Kenny and Brandon Bernstein

2006 NEWS ARCHIVES

ALPHATRADE.COM INKS DEAL WITH KENNY BERNSTEIN RACING

“The King of Speed” Races with the Internet’s Fastest Financial Information Provider

LAKE FOREST, CA; November 28 – Six-time National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) world champion Kenny Bernstein, well-known for his business savvy, today announced that he has formed a multi-year major associate sponsorship partnership with AlphaTrade.com, (OTC.BB: APTD), a global provider of customized real-time financial information for professional, institutional and individual investors.

The AlphaTrade name will appear on both cars driven by the Bernstein family: Kenny’s Monster Energy/Lucas Oil Dodge Charger Funny Car that he will debut on the NHRA circuit in February 2007, as well as Brandon Bernstein’s Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster.

AlphaTrade.com is a world leader in providing real-time stock market data, global news and high-quality financial information. Launched in 1999, AlphaTrade offers financial data that is both modular and multi-lingual to millions of investors throughout the world.

“Kenny and Brandon are drag racing royalty, and we’re ecstatic to be working with them,” said AlphaTrade CEO, Penny Perfect. “From the moment I met with Kenny and his people, I realized there was considerable synergy between our respective teams.”

The Bernsteins will race two separate classes of cars and will not compete directly, thereby doubling the exposure of the sponsorship.

“We are thrilled that AlphaTrade CEO Penny Perfect chose our team and the sport of NHRA drag racing to showcase their high performance service,” said Kenny Bernstein. “It’s a perfect match! As an avid stock market investor, I was very impressed with the information that AlphaTrade can provide. I can follow the stock market in real time. It’s like standing on the trading floor at the New York Stock Exchange. AlphaTrade keeps pace with us in the 300 mile-per-hour world we live in.”

“This technology is awesome,” said Brandon Bernstein. “With all the latest wireless gadgets and wizardry, it’s irresistible to have the ability to check on stocks at the track, in the airport, or sitting in the office.”

“We are excited about the opportunity to help make AlphaTrade a household name among the avid investors or those who are just getting started,” continued Kenny. “This technology is user-friendly and provides invaluable information.”

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ABOUT ALPHATRADE
Launched in 1999, AlphaTrade is the only company that offers financial data that is both modular and multi-lingual to the millions of people who “follow the market” on a daily basis. AlphaTrade data can be conveniently accessed through a number of internet-enabled systems, including computers, Web TV’s, and wireless hand-held devices. The company’s flagship product, E-Gate, offers unparalleled, reliable, and accurate real-time investment information, coupled with advanced trading analysis tools. For more information, please visit our website at www.AlphaTrade.com.

Safe-Harbor

Forward-looking statements: Except for the historical information, the matters discussed in this news release may contain forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, factors relating to future sales. These forward-looking statements may involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, uncertainties in product demand, risks related to doing business in China, the impact of competitive products and pricing, changing economic conditions around the world, release and sales of new products, and other risk factors detailed in the Company’s most recent annual report and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

BUDWEISER/LUCAS OIL TEAM ENDS NHRA SEASON THIRD IN TOP FUEL POINT STANDINGS AND WINS FINAL BATTLE OF BEER WARS

POMONA, Calif. (Nov. 12) – The Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel team made some strong performance moves at the Automobile Club of Southern California Nationals, dipping into the 4.40-second elapsed time zone for the first time this season.

Experimenting with a new innovative injector, crew chief Tim Richards coaxed the first sub 4.50-second run out of the dragster in qualifying, claiming the No. 3 position with a 4.473-second elapsed time at 330.15 miles per hour in a Top Fuel field that tied the quickest in history. The second 4.40 came in the quarterfinals against Larry Dixon.

In the opening round of Sunday’s eliminations, Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster driver Brandon Bernstein rolled to the starting line to face Mike Strasburg. While Strasburg struggled with loss of traction, Bernstein streaked to a 4.508/330.15 victory to transfer to the quarterfinals.

“Tim (Richards) seems to have a handle on the tune-up today,” said Bernstein. “We’ll be ready for the next round with Larry Dixon, but that team is tough.”

In the second round, Bernstein and Larry Dixon drove into the staging beams for the last round of beers wars. Dixon lost traction and blazed the tires, while Bernstein rocketed to a 4.496/330.07.

"We're right there with the best cars today,” said Bernstein. “It's just unfortunate that we're not still in the championship chase."

