Kenny Bernstein has dominated victory circle at Old Bridge Raceway Park through the years, winning
seven events, more than any other driver.
"When you see the Budweiser/Lucas Oil rig pull into this famous track, it's a pretty awesome
sight," said second generation driver Brandon Bernstein. "There's a real sense of pride in our
family about our accomplishments at this landmark track."
At the UA SuperNationals, Brandon had hoped to earn his 18th career victory and continue the family
tradition. The team qualified in the top half of the field and put a first round victory in the
books before losing by a narrow margin in the quarterfinals.
Bernstein qualified No. 7 with a 3.884/302.48.
Spencer Massey was Bernstein's opponent in the first round of eliminations. After a near- even
start, Bernstein led at every increment crossing the 1000-foot marker with a winning 3.865/307.65
to Massey's 3.983/290.69.
"We were second pair down the racetrack," said Bernstein. "So you hold your breath and hope you've
got a tune-up that the track will hold. Rob (Flynn, crew chief) and the team were right on the
money and we put another 20 Full Throttle points in the bank."
Bernstein transferred to the second round to face Larry Dixon. Even with nearly .04-second
starting line advantage, Bernstein wasn't able to fend off Dixon's hard charging dragster. In a
near photo finish the win light went to Dixon by a shear one-hundredth of a second difference.
"We didn't have the preferred lane on that run," said Bernstein, "so I knew it would be a big help
if we could cut a good light. Rob's tune-up got us down the track without losing traction, which
was a big accomplishment by itself, but Dixon got by us."
Bernstein is fourth in NHRA Full Throttle Top Fuel point standings.
Kenny Bernstein post-surgery update: The six-time NHRA champion continues to recover in California
following back surgery May 26 to relieve stenosis, or narrowing of the spinal canal. Doctors have
removed the staples from his incision and he is more comfortable as he continues with post-op
physical therapy.
"We're still on target to join the team in Denver," said Bernstein. "We're up walking
around and we're more mobile each day."
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.
