After qualifying No. 8 in the 16-car Top Fuel field with a 4.008/304.94, driver Brandon

Bernstein learned that the elimination ladder would pit him against his friend Morgan Lucas in the first round of Sunday's Mopar Mile-High Nationals.

Bernstein and Lucas were the first pair down a hot racetrack Sunday and though it was a good battle, Lucas crossed the finish line first with a 4.005/295.66 vs. Bernstein's 4.137/278.40.

"Even though we had qualified in the quick eight, we knew we were pretty evenly matched with Morgan who was the No. 9 qualifier. We definitely didn't want to lose traction and beat ourselves, so Rob (Flynn, crew chief) put a safe tune-up in the car. All crew chiefs were in the same position just pooling what knowledge they could gain from the qualifying data and maybe combining that with a bit of a roll of the dice. We were the first pair down the racetrack so all the crew chiefs were watching to see what the track would hold.

"We'll put this race behind us and put our energy into preparation for the next race in Seattle. The Washington track has been a good one for us in the past and we've been to the final round three out of the five years we've competed there. We're looking for another final round run."

With Budweiser recently announcing that they will not return in 2010 after 30 years of primary sponsorship with the Kenny Bernstein team, new sponsorship is being actively pursued.

"We are passionate about the sport of NHRA drag racing and we will continue to field a team in 2010 with Brandon as the driver if we can secure sponsorship," said six-time champion Kenny Bernstein. "But let me stress that if we don't find funding for next year, we will not be back. Racing is our business. We do not have another business to fall back on to help absorb the expense of a race team.

"We owe a debt of gratitude to all the Budweiser employees and wholesalers we've worked with through the years, as well as the fans and friends who have followed and supported us beginning with the Funny Car era.

"We believe that taking a proactive role in initiating programs and promotions that help sell product and build brand awareness has been an integral part of retaining our sponsorship associations through the years. Coupled with the success we've had on the racetrack while flying the Budweiser colors, including six NHRA championships and 85 national event victories between Brandon and me, then it's a very attractive opportunity for another sponsor.

"We think we have been one of the marquee teams in this sport for the past three decades and we bring with us 30 years of fan base. NHRA drag racing is our home."

Notable: Kenny Bernstein was named as one of seven who will be inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in its annual ceremony Wednesday, August 12 at the Fillmore Theater in Detroit. Each inductee receives the Hall of Fame's prestigious original bronze statuette "Horsepower" award.

Also, Six-time champion and Budweiser/Lucas Oil team owner Kenny Bernstein returned to the tour this weekend after a recuperative period following May 26 back surgery.

"We wore out the computer at home listening to the race webcasts on nhra.com, as well as our television set as we watched hours of qualifying, NHRA Race Day and elimination programs on ESPN2," said Kenny. "It was good to be back out with the team."

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.

Courtesy of Suzie Arnold