In the semifinals against Tony Schumacher, Bernstein was quickest off the line, but Schumacher edged Bernstein out for the round win at the finish line. Schumacher stopped the clocks at 4.482 seconds, 329.50 mph, while Bernstein clocked 4.511 seconds at 332.18 mph.

“Tim is trying some new tune-up components and it looks like we’re headed in the right direction,” said Bernstein. “He was able to accomplish some performance goals he had set and we’ll work hard through the winter to make some additional gains for the 2007 season. We’ll be testing in January and ready for the season-opener in February.”

Bernstein finished third in NHRA POWERade Top Fuel point standings.

# # #

MAC TOOLS EXPANDS BERNSTEIN’S 20-YEAR SPONSORSHIP TO INCLUDE MONSTER ENERGY/LUCAS OIL FUNNY CAR

LAKE FOREST, Calif. (Nov.2) – Six-time NHRA World champion Kenny Bernstein is known for sponsorship longevity and his commitment to business.

Just as Kenny Bernstein has been a leader in the motor sports industry, Mac Tools is a leader in the professional technician’s tool industry. In 2007, Bernstein and Mac Tools will have partnered for 20 years, and today Bernstein announced that Mac Tools will expand its sponsorship of Kenny Bernstein Racing to include the Monster Energy/Lucas Oil Funny Car that will debut next season.

“Our team has won championships with Mac Tools,” said Bernstein. “They’re dependable and tough enough to withstand the rigorous test of maintaining 7,000-horsepower, 4-second rockets on a 23-event race schedule.”

“Mac Tools is committed to obtaining Customers for Life,” said John Aden, president of Mac Tools. “Kenny Bernstein has been a valuable asset to our company for two decades. He has ridden on some of the Mac Tools trucks to sell tools and serves as a goodwill ambassador for our company.

“Mac Tools is excited about Kenny’s return to NHRA drag racing in 2007. We are proud to be a part of his new Monster Energy/Lucas Oil Funny Car. We wish Kenny and the entire team the best of luck next year and in the years to come.”

BERNSTEIN NAME IN LIGHTS ON THE LAS VEGAS STRIP

LAS VEGAS (Oct. 29) – Kenny and Brandon Bernstein experienced a rare opportunity to see their name in lights on the Las Vegas Strip over ACDelco Nationals weekend.

On the competition side at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway their Budweiser/Lucas Oil team made a strong qualifying effort but was unable to make the gain in point standings they had hoped for.

Driver Brandon Bernstein was the No. 2 qualifier for the ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals posting a 4.522/329.58.

In the opening round of eliminations, Bernstein defeated David Baca, 4.549/323.97, to 4.585/320.66.

“We were concentrating on doing the best job we could,” said Bernstein. “We were excited to get by first round.”

In the second round of race day action, Bernstein suffered a hole shot loss to Rod Fuller, 4.564/326.79 to Fuller’s winning 4.579/327.03.

Bernstein is third in POWERade point standings, 100 points out of the lead.

In Saturday’s Budweiser Shootout, Bernstein faced rival Doug Kalitta in the first round. Both

drivers lost traction, but Kalitta was able to recover first and crossed the finish line with a 5.669/317.42.

In addition to a weekend of racing, Brandon joined his father Kenny in a Friday night autograph session at ESPN Zone at New York-New York Hotel & Casino. In support of the promotion, New York-New York and ESPN Zone ran graphics on their marquees on The Strip.

“We treasure all the honors that have been bestowed upon us through the years,” said Kenny, “but we never thought we’d see our name in lights on The Strip in Las Vegas. That was very special to us.”

# # #

BUDWEISER/LUCAS OIL TOP FUEL TEAM SHOWCASED ON NEW YORK-NEW YORK HOTEL & CASINO MARQUEE

As you know from our Las Vegas advance stories, we have named New York-New York our official Las Vegas hotel. As a part of our agreement, we will be doing a press conference Friday, Oct. 27 from 9:30 - 10:30 p.m at ESPN Zone inside New York - New York. We thought we'd share with you the New York-New York and ESPN Zone marquee advertising our autograph sessions. It isn't often you get marquee billing on The Strip in Las Vegas.

WE INTERRUPT THIS RETIREMENT……

CLERMONT, Ind. (Sept. 1) – He’s well-known throughout the motorsports community. He holds the unique distinction of being the only race team owner to have collected wins in each of Americas’ three major motorsports series – NHRA drag racing, NASCAR and IndyCar racing. There’s hardly a major NHRA award he hasn’t won, and most he’s won in multiples, but he’s decided his collection is a little short.

