TRADITIONS
CONTINUE AS BERNSTEIN SETS
NATIONAL SPEED RECORD AND KEEPS ‘KING OF SPEED’ IN THE FAMILY;
FINISHES RUNNER-UP AT CHICAGO
JOLIET, Ill. (May 23) – Brandon Bernstein’s
race weekend at the NHRA Route 66 Nationals was packed with excitement.
Bernstein and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel team set a national speed
record, a track speed record, and they finished runner-up after a thrill
ride in the finals that would vie for excitement in any amusement park.
Bernstein qualified third (4.504/329.10) after two qualifying sessions,
rather than the customary four. Friday and Saturday thunderstorms caused
cancellation of a session each day.
The second generation driver and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team led off
the first round of eliminations with low elapsed time of the round and
career best elapsed time for Brandon (4.477 seconds). The team also
set a track mile-per-hour record (333.41) to defeat Bob Vandergriff,
who lost a blower belt (6.886/117.22).
"That was a ride,” said. Bernstein. “It was a handful.
The car made a move for the center line. Good numbers and a great effort
by Tim (Richards, crew chief), Kim (Richards) and the team."
Bernstein’s speed on that run was a potential national record
if he could back it up within the one percent certification required
by NHRA guidelines.
Ironically the 4.477-second run was a duplicate of Kenny Bernstein’s
career-best run at this same track in 2001. That elapsed time became
a national record that held until the 2003 Reading, Penn. event.
In the quarterfinals, Bernstein defeated Darrell Russell, 4.527/328.70
vs. Russell’s 4.566/329.58.
In a pivotal semifinals match between the first and second place drivers
in the NHRA POWERade point standings, it was Bernstein setting yet another
career best elapsed time, tripping the win light with a 4.462-second
run at 332.26 mph to defeat Tony Schumacher’s tire-smoking 4.829/300.80.
The speed on this run was fast enough to back-up Bernstein’s 333.41
mph run, and the 333.41 now becomes the NHRA national record. Once again,
the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team made history at Route 66 Raceway, this
time setting the national speed record, keeping the “King of Speed”
moniker in the Bernstein family.
In the money round against Doug Kalitta, Bernstein launched well, but
his chance to win the event ended with a scary wheelstand at half track,
and he charted a runner-up finish.
“It left extremely hard,” said Bernstein. “It was
marching along and it set the front end down and when it really started
to pour it to it, it picked right back up. It picked it up so fast,
it just kept going. It wasn’t going to go down. There wasn’t
anything I could do but lift it and try to get it back toward the center.
It was a wild ride, but hey, we gained some points this weekend and
got the national speed record.”
“Now you’re the ‘King of Speed’,” chimed
in father Kenny. “Brandon did everything he could do in that final
round. He did a good job driving, the team did a good job. We just put
a lot of horsepower into the car because we knew it was going to be
a tough match.”
Like father, like son.
Bernstein maintains second place in POWERade point standings, 43 points
out of the lead.
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