"We were working on strengthening our performance early in the run," said Brandon Bernstein. "We feel we made some headway in that area. We had those Mac Tools smokin' during the test session while we were making adjustments.

"The Maple Grove track is traditionally a very quick track," continued the second-generation driver. "All the trees that surround the track produce a lot of oxygen and these powerful 8,000-horsepower engines love oxygen.

"We are gearing up for a tremendous dogfight in the Top Fuel ranks from here on out," said Bernstein. "You're going to have to bring your A game to the starting line and you're going to have to have a good enough tune-up to be able to swing for the fences. There's some steep competition.

"We have already clinched a starting berth in the Countdown to 1, so our goal now is to stay in the Top Five before the Countdown starts. That gives us the race here at Reading and the big daddy, the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, before the field is set and the points are reset for the six-race playoffs that will determine the championship.

"Our team is very talented and they have drive. It would be nice to bring home a championship for Dad and it would be a great way to cap our 30th and final year with Budweiser."

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."

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying for the Toyo Tires Nationals begins Friday, Aug. 21 at 4 p.m. with a second session at 7 p.m. There are two qualifying sessions Saturday, noon and 3 p.m. with final eliminations scheduled to begin Sunday at 11 a.m.

TOYO TIRES NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY
Qualifying - August 23 - ESPN2
10-11:30 a.m.
NHRA Race Day - August 23 - ESPN2
11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. ET
Eliminations - August 23 - ESPN2
10 p.m. - 1 a.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.

Courtesy of Susie Arnold