Six-time NHRA champion Kenny Bernstein announced today that he will partner with Monster Energy drinks to “Unleash the Beast” to stage a 2007 comeback tour in the Funny Car category.

“I thrive on competition and I still love the sport,” said Bernstein. “I’ve been searching for the perfect opportunity and the perfect sponsor to field a competitive team to get back into the sport, and Monster Energy drinks provided the ideal scenario. I’m as excited as I was the first time I ever sat in a Funny Car.”

“At Monster Energy we are all about going extreme in everything we do and NHRA Funny Car racing is about as extreme as it gets,” said Monster Energy Drink president Mark Hall. “When we decided to get into the sport, we looked to partner with an athlete who fits our image and shares our competitive spirit. Kenny Bernstein is a fierce competitor with a proven track record of success. The fact that Kenny has a relationship with our new partner for distribution, Anheuser-Busch, was a bonus. We look forward to a long successful partnership with Kenny Bernstein Racing and are confident Kenny will be a great representative of the Monster Brand.”

Bernstein, who is famous for building Budweiser brand identity in the motorsports community will now attack Monster Energy brand-building with the same zeal.

“NHRA drag racing will provide a tremendous amount of exposure for Monster,” said Bernstein. “Monster does have a common ground and cross-over with Anheuser-Busch because Monster is distributed by many Anheuser-Busch wholesalers. It was a natural fit. We have a multi-year commitment and we will work in every market we visit along the way to try to increase Monster sales, using the same business philosophy my father taught me at a young age, the principles I’ve used through the years.

“Plus Monster aligns itself with extreme sports and there’s nothing more extreme in motorsports than a 7,000 horsepower nitro car.

“It’s been no secret that it’s been difficult for me to sit on the sidelines. I’ve been in the cockpit for so many years that at first, I couldn’t even find a comfortable spot to stand at the starting line. And I really missed the competitive side. I can’t explain the rush and the kick you get from driving a 330 mile-per-hour nitro car down a quarter-mile, but that’s a feeling you can’t replace or find a substitute for. Thankfully, I’ve been blessed with good health and still feel that I can be very competitive.”

Bernstein will run the Monster Energy Funny Car operation under Kenny Bernstein Racing, Inc.

“I will still be the owner and play a major active role in the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team as I always have,” said Bernstein. “It will remain intact as you know it. We feel that adding a second car will strengthen our position.”

Second generation driver Brandon Bernstein is pleased about his father’s return to the cockpit.

“I know he still has the itch to drive,” said Brandon, “and this is about the best scenario you could ever hope for because Monster is connected to Anheuser-Busch. He has coached me and helped me through the learning curve of driving the Top Fuel car and I talk to him after every run. I’m sure we’ll have even more information to trade now that he’ll be driving.”

“Because we know how fast rumors spread,” said Kenny, “we wanted to take a proactive approach to go on record to announce our partnership with Monster Energy drinks.

“We have a lot of work ahead of us to get ready for 2007, but we’re energized and excited about getting back in the saddle. It will be fun mixing it up with John Force, Ron Capps, Gary Scelzi, and all the others in the Funny Car class.”

Bernstein, known for his lightning-quick reaction times, dominated the Funny Car category for much of the 1980s, winning four consecutive championships from 1985 through 1988. His last year behind the wheel of the Funny Car was 1989 before he switched to Top Fuel in 1990.

Bernstein has amassed 69 career victories while driving for Budweiser, 30 in Funny Car and 39 in Top Fuel. Besides four Funny Car championships, he also accrued two Top Fuel championships, 1996 and 2001.

“We’re happy for Kenny that he has an opportunity to climb back into the driver’s seat. He’s proven to be a great owner of the Budweiser team, but he’s obviously a racer at heart and has a passion for driving,” said Tony Ponturo, vice president, Global Media and Sports Marketing, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. “We’re excited he’s working with a mutual partner in Monster, and we agree with Brandon that sharing information between the two teams will only help the Budweiser team achieve its goal of winning a championship.”

After retiring at the end of the 2002 season, he came back to finish the 2003 season after Brandon suffered season-ending injuries in a first round crash May 18 in Englishtown, N.J. Kenny competed in 15 races that season, winning four of the last five events, scoring six semifinal appearances, and accumulating enough points to finish an unbelievable sixth in the final point standings that year.

