INFINEON RACEWAY BRINGS BACK SPECIAL MEMORIES OF ERIC MEDLEN FOR BRANDON BERNSTEIN
SONOMA , Calif. – Brandon Bernstein has scored 16 NHRA national event victories in his young career, including four this season. The second generation driver who began his professional career behind the wheel of his father’s Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster in 2003 had the most successful career launch of any other Top Fuel or Funny Car driver in NHRA history, logging five wins in his first 13 starts.
Bernstein won at Infineon Raceway in 2001 while driving an A Fuel dragster in the NHRA Sportsman Series. This was the year Bernstein was in training for his eventual move to the Top Fuel category when his father retired at the end of the 2002 season.
Though the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team will be focused on trying to gain their fifth victory of the season at the Fram Autolite Nationals July 27-29, Bernstein’s thoughts will turn toward his friend Eric Medlen, who succumbed to injuries suffered earlier this year in a testing accident.
“Eric was from Oakdale,” said Bernstein. “This track was very special to him because it was so close to home. And he won the Funny Car trophy at Infineon last year.
“Ever since we lost him, I wear a special Eric pin at the racetrack that has the image of his face on it, and every day I wear a special wrist band that is black and has his name on it. Additionally, I have a photo in the cockpit of our dragster of him with me and another friend, J.R. Todd. Dad and I have decals on our car as a tribute to Eric.
“Sometimes I still talk to him.
“Earlier this season when we won the Las Vegas event, I gave the trophy to Eric’s Mom, Mimi, who was at the race.
“And at our last win in Bristol , Eric’s dad came up on the podium with us. That’s the first time he’s done that since we lost Eric.
“All of us in the racing fraternity are trying to heal, but I still envision Eric bursting through our pit area with his big smile and his eyes glowing. His laugh was contagious and he was a practical joker. He was also a dedicated, untiring driver and crew member and he loved driving that race car.
“My life was better for having Eric in it, but I still like to think his spirit hovers around every racetrack. It’s more comforting when I think he’s looking over us.
“On the competitive side of the fence, Tim Richards (crew chief), Kim (Richards) and the team have our Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster running on mean and we hope we can keep the momentum going.
“We’re comfortably seeded in the countdown to eight and hope to maintain good position there in order to transfer to the next stage of the new championship chase format.”
Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying for the Fram Autolite Nationals begins Friday, July 27 at 4:30 p.m. with a second session at 8 p.m. There are two qualifying rounds Saturday, 12:30 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. , with final eliminations scheduled to begin Sunday at noon .
Brandon Bernstein, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Clark headline Bud Racing One Night Stand at Sturgis. Wednesday night, Aug. 8, the Buffalo Chip campground near Sturgis , South Dakota , will be rockin’ AND rollin’ when the boys from Budweiser Racing –Brandon Bernstein, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Jeff Clark – take the stage during the “Bud Racing One Night Stand.”
Brandon, Dale Jr. and Jeff will be hangin’ with the Buffalo Chip’ers, riffing about everything from riding bikes to rubbin’ fenders to pullin’ 5 G’s down the quarter-mile. Sandwiched between the lovely ladies of Hawaiian Tropic and the rockin’ sounds of Velvet Revolver, the Bud Racing One Night Stand will be Rally week’s “can’t miss” show.
Hosted by ESPN’s Marty Smith, Brandon, Dale Jr. and Jeff will swap stories and take questions submitted by the crowd. The night revs up at 8:30 p.m. on Wed., Aug. 8 with the Hawaiian Tropic Pageant, followed by the Bud Racing boys at 9 p.m., and Velvet Revolver on stage at 10:30 p.m.
Another highlight of the evening will be the presentation of a Budweiser custom motorcycle to Bernstein. The bike, commissioned by Budweiser and built by Jeff Clark owner of The Cycle Xchange in Matthews, N.C., will have special drag racing-type features incorporated into it.
Follow the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel team at Kenny Bernstein Racing. Please visit our sponsors at Budweiser, Lucas Oil, Initializing...., AlphaTrade.com - digital media and marketing company specializing in creating networking opportunities to build your brand, sell more products, increase your web traffic and gain more attention for your company (OTCBB:APTD) and AlphaTrade FN - Free stock quotes, stock market news & personal finance..
