPN2

6:30 – 8:30 p.m. ET

NHRA Race Day – May 18 – ESPN2

11-11:30 a.m. ET

Eliminations – May 18 – ESPN2

6:30 – 10 p.m. ET

# # #

Brandon Bernstein took the reins to the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster from his father, Kenny, whose 39 Top Fuel victories and 30 Funny Car victories make him No. 2 driver on the career nitro win list. Brandon was named Southern California Auto Club Rookie of the Year in 2003, and has amassed 17 career victories to date including a career-high five wins and a third-place overall finish in the 2007 NHRA POWERAde Series.

Just like the Bernstein family legacy on the track, Budweiser American-style lager follows the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brew masters. Brewed with only the finest hand-selected ingredients and Beechwood aged for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment, Budweiser is “the Great American Lager.”

BRANDON BERNSTEIN DISAPPOINTED IN ST. LOUIS

MADISON, Ill (May 4) – St. Louis is well known as the headquarters of Anheuser-Busch. The brewery produces one of the best-selling beers in the world, Budweiser, the primary sponsor for the Kenny Bernstein-owned racing team for the past 29 years.

When the NHRA circuit made its seventh stop of the season at the O’Reilly Midwest Nationals May 2-4 at Gateway International Raceway, the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel team was anxious to score a victory for all of those at Budweiser’s headquarters who have shown so much support for the team through the years.

In qualifying the team was consistent and got down the race track in each of the four qualifying sessions but scored the thirteenth best elapsed time, 4.575/325.77.

In the first round of eliminations, driver Brandon Bernstein was paired against motorcycle rider turned Top Fuel driver, Antron Brown. Each team was gunning for the other and both crew chiefs had aggressive tune-ups. Soon after the launch, both cars lost traction in a cloud of synchronized tire smoke and each driver was off and on the throttle, trying to get traction to the ground. Brown crossed the finish line first, 5.929/194.30, to Bernstein’s 7.869/139.73.

“You can feel it in the seat of the pants when the car loses traction,” explained Bernstein. “We tried to feather the throttle to get it to hook up again several times, but the car just wasn’t having it.

“Nobody wants to lose in the first round, but it hurts worse in St. Louis.”

Bernstein is seventh in NHRA point standings.

# # #

Brandon Bernstein took the reins to the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster from his father, Kenny, whose 39 Top Fuel victories and 30 Funny Car victories make him No. 2 driver on the career nitro win list. Brandon was named Southern California Auto Club Rookie of the Year in 2003, and has amassed 17 career victories to date including a career-high five wins and a third-place overall finish in the 2007 NHRA POWERAde Series.

Just like the Bernstein family legacy on the track, Budweiser American-style lager follows the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brew masters. Brewed with only the finest hand-selected ingredients and Beechwood aged for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment, Budweiser is “the Great American Lager.”

BERNSTEINS FEEL AT HOME FOR
O’REILLY MIDWEST NATIONALS IN ST. LOUIS

MADISON, Ill. – Anheuser-Busch’s Budweiser brand has sponsored Kenny Bernstein’s NHRA drag racing team for 29 years, the longest current team/sponsorship association in all of auto sports.

It’s no wonder that Brandon Bernstein, driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster is excited about the O’Reilly Midwest Nationals May 2-4 at Gateway International Raceway.

“When we come to St. Louis, our friends at Budweiser roll out the red carpet for us,” said the second generation driver. “It’s as if St. Louis is our second home and all the executives at Budweiser that work with us are our extended family.

“Dad actually sold Budweiser on sponsoring his race team during a rainout at Baton Rouge in 1979,” explained Bernstein.

“The race rained out on Sunday, he went to St. Louis and met with Budweiser and sold the sponsorship, and then went back to Baton Rouge on Wednesday night and beat John Force in the Funny Car final.

“So they’ve been ‘family’ for 29 years. We couldn’t ask for a more supportive sponsor. They are the best!”

Brandon and Kenny have both had their turn in victory circle at Gateway. Six-time champion Kenny drove the Budweiser dragster to four final round appearances in seven years of competition at the track, winning in 2002, the year of his “Forever Red” tour.