Bernstein climbs back into the cockpit of the Top Fuel car annually to make enough runs to keep his NHRA nitro license current.

He has made his mark, but his expertise goes far beyond wins and losses. He is first and foremost a businessman and he is focused on helping to build awareness and sales for Monster Energy drinks and Budweiser.

Monster Energy was launched in 2002 and in just three short years has become the number two brand in the exploding energy drink category. Monster Energy provides consumers seeking a boost of energy to fuel their active lifestyle with a proprietary blend of vitamins, herbs and amino acids that packs a vicious punch with a smooth flavor that’s easy to pound down.

Monster Energy supports the sport. Be it snow, surf, motocross, skate, BMX, name it, the athletes are rockin’ Monster Energy more than anything these days. Check it out at www.monsterenergy.com.

Kenny Bernstein and Joe Parsons, Senior Sports Marketing Manager, Monster Beverage Co. announcing that Kenny will make a comeback beginning in 2007 driving the Monster Energy Funny Car.

Race Fans Rank NHRA 2nd Favorite Form of Motorsports in ESPN Sports Poll

To: Budweiser/Lucas Oil Dragster Backers
From: Kenny Bernstein

We wanted to pass along a press release from NHRA sharing statistics released from an ESPN Sports Poll this week that is great news for drag racing participants and sponsors! As you can see, NHRA, as second ranked vote getter for the 2005 calendar year, received double the votes over Formula 1and Indy Racing League. You will also note that NHRA held steady as the second-favorite type of motorsports attraction from 2004. That’s 2nd ranked vote for the years 2004 and 2005!

It is nice to have credible, official substantiation that continues to show the popularity of drag racing!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: NHRA Communications

RACE FANS RANK NHRA 2ND FAVORITE FORM OF MOTORSPORTS IN ESPN SPORTS POLL

GLENDORA, Calif. – In an ESPN Sports Poll released this week, fans ranked NHRA as their second-favorite type of motorsports attraction behind NASCAR.

NHRA received 13.4% of the votes from fans polled from January-December of 2005 to anchor the second position. NASCAR led the poll with 59.5%, while motorcycle racing came in third with 9.7% of the votes. Formula 1 was fourth with 6.3; Indy Racing League (IRL) fifth with 6.1; Champ Car sixth with 1.4; and other racing series received .04% of the fan response.

In 2004 an ESPN Sports Poll produced similar results with motorsports fans, as NASCAR led with 57.6 and NHRA was second with 13.9.

ESPN Sports Poll is a service of TNS Sport, one of the world’s leading market information companies.

2005 ESPN Sports Poll – Race fans favorite style of racing
1. NASCAR              59.5
2. NHRA                13.4
3. Motorcycle events    9.7
4. F1                   6.3
5. IRL                  6.1
6. Champ Car            1.4
7. Other                .04

BERNSTEIN INDUCTED INTO TEXAS MOTOR SPORTS HALL OF FAME AT TEXAS MOTOR SPEEDWAY GALA

FORT WORTH, Texas (April 5) – Six-time NHRA world champion Kenny Bernstein was inducted into the Texas Motor Sports Hall of Fame during ceremonies held in the Grand Ballroom at the Texas Motor Speedway.

Over 700 fans and friends of the inductees attended the gala and watched as Dallas Morning News motorsports columnist Terry Blount detailed some of Bernstein’s personal accomplishments in drag racing, as well as his accomplishments as a team owner in Indy car and NASCAR racing.

In addition to the performance statistics that appear in the motorsports record books, Blount heralded Bernstein as a man who revolutionized drag racing, specifically by bringing corporate America to the sport.

Blount also read remarks from NHRA’s 13-time Funny Car champion John Force who said he sought business advice from Bernstein from time to time and that Bernstein was a leader in helping the sport grow.

In his acceptance speech, Bernstein thanked NHRA founder Wally Parks and his late wife Barbara, for originating the sport to which he has devoted more than 30 years of his life. He also recognized president Tom Compton and vice president of communications Jerry Archambeault who flew to Texas for the ceremony.

He paid tribute to two Budweiser wholesalers, Dan Brown and Bill Williams with Brown Distributing in Austin, who were instrumental in paving the way for the longest sponsorship in all of autosports, now in its 27th year, with a contract extension that will take Bernstein and Budweiser into a 30-year partnership.

