BUDWEISER/LUCAS OIL TEAM STEPS UP PERFORMANCE AT LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS (April 17) – The Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel team saw some of their hard work pay off in an increase in performance level at the SummitRacing.com Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The team held the quickest elapsed time in Saturday’s final practice, and low elapsed time of the first round of Sunday’s eliminations. Brandon Bernstein, driver of the Kenny Bernstein-owned Top Fuel car, had the best reaction time of the second round and was on the mark at the starting gate in eliminations.

For the second consecutive national event, Bernstein faced off again Scott Kalitta in Sunday morning’s first round match. The Budweiser/Lucas team took the win with low elapsed time of the round, 4.584/326.87 vs. Kalitta's tire smoking 6.129/151.54.

"The team has really worked hard this week,” said Bernstein. “That was a great round.”

In the second round battle of the beers, Bernstein, who had the best reaction time of the round, was ahead of Larry Dixon and was pulling away when the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster began to spin its tires and Dixon was able to drive around him for the round win. Dixon’s winning time was 4.657/318.62 vs. Bernstein’s 4.809/264.18.

“Even though we lost in the second round, the net result of the weekend was big progress,” said Bernstein. “In our last qualifying pass we were quickest of the round and we made good numbers in the heat so we thought we might have a good combination for Sunday. Then we ran low e.t. of the first round.

“The team has been putting in a lot of hours and a lot of late nights and their hard work is starting to pay off. As a driver, we had a good weekend, and we’re starting to take our performance to the next level.”

Bernstein qualified seventh for the SummitRacing.com Nationals with a 4.600-second elapsed time at 329.75 mph.

He maintains ninth position in POWERade Top Fuel point standings.

The team will remain in Las Vegas to make some test runs in preparation for the O’Reilly Thunder Valley Nationals at Bristol, Tenn., April 29-May 1.

BRANDON HOPES TO CASH IN ON BERNSTEIN KARMA AT THE STRIP

LAS VEGAS – If you’re a betting person, the name Bernstein would probably entice you to lay some money down at the window prior to the SummitRacing.com Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway April 15-17.

Six-time champion Kenny Bernstein won this event twice in three outings. Now owner of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster driven by his son Brandon, both Bernsteins would claim that this track holds one of the fondest memories of their combined careers to date. It was on this quarter-mile in 2001 that the duo became the first father/son to win at the same national event in NHRA’s 50-year history.

Brandon was competing in the alcohol dragster class that season. To sweeten the celebration even more, patriarch Bert Bernstein, Kenny’s father, was also on hand to witness the double victory.

Kenny has always called the double victory at The Strip memory 1.b. with 1.a. being the day he became the first to surpass the 300 mile-per-hour mark.

“The two achievements are so close in my mind, they’re nearly equal,” said Kenny.

“In my book, that was the proudest day of my life,” said Brandon.

“This Budweiser/Lucas Oil team is looking for a victory,” said Brandon. “We were pretty spoiled early in our career, having won the second event in each of our previous two seasons, but it’s been a bit of a dry spell and this team is hungry. This track holds some good Bernstein karma and lady luck has been good to us in the past here. We need a good roll of the dice.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, April 15 at 3:30 p.m., followed by a second session at 6:30 p.m. There are two qualifying rounds Saturday, 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. with eliminations scheduled to begin Sunday at 11 a.m.

Kenny Bernstein nominated for American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Newsmaker of the Half-Century Award: Bernstein is one of 12 nominees for the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association’s Newsmaker of the Half-Century Award. The other nominees include: Mario Andretti, Dale Earnhardt, John Force, A.J. Foyt, the France family, Jeff Gordon, Dan Gurney, the Hulman-George family, Wally Parks, Roger Penske and Richard Petty. Nominees were selected by AARWBA’s Board of Directors from an original list of 50 “who’s who in motorsports.” The full AARWBA membership will vote for one of the 12 nominees and the winner will be announced at a public ceremony this May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“This is a fabulous honor,” said Bernstein. “I’m still pinching myself to make sure I heard this correctly. To be whittled down to the final 12 from the mega hit list of motorsports’ greatest newsmakers is unbelievable. And it’s very noteworthy that the drag racing side makes up 25 percent of the final nominees. We’re thrilled not only for ourselves, but for the recognition for our sport.”

SUMMITRACING.COM NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – April 16 – ESPN2
10 p.m. – 12 a.m. ET

Eliminations – April 17 – ESPN2
7 – 10 p.m. ET

Repeat Eliminations – April 22 – ESPN2
12 p.m. – 2 p.m. ET