Brandon has four years of Gateway competition in the record books, with two final round appearances in the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster. He won in 2006 and dedicated the victory to his grandfather, Bert Bernstein, who succumbed to cancer just two months later. It was Bert’s last trip to a race track to watch his grandson compete.

So far this season, Brandon has logged a runner-up finish at Gainesville, Fla.

“We have a car capable of winning,” said Bernstein. “We were disappointed a couple of times because we’ve had some random mechanical failures that have stopped us when we should have been going rounds. There’s a lot of pressure on these parts and pieces.

“We’re fortunate to have veteran tuner Tim Richards, who we call “The General”, leading the charge for our team. Just to underscore his success, Dad hired him in 2001 and since that time we’ve won 33 races. That’s quite a resume.

“We like our odds going into St. Louis and we’re looking forward to going rounds.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, May 2 at 4 p.m. with a second session at 6:30 p.m. There are two qualifying rounds Saturday, 12:30 and 3 p.m., with final eliminations scheduled to begin Sunday at 11 a.m.

O’REILLY MIDWEST NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – May 3- ESPN2

9-11 p.m. ET

NHRA Race Day – May 4 – ESPN2

11-11:30 a.m. ET

Eliminations – May 4 – ESPN2

7- 10 p.m. ET

Brandon Bernstein took the reins to the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster from his father, Kenny, whose 39 Top Fuel victories and 30 Funny Car victories make him No. 2 driver on the career nitro win list. Brandon was named Southern California Auto Club Rookie of the Year in 2003, and has amassed 17 career victories to date including a career-high five wins and a third-place overall finish in the 2007 NHRA POWERade Series.

Just like the Bernstein family legacy on the track, Budweiser American-style lager follows the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brew masters. Brewed with only the finest hand-selected ingredients and Beechwood aged for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment, Budweiser is “the Great American Lager.”

BERNSTEIN FACES FRIEND IN CLOSE MATCH AT ATLANTA

COMMERCE, GA. (April 27) – Brandon Bernstein and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team came to Atlanta Dragway angling for an encore performance at the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals. Having won the Top Fuel event here last year, the Kenny Bernstein-owned team was hoping to win their first event of the ’08 season.

When Sunday’s final eliminations got underway following a two hour rain delay, Bernstein and close friend J.R. Todd drove to the starting line to see who would take home first round bragging rights.

When the two “Brat Packers”, who inevitably race each other from time to time, find themselves across the asphalt from each other, they focus their attention on racing their lane and try to erase the fact that their friend is on the opposing side of the strip.

Bernstein and Todd left the starting line with nearly identical reaction times and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster led at every increment down the track until about the 1000-foot mark when Bernstein’s engine began to mix up cylinders and tear teeth off the blower belt. Those mechanical difficulties gave Todd the opportunity to outstretch Bernstein at the finish line to win with a .0033-second margin of victory.

“As a driver, you just wish you could have dug just a little bit deeper,” said a disappointed Bernstein. “As close as the competition is, every round matters, every point matters. It was so close but these are the matches that keep you humble in this sport.”

Bernstein qualified No. 5 with a 4.601/320.05. The second generation driver retains fifth place in NHRA POWERade point standings.

# # #

Brandon Bernstein took the reins to the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster from his father, Kenny, whose 39 Top Fuel victories and 30 Funny Car victories make him No. 2 driver on the career nitro win list. Brandon was named Southern California Auto Club Rookie of the Year in 2003, and has amassed 17 career victories to date including a career-high five wins and a third-place overall finish in the 2007 NHRA POWERAde Series.

Just like the Bernstein family legacy on the track, Budweiser American-style lager follows the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brew masters. Brewed with only the finest hand-selected ingredients and Beechwood aged for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment, Budweiser is “the Great American Lager.”

BRANDON BERNSTEIN HOPING FOR SOLID PERFORMANCE AT ATLANTA
TO DEFEND TOP FUEL EVENT TITLE

ATLANTA –  During the Civil War, Atlanta was the target of a major Union invasion, and the scene of several battles.  On April 25, the NHRA contingent will wage their own battle at Atlanta Dragway known as the Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals.

Brandon Bernstein, driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster owned by his father Kenny, will set out to defend last year’s Top Fuel event title.