Bernstein also recognized four guests at his table, Vance Hunt, Waitus Simpson, and Mitchell and Donald Anderson who had given him a start in racing back in the 1960s, as well as Dave Densmore, who wrote the first newspaper article on Bernstein’s racing accomplishments when he was a writer for the Amarillo News.

“I owe so much to my mom and dad,” said Bernstein. “My father taught me about business,” said Bernstein of his father who passed away from cancer last year. “He taught me to always give the customer more than he paid for, and that’s a philosophy I still follow today.”

Bernstein also acknowledged former crew chiefs Ray Alley, Dale Armstrong, Lee Beard, and current team crew chief, Tim Richards.

“This is truly an honor that I will cherish my whole life,” concluded Bernstein.

Former racing driver, designer, constructor and team manager Jim Hall was also a third year inductee in the Texas Motor Sports Hall of Fame.

Raymond Beadle was the recipient of the Bruton Smith Legends Award, David Starr won Sportsmanship honors, and Jack Roush was honored as Race of the Year.

In an impromptu moment, Roush auctioned his famous hat during the evening to earn $6000 to benefit Happy Hill Farm Academy that serves at-risk children with a broad range of behavioral and academic problems.

Following the ceremonies, Bernstein signed autographs for many of the fans, and visited with fellow Texas Hall-of-Fame first year inductee three-time Indy 500 champion Johnny Rutherford, who drove his final Indy 500 for Bernstein’s Championship Auto Racing Team entry.




Group Photo left to right:
Mitchell Anderson, Brandon Bernstein, Waitus Simpson, Donald Anderson, Dave Densmore, Kenny Bernstein, Vance Hunt

LUCAS OIL AND KENNY BERNSTEIN TO EXPAND RELATIONSHIP TO INCLUDE MONSTER ENERGY FUNNY CAR

LAKE FOREST, Calif. (Oct. ) – Six-time NHRA World champion Kenny Bernstein is proud to announce that Lucas Oil will expand its involvement with Kenny Bernstein Racing and has been named a major associate sponsor on Bernstein’s Monster Energy Funny Car which will debut in 2007. Lucas Oil has been a major associate on Bernstein’s Budweiser Top Fuel dragster since 2002.

Bernstein retired at the end of 2002, and turned driving responsibilities of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster over to his son Brandon. Kenny returned to the cockpit of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster to finish the 2003 season when Brandon suffered season-ending back injuries in a racing accident in Englishtown, N.J.

Kenny, who is more comfortable in the cockpit than on the sidelines, will drive a Dodge Charger body by Mopar, while Brandon continues his championship assault in the Top Fuel category.

“We have great respect for the business that Forrest and Charlotte Lucas have built,” said Bernstein. “Our philosophies in marketing and sales just clicked when we first met. Our relationship with the Lucases and Bob Patison has grown through the years. We think of them as part of our family.”

“We at Lucas Oil are delighted that Kenny is returning to competition as a driver,” said Bob Patison, Lucas Oil executive vice president and general counsel. “He is a legend in the motor sports industry and we are very proud of our affiliation with the entire Bernstein organization. The relationship between Lucas Oil, Monster Energy and Kenny has great potential.”

“Lucas Oil gives our potent 7000-horsepower nitromethane burning engines more resistance to high pressure breakdown than any other product we have ever tried,” said Bernstein. “We’re sold on Lucas Oil products for our personal cars and race team support vehicles as well. Lucas Oil products help improve fuel efficiency which is so important these days especially considering all the miles the race team puts on their vehicles.

“We look forward to our continuing relationship with Lucas Oil.”

THOUGH TOP FUEL CHAMPIONSHIP HOPES HAVE DIMMED, BERNSTEIN STILL HAS FIGHT ON HIS HANDS

POMONA, Calif. – Though Brandon Bernstein concedes that his dreams of obtaining his first NHRA POWERade championship are very remote, he and his Budweiser/Lucas Oil team will still be battling for second place in point standings at the Automobile Club of Southern California Finals Nov. 9-12.

Bernstein comes into the final race of the season 100 points behind the Top Fuel leader, and 55 points out of second place.

“It would appear that barring something really strange happening, we will finish in the top three,” reflected Bernstein. “We’ve won four events and finished runner-up three times so we definitely celebrated success this season. What hurt us were the first three races of the season when we suffered very weird mechanical problems and the West Coast Swing where despite strong performance in qualifying, we didn’t do well on race day. But then we won Brainerd, Minn., we were runner-up in Indy, and by the time we won in Dallas we had emerged as a player. That was really exciting! I wish we had been able to gain a few more points after Dallas to stay in the bunkers for the championship battle, but we can still fight for second.

