SONOMA, Calif. (Aug. 1) – The Budweiser/Lucas Oil team hoped to celebrate driver Brandon Bernstein’s birthday one day early with a victory at the Fram Autolite Nationals. However, the team’s wish for a gold “Wally” winner’s statue went up in a puff of smoke in the semifinals.

Bernstein qualified third at Infineon Raceway with a 4.615-second elapsed time at 316.23 mph.

In the opening round of competition, Bernstein ran a very competitive 4.604/319.75 to defeat Bob Vandergriff, Jr.’s 6.168/142.26.

The quarterfinals match was a reprise of the ever popular beer wars. Bernstein and Larry Dixon were nose to nose in the quarter-mile race until Bernstein was able to drive by Dixon at the finish line. Bernstein’s winning time and speed, 4.619/318.32, to Dixon's 4.664/312.42.

"That was a good run," said Brandon. "Dixon's team is always tough. Our first two runs have been good. Hopefully we can go two more rounds."

In the semifinals against David Grubnic, both drivers lost traction and began to smoke the tires. Both drivers were on and off the throttle, pedaling their way to the finish line. Grubnic was able to recover first and gain the round win (5.181/209.85 vs. 6.178/149.86).

“I kept pedaling the car, but I just couldn’t get it to hook up again,” said Bernstein. “What a disappointment. We were looking good up to this point. We had been getting down the track without any loss of traction. But we knew we had to step on it a bit for Grubnic. I think we all had high hopes today.”

Bernstein remains third in NHRA POWERade championship standings, 134 points out of the lead, and 68 points out of second place.

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SONOMA, Calif. – Brandon Bernstein, son of six-time NHRA champion Kenny Bernstein, is following in his famous father’s footsteps winning many accolades in his own short career.

Among Brandon’s early achievements was a 2001 Division 7 alcohol dragster championship that included a victory at Infineon Raceway when he was driving in the sportsman category in preparation for his succession to his father as pilot of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster.

Though young Bernstein is in his sophomore season behind the wheel of the Top Fuel dragster, the Fram Autolite Nationals July 30-August 1 will mark his first appearance at Infineon as a driver in the professional category.

After a sensational beginning in his debut season last year, he sustained season-ending back injuries in a race in Englishtown, N.J. May 18, 2003 that sidelined him for the remainder of the season. His father jumped back into the familiar confines of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster to finish the season, winning four of the last five events.

Now fully recovered, Brandon resumed driving at the start of 2004 and has three victories and one runner-up finish so far this year. He led the NHRA POWERade Top Fuel point standings briefly and is definitely in the dogfight for the championship.

“I’m looking forward to competing at Infineon,” said Bernstein. “Having won at this track in 2001 in the alcohol dragster makes me a little more comfortable. At this point of the season, there are many tracks that are new to me since I wasn’t able to complete the end of last season; however, we qualified No. 1 here and got to celebrate a victory. It would be awesome to be able to repeat that feat in the Top Fuel car.

“Plus this point chase is heating up. At the beginning of the year there were two of us battling, now it’s about five of us and it’s going to be sizzling ‘til the last man stands at the banquet podium with the $400,000 championship check.

“We’re past mid-season, now, so every round is critical. Our team is focused on going rounds.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying for the Fram Autolite Nationals begins Friday, July 30 at 4 p.m. followed by a second session at 7 p.m. There are two qualifying rounds Saturday, noon and 3:30 p.m. with final eliminations Sunday beginning at 11 a.m.

FRAM AUTOLITE NATIONALS
TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – July 31 – ESPN2
7 – 9 p.m. ET

Eliminations – August 1 – ESPN2
8 – 11 p.m. ET