“We would sure like to repeat our win,” said Bernstein.  “Last year this was the second victory in a row for our team and after we won Atlanta we took over the Top Fuel point lead.  This year, we’d like to use Atlanta to kick-start some notches on the season’s win list.”

Bernstein was runner-up at Gainesville, Fla. in March and made a final four showing at Las Vegas, the race preceding the Atlanta Dragway event.

“We’ve got a good car right now,” said Bernstein, “and I think Tim (Richards, crew chief)

is especially good with hot, tricky tracks.  This race track has an entirely new surface and so the crew chiefs will be under the gun to make a quick read on what they think the track can hold in terms of a tune-up.  It’s possible that past data and history in the crew chief tune-up books won’t be applicable to the new surface.  It should be a very good race for the fans and may hold a lot of surprises.”

Bernstein heads into the Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals fifth in Top Fuel point standings. 

“The point standings are tight enough that you can take a big slide or make a big jump in positions in one weekend’s worth of racing,” said Bernstein. “It’s important to stay in the top 10 to have a chance for a run at the Countdown to the Championship.  We need a good, solid performance at Atlanta.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying is scheduled to begin Friday, April 25 at 3 p.m. with a second session at 6:30 p.m.  There are two qualifying sessions Saturday, 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., with final eliminations set to begin Sunday at 11 a.m.

SUMMIT RACING EQUIPMENT SOUTHERN NATIONALS

TELEVISION ADVISORY 

Qualifying – April 26 – ESPN2

6 – 8 p.m.  ET

NHRA Race Day – April 27 – ESPN2

11-11:30 a.m. ET

Eliminations – April 27 – ESPN2

7 – 10 p.m. ET

 Brandon Bernstein took the reins to the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster from his father, Kenny, whose 39 Top Fuel victories and 30 Funny Car victories make him No. 2 driver on the career nitro win list.  Brandon was named Southern California Auto Club Rookie of the Year in 2003, and has amassed 17 career victories to date including a career-high five wins and a third-place overall finish in the 2007 NHRA POWERAde Series.

Just like the Bernstein family legacy on the track, Budweiser American-style lager follows the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brew masters.  Brewed with only the finest hand-selected ingredients and Beechwood aged for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment, Budweiser is “the Great American Lager.”

BUDWEISER/LUCAS OIL TEAM FALLS VICTIM TO MECHANICAL MALADY IN LAS VEGAS SEMIFINALS

LAS VEGAS (April 13) – Las Vegas is a city where dreams are made and broken. For Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster pilot Brandon Bernstein, memories were made at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.  In 2001 Bernstein made history with his father when they became the first father/son duo in NHRA’s 50-year history to win at the same national event.  Last year Brandon dedicated an emotional victory to his friend Eric Medlen who died from injuries suffered in a testing accident less than a month before.

Bernstein was in pursuit of defending that victory at the SummitRacing.com Nationals when an ignition malfunction foiled his plan for a second consecutive trip to the winner’s circle.

Bernstein qualified No. 9 with a 4.621/325.77

In the opening round of Sunday’s eliminations, Bernstein rolled to the starting line to face Doug Herbert.  A dropped cylinder hindered Herbert early in the run, while the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster logged low elapsed time of the round, 4.634 seconds, at 323.04 mph vs. Herbert’s 5.703/165.19.

“We were the first pair down the track,” said Bernstein, “so we had a lot of butterflies.    

When you’re first pair you never know what the track is going to give you, but Tim (Richards, crew chief) had us dialed in.”

In the second round Bernstein and the Bud/Lucas Oil team stopped Tony Schumacher with a 4.921/253.33 to 5.377/227.26.

Both drivers were on and off the throttle trying to get traction to the ground in the heat.

            “We were struggling with a hot track,” said Bernstein, “and we hurt the engine.  The team had a lot of work to do to prepare for the next round. We’re just excited that we got the round win against a tough team like Schumacher’s.”

Bernstein transferred to the semifinals and had a comfortable starting line advantage over opponent Cory McClenathan, but struggled to get to the finish line.  McClenathan took the round win with a 4.760/315.12. 

“Something went way wrong with the ignition system,” said a disappointed Bernstein.

“We dropped four cylinders before half track and then two more before the finish line.  “Eric’s Mom, Mimi, was here again this year and we wanted to present her with another trophy.  We’re sorry we weren’t able to do that.   “The Strip surface was very tricky today because of the heat, and Tim was making excellent decisions on what the track could handle.  It’s frustrating because we had a car that was very capable of winning today.”

