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BAYTOWN, Texas – Brandon Bernstein and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team have won the O’Reilly Spring Nationals twice, 2004 and 2006. The only Top Fuel driver to be a three-peat winner of the event is team owner and father, Kenny.
When the Bernsteins return to their home state of Texas March 28-30, they will be looking to collect career trophy No. 18 for Brandon .
“We have a new chassis that we debuted at the last race at Gainesville , Fla. ,” said the second-generation driver. “We were runner-up at that event and ran good, competitive numbers. We are coming into this event with some momentum, and hopefully we will have a strong showing.”
Bernstein’s runner-up finish at Gainesville vaulted him into the No. 3 position in NHRA Top Fuel point standings.
“We got off to a slow start this year, but it looks like we’re on the high road now, continued Bernstein. “ We need to continue to go rounds to be strong through the season and in the hunt for the championship.
“The NHRA qualifying format has changed this year and they now hold some open qualifying positions on Saturday. Traditionally, Friday night is the best time to make the quickest run to get solidly seeded in the field so I know Tim (Richards, crew chief) will be monitoring all the weather and track conditions closely. These are factors that weigh heavily into the tune-up combination.
“We went through a tough race at Gainesville , which marked the first anniversary of the death of my friend Eric Medlen, who was injured in a post-race testing accident there. Four days later he succumbed to those injuries.
“Eric used to wait at the top end of the track for many of my runs. The first anniversary was emotional because I remembered so much about the places we went and the things we did at that race and it probably opened some of those wounds again.
“ Houston was the first race following that tragedy, and I know there were many of us that wanted to win the race for him. I still think of him spiritually riding onboard the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster. In my mind and heart, he’ll always be with me.”
Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, March 28 at 3 p.m. with a second session at 6 p.m. There are two qualifying rounds Saturday, noon and 3 p.m. , with final eliminations kicking off Sunday at 11 a.m.
O’REILLY SPRING NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY
Qualifying - March 29 – ESPN2
4:30 -5 p.m. ET
And
10 p.m. – 11 p.m. ET
NHRA Race Day – March 30 – ESPN2
11 –11:30 a.m. ET
Eliminations – March 30 – ESPN2
4:30 – 7 p.m. ET
Brandon Bernstein took the reins to the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster from his father, Kenny, whose 39 Top Fuel victories and 30 Funny Car victories make him No. 2 driver on the career nitro win list. Brandon was named Southern California Auto Club Rookie of the Year in 2003, and has amassed 17 career victories to date including a career-high five wins and a third-place overall finish in the 2007 NHRA POWERAde Series.
Just like the Bernstein family legacy on the track, Budweiser American-style lager follows the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brew masters. Brewed with only the finest hand-selected ingredients and Beechwood aged for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment, Budweiser is “the Great American Lager.”
BRANDON BERNSTEIN LOOKING FOR THIRD HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK VICTORY
BAYTOWN, Texas – Brandon Bernstein and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team have won the O’Reilly Spring Nationals twice, 2004 and 2006. The only Top Fuel driver to be a three-peat winner of the event is team owner and father, Kenny.
When the Bernsteins return to their home state of Texas March 28-30, they will be looking to collect career trophy No. 18 for Brandon .
“We have a new chassis that we debuted at the last race at Gainesville , Fla. ,” said the second-generation driver. “We were runner-up at that event and ran good, competitive numbers. We are coming into this event with some momentum, and hopefully we will have a strong showing.”
Bernstein’s runner-up finish at Gainesville vaulted him into the No. 3 position in NHRA Top Fuel point standings.
“We got off to a slow start this year, but it looks like we’re on the high road now, continued Bernstein. “ We need to continue to go rounds to be strong through the season and in the hunt for the championship.
“The NHRA qualifying format has changed this year and they now hold some open qualifying positions on Saturday. Traditionally, Friday night is the best time to make the quickest run to get solidly seeded in the field so I know Tim (Richards, crew chief) will be monitoring all the weather and track conditions closely. These are factors that weigh heavily into the tune-up combination.
“We went through a tough race at Gainesville , which marked the first anniversary of the death of my friend Eric Medlen, who was injured in a post-race testing accident there. Four days later he succumbed to those injuries.
“Eric used to wait at the top end of the track for many of my runs. The first anniversary was emotional because I remembered so much about the places we went and the things we did at that race and it probably opened some of those wounds again.
“ Houston was the first race following that tragedy, and I know there were many of us that wanted to win the race for him. I still think of him spiritually riding onboard the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster. In my mind and heart, he’ll always be with me.”
Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, March 28 at 3 p.m. with a second session at 6 p.m. There are two qualifying rounds Saturday, noon and 3 p.m. , with final eliminations kicking off Sunday at 11 a.m.
O’REILLY SPRING NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY
Qualifying - March 29 – ESPN2
4:30 -5 p.m. ET
And
10 p.m. – 11 p.m. ET
NHRA Race Day – March 30 – ESPN2
11 –11:30 a.m. ET
Eliminations – March 30 – ESPN2
4:30 – 7 p.m. ET
Brandon Bernstein took the reins to the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster from his father, Kenny, whose 39 Top Fuel victories and 30 Funny Car victories make him No. 2 driver on the career nitro win list. Brandon was named Southern California Auto Club Rookie of the Year in 2003, and has amassed 17 career victories to date including a career-high five wins and a third-place overall finish in the 2007 NHRA POWERAde Series.
Just like the Bernstein family legacy on the track, Budweiser American-style lager follows the same family recipe used by five generations of Busch family brew masters. Brewed with only the finest hand-selected ingredients and Beechwood aged for the perfect balance of flavor and refreshment, Budweiser is “the Great American Lager.”
