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CLERMONT, Ind. (Sept. 4) – It was a “monster” Labor Day weekend for the Bernstein family at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.
On Friday, Sept. 1, Budweiser/Lucas Oil team owner Kenny Bernstein surprised the motor sports media by announcing that he would return to the cockpit in 2007 at the wheel of a Monster Energy Drinks Funny Car. Bernstein’s comeback pronouncement was the buzz of the weekend and kept the six-time champion busy with multitudes of electronic and print interviews.
“We are pleased to have found a scenario with Monster Energy Drinks that is such a perfect fit,” said Bernstein. “With many Anheuser-Busch wholesalers distributing Monster product, we were able to keep the sponsorship association in the Anheuser-Busch family.”
On the race track, second generation driver Brandon Bernstein kept pace with the championship
chase by earning a runner-up finish at the most prestigious event on the NHRA drag racing circuit.
The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Top Fuel class was the quickest in NHRA history. Bernstein qualified an uncustomary No. 10 with a 4.544-second elapsed time at 328.46 mph.
In the opening round of Monday’s final eliminations, Bernstein faced off against Hillary Will.
The Budweiser/Lucas Oil team ripped off their quickest run of the weekend, 4.514/332.67, to win the round and set top speed of the event. Will suffered loss of traction early in the run, clocking 8.463/84.82.
“That run was a blast,” said Bernstein. “It was really fast. We might not have qualified as high in the field as we normally do, but Tim, Kim and the team certainly made some tuning strides in the first round today.”
The battle of the beers ignited in the quarterfinals as Bernstein and Larry Dixon rolled to the starting line. Dixon lost traction at the hit of the throttle (9.996/97.12) while Bernstein made another consistent pass, 4.551/329.02.
"Our goal is to keep going rounds,” said Bernstein. “This is what Tim Richards does on race day: he just fine tunes.”
In the semifinals, Bernstein and Cory McClenathan raced to one of the closest matches of the day, Bernstein clocking 4.524/332.51 to best Cory's 4.588/323.04 effort by a .0023-second margin of victory.
Bernstein transferred to his first Mac Tools U.S. Nationals finals to face Tony Schumacher. Bernstein was first out of the starting gate and it was a dogfight down the quarter-mile but the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster began to lose ground at the finish line and Schumacher won the event.
“It was so exciting to be in the final round at Indy,” said Bernstein. “I was so excited that I really had to stop and change my perspective to think of it as just another round.
“We were right there with Tony when our crankshaft broke at about the 1,000 foot marker. It was still a good weekend and the point chase has tightened up with five races to go.”
Bernstein maintains third in NHRA POWERade Top Fuel standings, 42 points out of second place and 96 out of the lead.
KENNY BERNSTEIN ANNOUNCES FUNNY CAR COMEBACK;
BRANDON BERNSTEIN FINISHES RUNNER-UP AT MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS
BRANDON BERNSTEIN FINISHES RUNNER-UP AT MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS
CLERMONT, Ind. (Sept. 4) – It was a “monster” Labor Day weekend for the Bernstein family at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.
On Friday, Sept. 1, Budweiser/Lucas Oil team owner Kenny Bernstein surprised the motor sports media by announcing that he would return to the cockpit in 2007 at the wheel of a Monster Energy Drinks Funny Car. Bernstein’s comeback pronouncement was the buzz of the weekend and kept the six-time champion busy with multitudes of electronic and print interviews.
“We are pleased to have found a scenario with Monster Energy Drinks that is such a perfect fit,” said Bernstein. “With many Anheuser-Busch wholesalers distributing Monster product, we were able to keep the sponsorship association in the Anheuser-Busch family.”
On the race track, second generation driver Brandon Bernstein kept pace with the championship
chase by earning a runner-up finish at the most prestigious event on the NHRA drag racing circuit.
The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Top Fuel class was the quickest in NHRA history. Bernstein qualified an uncustomary No. 10 with a 4.544-second elapsed time at 328.46 mph.
In the opening round of Monday’s final eliminations, Bernstein faced off against Hillary Will.
The Budweiser/Lucas Oil team ripped off their quickest run of the weekend, 4.514/332.67, to win the round and set top speed of the event. Will suffered loss of traction early in the run, clocking 8.463/84.82.
“That run was a blast,” said Bernstein. “It was really fast. We might not have qualified as high in the field as we normally do, but Tim, Kim and the team certainly made some tuning strides in the first round today.”
The battle of the beers ignited in the quarterfinals as Bernstein and Larry Dixon rolled to the starting line. Dixon lost traction at the hit of the throttle (9.996/97.12) while Bernstein made another consistent pass, 4.551/329.02.
"Our goal is to keep going rounds,” said Bernstein. “This is what Tim Richards does on race day: he just fine tunes.”
In the semifinals, Bernstein and Cory McClenathan raced to one of the closest matches of the day, Bernstein clocking 4.524/332.51 to best Cory's 4.588/323.04 effort by a .0023-second margin of victory.
Bernstein transferred to his first Mac Tools U.S. Nationals finals to face Tony Schumacher. Bernstein was first out of the starting gate and it was a dogfight down the quarter-mile but the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster began to lose ground at the finish line and Schumacher won the event.
“It was so exciting to be in the final round at Indy,” said Bernstein. “I was so excited that I really had to stop and change my perspective to think of it as just another round.
“We were right there with Tony when our crankshaft broke at about the 1,000 foot marker. It was still a good weekend and the point chase has tightened up with five races to go.”
Bernstein maintains third in NHRA POWERade Top Fuel standings, 42 points out of second place and 96 out of the lead.