Brandon locked into fifth position in NHRA Top Fuel point standings.

#          #          #

Brandon Bernstein took the reins to the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster from his father, Kenny, whose 39 Top Fuel victories and 30 Funny Car victories make him No. 2 driver on the career nitro win list.  Brandon was named Southern California Auto Club Rookie of the Year in 2003, and has amassed 17 career victories to date including a career-high five wins and a third-place overall finish in the 2007 NHRA POWERAde Series.

Just like the Bernstein family legacy on the track, Budweiser American-style lager follows the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brew masters.  Brewed with only the finest hand-selected ingredients and Beechwood aged for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment, Budweiser is “the Great American Lager.”

BRANDON BERNSTEIN LOOKING TO DEFEND LAS VEGAS TOP FUEL TITLE
FOR FALLEN FRIEND AND GAIN POINTS TOWARD CHAMPIONSHIP

LAS VEGAS –  Brandon Bernstein, driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster, is looking forward to defending his Top Fuel title at the SummitRacing.com Nationals April 11-13. A look at the team players should sway some of the Las Vegas odds in their favor again this year.

 Led by Tim Richards, the winningest Top Fuel crew chief in the history of the sport, the Kenny Bernstein team is deep in talent and last year celebrated five victories. Richards has led various teams to a career total of 67 victories, 33 of those with the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team.

Six-time NHRA champion and team owner Kenny Bernstein scored three victories at the track before passing the helmet to his son Brandon.

Driver Brandon Bernstein attacks life with emotion, high energy, a competitive nature as well as concern and respect for others;   the same way his friend Funny Car driver Eric Medlen did.  On March 23, 2007, Medlen succumbed to injuries suffered in a testing accident in Gainesville, Fla.

Last year, following the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team’s victory at the SummitRacing.com Nationals less than a month after Medlen’s loss, Bernstein climbed from the cockpit of his 8,000 horsepower machine, and turned tearful eyes to heaven, holding up four fingers to honor Medlen who was No. 4 in point standings at the end of the 2006 season.

In victory circle, flanked by his father and members of the race team, Bernstein presented the trophy to Medlen’s mother, Mimi.

“I know Vegas is going to bring back a lot of memories,” said Bernstein.  “I’ve already gotten a message from Mimi that she’s planning to be in Vegas and I know it would mean a lot to her if we could repeat our victory there.

 “Additionally Summit Racing is one of our new sponsors this season and we have New York-New York on board in Vegas.  This will be our third season with New York-New York, and we were proud to get a victory for them last year.

“For these reasons, and for Budweiser, Lucas Oil, and Mac Tools we would like to repeat our victory.  We also need to gain some points.  We are fourth in Top Fuel standings right now, but there are a lot of us bunched together so we’d like to earn more points to give us some wiggle room.

“We were runner-up at Gainesville, but we’re looking for the ‘Wally’ in Vegas.”  

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, April 11 at 1:30 p.m. with a second session at 4:30 p.m.  There are two Saturday qualifying sessions scheduled at 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., with final eliminations set to kick off at 11 a.m. Sunday.

SUMMITRACING.COM NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – April 12 – ESPN2

8 – 10 p.m. ET

NHRA Race Day – April 13 – ESPN2

11-11:30 a.m. ET

Eliminations – April 13 – ESPN2

8 – 11 p.m. ET

Brandon Bernstein took the reins to the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster from his father, Kenny, whose 39 Top Fuel victories and 30 Funny Car victories make him No. 2 driver on the career nitro win list.  Brandon was named Southern California Auto Club Rookie of the Year in 2003, and has amassed 17 career victories to date including a career-high five wins and a third-place overall finish in the 2007 NHRA POWERAde Series.

Just like the Bernstein family legacy on the track, Budweiser American-style lager follows the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brew masters.  Brewed with only the finest hand-selected ingredients and Beechwood aged for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment, Budweiser is “the Great American Lager.”

