KENNY BERNSTEIN, Owner

Birthplace: Clovis, New Mexico
Current Residence: Lake Forest, California
Years with Budweiser King Racing: 30

Other racing experience:  Began pro career in the late 1960s in Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars, and in 1973 reached the Funny Car finals at the NHRA Winternationals at Pomona, Calif.  Returned to racing in 1978, and a year later was the Funny Car winner at the NHRA Cajun Nationals at Baton Rouge, La.  In 1980, began an association with the Budweiser brand of Anheuser-Busch, Inc., which stands as the longest-running active team/sponsor partnership in motorsports. A four-time NHRA Winston Funny Car Champion, and also an IHRA Winston World Championship Funny Car crown to his credit, he is a seven-time AARWBA Auto Racing All-American.  Bernstein earned the title “King of Speed” when he became the first NHRA driver to break the elusive 300 mile-per-hour barrier when he was clocked at 301.70 mph on March 20, 1992, during qualifying for the NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville, Fla.  He was the first to reach 310 mph, when he was clocked at 311.85 mph on October 30, 1994, at Pomona Calif.  Holds the unique distinction of being the first and only race team owner to have collected wins in each of America’s three major motorsports series -- NHRA Winston Drag Racing, NASCAR Winston Cup and IndyCar. Won the 1996 NHRA Winston Top Fuel Championship becoming the first driver to win NHRA championships in both Top Fuel and Funny Car.  Honored at the 1997 Car Craft awards banquet by receiving the prestigious Ollie Award with Dale Armstrong for all of their years of dedication to the sport of NHRA Winston Drag Racing.  Inducted into Petersen Publishing HOT ROD Magazine’s Hall of Fame as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People within the high performance industry.  Won his second NHRA Top Fuel championship in 2001, by virtue of eight national event wins.  In 2001, he won 61 rounds of competition, setting an NHRA record for the number of Top Fuel rounds won in a season, a record that was intact at the end of Bernstein’s driving career.  In 2001 he set both ends of the world performance records, speed (332.18 mph) and elapsed time (4.477 seconds), records that were still unbroken at the end of Bernstein’s 2002 driving career. Also in 2001, he was voted in the top ten drivers in NHRA’s 50-year history.  In 2003, Bernstein competed in 15 NHRA national events, substituting for his son who was injured May 18 in Englishtown, N.J.  Bernstein won four of the last five events of the ’03 season, amassing 39 Top Fuel victories boosting him to second on the all-time Top Fuel win list, surpassing the legendary Don Garlits. His 39 Top Fuel victories, combined with 30 Funny Car victories, make him No. 2 on the career nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) win list. Also, Bernstein surpassed 1000 rounds of competition, which ranks him No. 2 on the all-time list of nitro category career rounds of competition.  In 2005 Bernstein was named by the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association as one of 12 nominees for the Newsmaker of the Half-Century award.  In April of 2006, he was inducted into the Texas Motor Sports Hall of Fame during a gala at the Texas Motor Speedway. Bernstein staged an NHRA comeback in 2007 driving a Monster Energy/Lucas Oil Dodge Charger Funny Car and finished runner-up twice.  At the end of the 2007 season, he made a decision to step from the cockpit and continue his role as owner of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster and the Monster Energy Funny Car.  Additionally in 2007, Bernstein was inducted into the Don Garlits International Drag Racing Hall of Fame. In 2008, he continued to guide his two race teams. 2009 is a landmark year for Bernstein.  It is the 30th anniversary of his Budweiser sponsorship, the longest team/sponsorship association in all of autosports.

