LADY LUCK DOES NOT SHINE ON BUDWEISER / LUCAS OIL TEAM AT VEGAS

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 31) – Though the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team counted The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway among the tracks where they had enjoyed the most success, the weekend of the ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals and accompanying Budweiser Shootout proved to be a bitter disappointment.

Driver Brandon Bernstein drew the No. 5 starting position for the eight car Budweiser Shootout specialty race in a media/draw party at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Thursday, Oct.28.

In the first round of Budweiser Shootout eliminations, Bernstein’s quick reaction time assisted the team in getting to the finish line first despite a violent engine explosion at the finish line. Bernstein’s .076 reaction time coupled with a 4.572/323.43 performance defeated Cory McClenathan’s 4.568/322.19 effort with a .100 reaction time.

In the semifinals Bernstein had a slight edge at the starting line, but Larry Dixon, who had won the wildcard draw for the eighth starting berth in the race, edged

Bernstein for the win with a 4.554/323.58 to Bernstein’s 4.571/330.23.

“We really wanted to win the Budweiser Shootout,” said Bernstein. “We were hoping some of our previous Las Vegas luck would kick in, but we were just a tick off.”

Bernstein qualified seventh for Sunday’s ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals with a 4.562/329.75.

The day ended early for the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team as the 6500-horsepower engine dropped a cylinder the second Bernstein hit the throttle on the starting line. Doug Herbert took the round win with a 4.658/319.07 while Bernstein crossed the finish line with a 4.7310/310.34.

“We dropped a cylinder at the hit (of the throttle) and we couldn’t recover,” said Bernstein. “There was just no power there. All I could do was watch Doug drive away.”

Bernstein maintains third place in POWERade point standings as the NHRA circuit heads into the final race of the season Nov. 11-14 at Pomona, Calif.

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LAS VEGAS – With the Top Fuel championship decided for the 2004 season, interest now turns to the battle for the No. 2 spot. Brandon Bernstein and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team hope to earn that position. Currently third in POWERade point standings, Bernstein is 49 points out of second with two races remaining.

“Second place is well within our reach,” said Bernstein. “It won’t be a cake walk by any means, but our team is putting forth 100 percent effort to try to climb one more rung on the ladder.”

Besides competing in the ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals Oct. 29-31, Bernstein has earned a spot on the starting grid of the prestigious eight-car Budweiser Shootout on Saturday. Competitors earn qualifying points during the season and the top seven are seeded into the field while qualifiers eight through 15 draw for the wildcard eighth starting berth.

This will mark the second generation driver’s second Bud Shootout. In 2002, his father, six-time NHRA champion, Kenny, won the No. 1 qualifying spot based on that season’s cumulative qualifying points for what he thought would be the final Budweiser Shootout of his career. Mother Nature, however, had the final word. That year rains washed out Bud Shootout competition at the final 2002 Pomona race and the eight-car specialty race was rescheduled to run in conjunction with the 2003 season-opener in Pomona. Kenny retired at the end of 2002, and Brandon assumed his father’s spot in the Bud Shootout in his first race the first weekend of his professional career and finished runner-up.

“The Bud Shootout is a race everyone wants to win,” said Bernstein. “The $100,000 winner’s share is phenomenal but it’s also a prestigious victory to have on your resume. This is the first time the race will be contested in Vegas. Dad and I “doubled down” there when I was driving the alcohol dragster. We love The Strip. It’s an awesome facility.”

In Vegas in 2001, Brandon and his father became the first father-son duo to win at the same national event in NHRA’s 50-year history.

“We’ll never forget that day,” said Brandon. “We just hope we can find our way to victory circle this time around. Our team is hungry for a win.

“Dad has been in the final round at The Strip four out of six appearances and won three of the six. It goes to show this team is very capable of being a strong contender at this track. As we always say, it’s critical to go rounds.”

Brandon has two semifinal finishes at The Strip in his professional career. He currently holds the NHRA world speed record at 333.41 mph, but his career best speed (333.66 mph) was set in Las Vegas in the spring.

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying: Friday, Oct. 29, 4 and 6:30 p.m.

There are two rounds of qualifying Sat., including the Bud Shootout. Two rounds of Bud Shootout competition may also count for qualifying. First round of Bud Shootout competition Saturday at noon, Round 2 at 1:45 p.m. and the finals are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ACDelco eliminations begin Sunday at 11 a.m.

Bud Shootout Draw Party: The top 15 competitors on the NHRA circuit will participate October 28 at 6:30 p.m. in a Budweiser Shootout Draw Party at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. Based on cumulative qualifying points throughout the year the first seven in points are guaranteed a berth in the field. Competitors 8 – 15 will draw for the eighth and final spot on the bracket to compete for the Budweiser Shootout $100,000 winner’s share on Saturday, Oct. 30 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Kenny Bernstein: King of Speed book released: Kenny Bernstein and ESPN commentator Bill Stephens collaborated on this book which is a story in pictures and words of the remarkable racing career of Kenny Bernstein, one of the marquee names in motorsports. The 160-page 10” x 10” hardcover book retails for $24.95 and can be found at major bookstores. It is also available at kennybernstein.com, amazon.com and sportspublishingllc.com

ACDELCO LAS VEGAS NATIONALS AND BUD SHOOTOUT
TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – Oct. 30 – ESPN2
5 -7 p.m. ET

Eliminations – Oct. 31 – ESPN2
7- 10 p.m. ET

Repeat Eliminations – Nov. 1 – ESPN2
2 -4 p.m. ET

Repeat Eliminations – Nov. 5 – ESPN2
3 –5 p.m. ET