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BERNSTEIN SUFFERS TRACTION PROBLEMS IN HOUSTON

BAYTOWN, Texas (March 30) –  A loss of traction at the O’Reilly Spring Nationals denied Budweiser/Lucas Oil driver Brandon Bernstein a third victory at Houston Raceway Park.  The second generation driver, who won in 2004 and 2006, was aiming to be a three-time winner at the Texas track to tie his father Kenny’s record for the most number of Top Fuel victories here.

The Kenny Bernstein-owned Bud/Lucas Oil team had three consecutive strong runs in qualifying leading into race day competition and qualified No. 7 with a 4.596/325.77.

In a tough first round match against Tony Schumacher, Bernstein lost traction early in the run, while Schumacher streaked to the finish line with a 4.526/321.19.

“We were low elapsed time of the first round of Saturday’s qualifying sessions,” said Brandon, “and we had a good warm weather tune-up.  On Sunday conditions changed.  It was cool and overcast.  Tim (Richards, crew chief) was aiming for a mid 4.50-second run and was trying to play it safe.

Instead the car turned around and bit us.”

With four races in the NHRA record books this season, Bernstein is fourth in Top Fuel point standings.

Brandon Bernstein took the reins to the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster from his father, Kenny, whose 39 Top Fuel victories and 30 Funny Car victories make him No. 2 driver on the career nitro win list.  Brandon was named Southern California Auto Club Rookie of the Year in 2003, and has amassed 17 career victories to date including a career-high five wins and a third-place overall finish in the 2007 NHRA POWERAde Series.

Just like the Bernstein family legacy on the track, Budweiser American-style lager follows the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brew masters.  Brewed with only the finest hand-selected ingredients and Beechwood aged for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment, Budweiser is “the Great American Lager.”

#             #             #

BRANDON BERNSTEIN LOOKING FOR THIRD HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK VICTORY

BAYTOWN, Texas – Brandon Bernstein and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team have won the O’Reilly Spring Nationals twice, 2004 and 2006.  The only Top Fuel driver to be a three-peat winner of the event is team owner and father, Kenny.

When the Bernsteins return to their home state of Texas March 28-30, they will be looking to collect career trophy No. 18 for Brandon.

“We have a new chassis that we debuted at the last race at Gainesville, Fla.,” said the second-generation driver.  “We were runner-up at that event and ran good, competitive numbers.  We are coming into this event with some momentum, and hopefully we will have a strong showing.”

Bernstein’s runner-up finish at Gainesville vaulted him into the No. 3 position in NHRA

Top Fuel point standings.

“We got off to a slow start this year, but it looks like we’re on the high road now, continued Bernstein. “ We need to continue to go rounds to be strong through the season and in the hunt for the championship.

“The NHRA qualifying format has changed this year and they now hold some open qualifying positions on Saturday.  Traditionally, Friday night is the best time to make the quickest run to get solidly seeded in the field so I know Tim (Richards, crew chief) will be monitoring all the weather and track conditions closely.  These are factors that weigh heavily into the tune-up combination.

“We went through a tough race at Gainesville, which marked the first anniversary of the death of my friend Eric Medlen, who was injured in a post-race testing accident there. Four days later he succumbed to those injuries.

“Eric used to wait at the top end of the track for many of my runs.  The first anniversary was emotional because I remembered so much about the places we went and the things we did at that race and it probably opened some of those wounds again.

“Houston was the first race following that tragedy, and I know there were many of us that wanted to win the race for him.  I still think of him spiritually riding onboard the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster.  In my mind and heart, he’ll always be with me.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, March 28 at 3 p.m. with a second session at 6 p.m.  There are two qualifying rounds Saturday, noon and 3 p.m. , with final eliminations kicking off Sunday at 11 a.m.

#          #          #

BRANDON BERNSTEIN RUNNER-UP IN GAINESVILLE;
KENNY BERNSTEIN TEAM ENTERTAINS AMERICAN IDOL CONTESTANT ROBBIE CARRICO

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (March 16) –  Brandon Bernstein came to the ACDelco Gatornationals still haunted by memories of last year’s event.  It has been nearly a year since his close friend Eric Medlen succumbed to injuries suffered in a testing accident the day after last year’s event.  Bernstein wanted a victory for his friend.  He came as close as .065-seconds.

Though Bernstein nearly won his second event at Gainesville Raceway, the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team vaulted to third place in NHRA Top Fuel point standings with a runner-up finish.