BRANDON BERNSTEIN, Driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel Dragster

Birthplace: Dallas, Texas
Current Residence: Lake Forest, California
Years with Budweiser King Racing:  Thirteenth full year, seventh season as driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster

Racing experience: Son of six-time NHRA champion Kenny Bernstein.  Brandon worked part-time for the Budweiser King team during his summers away from Texas A & M University.  Following graduation in 1996, he worked full-time with the Budweiser King team. In 2001 he drove an Alcohol Dragster and worked part-time for the Budweiser King team.  Won the Division 7 Alcohol Dragster championship, along with “Driver of the Year” honors and finished fourth in national Alcohol Dragster competition.  He and his father became the first father/son duo in NHRA’s 50-year history to win at the same national event when they “doubled” at the SummitRacing.com Nationals in April 2001. They doubled again at the Lucas Oil Products Nationals in Chicago in June 2001. Brandon worked solely as a crew member on his father’s team in 2002.  In 2003, Brandon had a sensational beginning to his rookie year behind the wheel of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster.  He won three of the first eight events, qualified No. 1 twice and even lead the Top Fuel point standings before an injury May 18 at Englishtown, NJ sidelined him for the season.  Despite a shortened season, Bernstein’s early performance achievements won him the prestigious Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Rookie of the Year award, determined by a vote from a distinguished panel of motorsports journalists.  Bernstein has the distinction of having the most successful career launch of any other Top Fuel or Funny Car driver in NHRA history, winning five of his first 13 starts.  He is also a second generation “King of Speed”, having set an NHRA world speed record of 333.41 mph in Chicago in May 2004.  In 2005, he won two national events. In 2006, the team logged four victories and three runner-up finishes to challenge for the championship and ultimately finished third in the ’06 point standings. In 2007 he won five events, setting a career high number of event wins per season.  He was a contender for the Top Fuel championship until the semifinals of the season-ending event and finished third in the final point standings. At the end of the 2007 season, his career Top Fuel victories tallied 17. In 2008, his last season with co-crew chiefs Tim and Kim Richards, the team made four final round appearances, finishing seventh in point standings.

MIKE GUGER, Assistant Crew Chief

Birthplace:  Cleveland, Ohio
Current Residence:  Avon, Indiana
Years with Budweiser King Racing:  9

Other racing experience:  Joined the Budweiser King Funny car team at the end of 1981 and remained with the team until the end of 1983.  He returned in 1989 and transitioned to the Budweiser Top Fuel team in 1990, departing in 1995.  Between his stints with Kenny Bernstein Racing, he worked for Billy Meyer, Venolia pistons, Rodeck engine blocks and Joe Gibbs Racing.  Left drag racing in 1998 to pursue a career with Indy Car Racing team owner Pat Patrick and driver Adrian Fernandez.  In 2002, he left Patrick Racing to join Adrian Fernandez Racing. At the end of 2006, he returned to drag racing, joining David Powers Motorsports as assistant crew chief to Rob Flynn in 2007.

Responsibilities:  Assistant crew chief duties include fuel systems care/maintenance, overall preparation of car, assistanting Rob Flynn with run-to-run tuning decisions

Hobbies:  Running, radio control cars, camping, fishing

FRANK WHITMORE

Birthplace:  Santa Maria, California
Current Residence:  Titusville, Florida
Years with Kenny Bernstein Racing: Third year

Other Racing Experience: Frank and wife Suzy owned and operated two restaurants for nearly 10 years as well as several other small businesses.  Worked in restaurants since the age of 16.  Also worked for MainGate in the Kenny Bernstein/Budweiser Racing souvenir trailer.

Responsibilities: Assist with the Budweiser/Lucas Oil hospitality tent at each race.  Meet and greet guests that attend the races.

Hobbies: Traveling the country between races with wife Suzy and their three parrots and enjoying life.

SUZY WHITMORE

Birthplace: Newburg, Oregon
Current Residence:  Titusville, Florida
Years with Kenny Bernstein Racing: Third year

Other Racing Experience: Suzy and husband Frank owned and operated two restaurants for nearly 10 years.  Suzy was a bookkeeper for a horse ranch and breeding facility in California.  Also worked for MainGate in the Kenny Bernstein/Budweiser Racing souvenir trailer.

Responsibilities: Assist with the Budweiser/Lucas Oil hospitality tent at each race.  Meet and greet guests that attend the races.

Hobbies: Traveling the country between races with husband Frank and their three parrots. Scrap booking our “on-line journal” of all of the places and cities we see and adventures we encounter along the way.