Joining Kenny Bernstein’s teams for Sunday’s racing activities was Robbie Carrico, one of 12 American Idol male finalists, who sang the National Anthem prior to the running of the ACDelco Gatornationals.  Carrico, a drag racing enthusiast and occasional Super Street competitor, spent time visiting with two of his favorite drivers, Kenny and Brandon Bernstein.

 In rain-shortened qualifying, Brandon Bernstein earned a seventh place starting berth at Gainesville Raceway with a  4.586/330.63.

The Budweiser/Lucas Oil team fired a 4.593/328.38 in the opening round of eliminations to defeat Clay Millican’s respectable 4.623/322.34.

The quarterfinals turned into a pedal fest between Michael Gunderson and Bernstein. Gunderson lost traction first, followed shortly thereafter by the Bud/Lucas Oil car.  Both drivers were on and off the throttle, with Bernstein limping across the finish line first, 6.782/218.34 to Gunderson's 8.135/135.10.

“It wasn’t a pretty win,” said Bernstein, “but we got the win light and that’s what counts.”

The semifinals were practically a photo finish between Bernstein and Hillary Will.  Bernstein collected the round win with a .0244-second margin of victory and a 4.666/322.73 to Will's very strong 4.672/325.14.

“We really want to win this race,” said Bernstein.  “This is a new car, and we’ve been making some good runs in the heat. “

The trophy round was a battle between Tony Schumacher and Bernstein.

As announcer Bob Frey so succinctly summed up the match, “This is the A list of owners, tuners, drivers and sponsors.”

When the Christmas tree lights turned green signaling the start of the race, the two drivers were out of the gate with nearly identical reaction times.  They were neck and neck down the quarter-mile, but Schumacher tripped the win light with a 4.603/325.37 with Bernstein close behind, clocking 4.665/323.37.

“At least we went down there and we were respectable,” said Bernstein.  “Though I really wanted that trophy for Eric, I still feel like he rides with me every trip we make down the quarter-mile.”

Carrico, who went to the starting line each round with the team, said that it was tough to find words to describe the experience.

 “I was looking forward to coming to this race ever since NHRA invited me to sing the National Anthem,” said Carrico.  “My dad has had Kenny’s autograph for years and he’s almost giddy about that.  There are not words to describe this sport.  On television you can see the speed, but you can’t feel the speed.  You have to go to the track.  It’s a full body experience!”

#             #             #

Brandon Bernstein took the reins to the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster from his father, Kenny, whose 39 Top Fuel victories and 30 Funny Car victories make him No. 2 driver on the career nitro win list.  Brandon was named Southern California Auto Club Rookie of the Year in 2003, and has amassed 17 career victories to date including a career-high five wins and a third-place overall finish in the 2007 NHRA POWERAde Series.

Just like the Bernstein family legacy on the track, Budweiser American-style lager follows the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brew masters.  Brewed with only the finest hand-selected ingredients and Beechwood aged for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment, Budweiser is “the Great American Lager.”

ACDELCO GATORNATIONALS WILL BE
EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER FOR BERNSTEIN

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – It is with some emotional trepidation that Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel driver Brandon Bernstein prepares for the ACDelco Gatornationals March 14-16. Though he won this event in his 2003 rookie season, the thought that is ever-present this year is the loss of his good friend Eric Medlen, who was injured in a testing accident Monday following last year’s event.  Eric succumbed to those injuries four days later.

“This is definitely going to be a tough race,” said Bernstein.  “There was a group of us known as the Brat Pack, namely, Morgan Lucas, J.R. Todd, and Ashley Force who will join with Eric’s dad and members of Eric’s team to remember some of the good times we all had together.  It will be a time to bond and a time to be together.  There’s comfort in our circle of friends and we’ll work through it.

“On the other side of the coin, we have a job to do,” continued Bernstein, “and the team is depending on me.

“The Gainesville event is huge and we look forward to seeing many of our fans.  This is a

great track and we’re anxious to see the new state-of-the-art control tower that has been completed.

“We are going to try to focus on the positive side and maybe bring home another trophy for Eric.”

Bernstein won the 2007 spring event in Las Vegas, two races following Eric’s death.  He dedicated the win to Eric and then presented Eric’s mom, Mimi, with the trophy.

The second-generation driver scored a personal season-high five victories in 2007 and chased the NHRA Top Fuel championship to the semifinals of the last event, finishing third in the final point standings, less than two rounds away from the coveted championship.

“We hope to use everything we learned and all our success last year as a building block for this year,” said Bernstein.

“With rules changes which incorporated added weight on the race cars and an increase to 90 percent nitromethane from 85 percent, crew chiefs are still experimenting with tune-ups.  We are fortunate to have veteran tuner Tim Richards, who was responsible for engineering all the tweaks that propelled us to the No. 1 qualifying spot at the last race in Phoenix.

“Tim’s experience and success is a big confidence booster heading into Gainesville.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, March 14 at 1 p.m. with a second session at 3:30 p.m.  There are two qualifying sessions Saturday, 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., with final eliminations kicking off at 11 a.m. Sunday.

ACDELCO GATORNATIONALS

NHRA RACE DAY – March 16 – ESPN2

11 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. ET

Eliminations – March 16 – ESPN2

6 – 9 p.m. ET 

Brandon Bernstein took the reins to the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster from his father, Kenny, whose 39 Top Fuel victories and 30 Funny Car victories make him No. 2 driver on the career nitro win list.  Brandon was named Southern California Auto Club Rookie of the Year in 2003, and has amassed 17 career victories to date including a career-high five wins and a third-place overall finish in the 2007 NHRA POWERAde Series.

Just like the Bernstein family legacy on the track, Budweiser American-style lager follows the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brew masters.  Brewed with only the finest hand-selected ingredients and Beechwood aged for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment, Budweiser is “the Great American Lager.”

BRANDON BERNSTEIN HOPING FOR THIRD WIN
AT FIREBIRD INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY

PHOENIX – Brandon Bernstein has a certain affection for Firebird International Raceway.  The Firebird quarter-mile was the site of his first Top Fuel victory in his 2003 rookie season, and he defended that win with another in 2004.  Brandon followed in his father’s footsteps as this was also the track where six-time NHRA champion Kenny won his first Top Fuel event in 1991.

Additionally, Brandon and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team hold the current mile per hour record in Phoenix at 333.74 mph set in 2005.

When the NHRA circuit makes its second tour stop Feb. 22-24 at the Checker Schuck’s Kragen Nationals, Bernstein and the team hope to return to that winning groove. 

“Our success at this track isn’t something you can put your figure on,” said Bernstein.  “Tim (Richards, crew chief) just seems to be able to get a good read on this track. We tested well here in the pre-season sessions and every indication is that we should be right in the hunt.

“NHRA has mandated some rule changes for 2008, adding more weight and allowing an increase from 85 to 90 percent nitromethane to fuel these 7,000 horsepower engines.  It sure hasn’t slowed the crew chiefs on the technology side.  And judging from the competition at the season-opener in Pomona, we just ratcheted up the Top Fuel battles a little more.”

Bernstein scored a personal season-high five victories in 2007 and chased the NHRA Top Fuel championship to the semifinals of the last event, finishing third in the final point standings, less than two rounds away from the coveted championship.

 “We hope to use everything we learned and all our success last year as a building block for this year,” said Bernstein.

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying for the Checker Schuck’s Kragen Nationals begins Friday at 2 p.m. with a second session at 4:30 p.m.  There are two qualifying rounds Saturday, 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m., with final eliminations getting underway at 11 a.m. on Sunday.

CHECKER SCHUCK’S KRAGEN NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – Feb. 24 – ESPN2

11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. ET 

NHRA Race Day – Feb. 24 – ESPN2

12:30 p.m. – 1 p.m. ET 

Eliminations – Feb. 24 – ESPN2

7 p.m. – 10 p.m. ET

BUDWEISER/LUCAS OIL TEAM MAKES EARLY EXIT DESPITE SOLID PERFORMANCE AT SEASON OPENER

POMONA, Calif. (Feb. 10) –  The NHRA season-opening CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals at Auto Club Raceway marked Brandon Bernstein’s 100th career event driving the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster.

After qualifying ninth with a 4.533-second elapsed time at 325.85 miles per hour, Bernstein was slated to face off against  No. 8 qualifier Cory McClenathan in the first round of eliminations.  In 19 previous match ups between the two friends, Bernstein had won 17.  This time, however, the tide turned.

Though the Bud/Lucas Oil dragster made a quick, straight run down the quarter-mile (4.576/322.81), it wasn’t quick enough to defeat McClenathans  4.518/329.34 effort.

“Cory’s a tough customer and he’s got an especially good team this season,” said Bernstein.  “Looks like it’s going to be another year of very tight competition despite some of the rule changes.”

Brandon is tied in 11th place in NHRA Top Fuel standings.

The NHRA circuit makes its next stop in Phoenix Feb. 22-24, where both Bernsteins, Brandon and his father Kenny, each scored their first career Top Fuel victories.

#             #             #

BERNSTEIN AND BUDWEISER/LUCAS OIL TEAM READY FOR THE CHALLENGE OF THE NEW SEASON

POMONA, Calif. – Brandon Bernstein is anxious to get the 2008 season underway.  Bolstered by solid performances in pre-event testing, the second generation driver is invigorated and ready to renew his pursuit of an NHRA Top Fuel championship.

The popular driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster came ever so close to winning the championship last year, finally losing the battle for the coveted “Wally” trophy in the semifinals of the season-ending event at Auto Club Raceway.  Building off the team’s consistent success in ’07, team owner Kenny Bernstein feels the Bud/Lucas Oil Team has all the markings of another strong run for the Series title in 2008.

When Bernstein competes at the CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals Feb. 7-10, he’ll be looking to equal or better his runner-up finish at last year’s season-opener.  Bernstein will be sporting a new red Budweiser paint scheme, inspired by Bud’s new tagline, “The Great American Lager.”

Six-time champion Kenny spent five days in Phoenix monitoring the team’s progress in pre-season testing.

“Tim (Richards, crew chief) was able to get some good data from the Phoenix test session despite the frustration of losing some days to weather,” said Kenny. 

“We were right there in the hunt in terms of elapsed times and speeds and we’ve got something to work with,” said Brandon.   “We would like to open with a strong performance to get a leg up in the point standings from the beginning.

“It looks like the new 90 percent nitro rule, up from 85 percent last year, may only throw a momentary curveball into the equation for the crew chiefs in this sport before they all get a handle on the tune-up. I don’t think anybody’s going to drive away with the championship.

“I am a big fan of the new Countdown format.  Last year we were fortunate to make the Countdown to Four, but with only two races left to determine the championship, you couldn’t afford to make any mistakes. I think 10 teams going after it for the last six races will create a great level playing field. Our goal is to build on the success we had last year and use it to our benefit.”

Last season Bernstein scored a career-high five victories in seven final round appearances, topped the Top Fuel leader board twice, and hovered near the top the remainder of the season.  He ended the season in third-place less than two rounds away from claiming the championship crown.

Bernstein experienced emotional lows last year when a testing accident claimed the life of his best friend, fellow Funny Car driver Eric Medlen, and then again near the end of the season when he witnessed a terrifying accident involving his father and John Force.  Fortunately Kenny Bernstein was uninjured; however, John Force was sidelined the remainder of the season recuperating from injuries.

“I will always miss Eric,” said Brandon. “I still think about him every day, and mentally I think of him riding right in the cockpit with me each run we make.  Thankfully, Dad will be safe and sound on the starting line and in the pits to give me support and advice along the way.

“We’re just looking to continue Dad’s winning ways and add to the trophy collection at the race shop for our sponsors and our fans. And if I’m fortunate enough to win some more races, I’ll know spiritually that Eric will be smiling down on us, enjoying the festivities.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying for the CARQUEST Auto Parts Winternationals will begin Thursday, Feb. 7 at 2:30 p.m., with a second session Friday at 2:30 p.m.  There will be two qualifying sessions Saturday, 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., with final eliminations scheduled to begin Sunday at 11 a.m.

CARQUEST WINTERNATIONALS TELEVISION ADVSIORY

Qualifying –Feb. 9 – ESPN2/ESPN2HD

8-10 p.m. ET

NHRA Race Day – Feb. 10 – ESPN2/ESPN2HD

11 a.m. ET

Eliminations  - Feb. 10 – ESPN2/ESPN2HD

7:30 – 11 p.m. ET