“We had our opportunities,” said Bernstein. “We capitalized on some of them. One thing I know for sure is that the fans got to see some great racing this season.

“And I want to thank Tim (Richards, crew chief), Kim (Richards) and the team for all their hard work this year. It’s hard to complain about a top three finish, four wins and three runner-ups. But Tim will be working through the winter to find a way to gain more ground for next season.”

The Budweiser/Lucas Oil team captured victories in Houston, Columbus, Ohio, Brainerd and Dallas. They were runner-up at Topeka, St. Louis, and Indianapolis.

After the Dallas victory, the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team had reeled in the leader and only a 40-point spread (two rounds) separated them.

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Thursday, Nov. 9 at 2:30 p.m., followed by a second session Friday at 2:30 p.m. There are two qualifying sessions Saturday, noon and 3:30 p.m., with final eliminations scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday.

Automobile Club of Southern California Finals Television Advisory

Qualifying – Nov. 11 – ESPN2
10 p.m. – 12 a.m. ET

Eliminations – Nov. 12 – ESPN2
7 p.m. – 10 p.m. ET

BERNSTEIN HOPES TO DOUBLE DOWN IN LAS VEGAS DOUBLE HEADER

LAS VEGAS – As the POWERade championship races head down the homestretch, they will certainly go down in history as some of the most stirring battles NHRA has ever known.

With two grueling national events left before the champions are crowned, Brandon Bernstein and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team are heading into the ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals in second place in the Top Fuel category, 83 points out of the lead, with the third place team less than a round (6 points) behind.

“Bob Frey (NHRA announcer) always says you have to bring your ‘A game’, and he’s right on,” said Bernstein. “We’ve got a shot at the championship, and we have a tenacious team. We’re going to try to grab hold and make that big leap. But while we’re looking ahead of us, we need to be watching behind us, because third place is breathing up our exhaust.

“We have to go rounds in Las Vegas and we have to go more rounds than the leader and the third place contender. That’s a tall order and a lot of pressure for me and for the team. Tim (Richards, crew chief) and Kim (Richards) have weathered this kind of pressure before. This is a new challenge for me. Dad is trying to help me adjust my mindset by approaching each round individually. No big championship picture. Just micro thoughts round to round.

“In addition to the national event in Vegas, we have the Budweiser Shootout on Saturday. We’d sure love to double down in Vegas – win the Shootout and the race. Budweiser’s celebrating their 25th anniversary of the Shootout specialty races they’ve sponsored through the years.”

Bernstein’s best Budweiser Shootout finish was his first when he finished runner-up. It was the 2002 Budweiser Shootout in Pomona, Calif., which was rained out and postponed to February 2003.

Because his father retired in 2002, Brandon took his father’s spot in the rescheduled event which was run in conjunction with the 2003 season-opener in Pomona.

“In addition to running two big events in Vegas, we’ve also named New York-New York Hotel & Casino as our team’s official Las Vegas hotel,” said Bernstein. “We’re excited to have them onboard. As a part of that agreement, we will be signing autographs at ESPN Zone inside New York-New York Friday evening, Oct. 27, from 9:30 – 10:30 p.m. We’ll be running the New York-New York logo on our Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster as well. There will be an enter to win contest at the autograph signing where two tickets will be awarded to the Budweiser/Lucas Oil pitside hospitality area. That’s a very special opportunity for someone to win.

“On Wed., Oct. 25, we’ll be playing in a charity poker tournament at the Cannery. There will be a lot going on in Las Vegas. We are excited to get started.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, Oct. 27 at 3:30 p.m. with a second session at 6 p.m. Budweiser Top Fuel Shootout introductions begin at noon, with the first round of the specialty event kicking off at 12:30 p.m. The second round of the Bud Shootout is scheduled for 3:15 p.m. with the finals at 5 p.m. ACDelco Las Vegas Nationals eliminations begin Sunday at 11 a.m.

ACDELCO LAS VEGAS NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Budweiser Shootout – Oct. 28 – ESPN2
10 p.m. – 10:30 p.m. ET

Qualifying – Oct. 28 – ESPN2
10:30 p.m. – 12 a.m. ET

Eliminations – Oct. 29 – ESPN2
8 – 11 p.m. ET

Kenny and Brandon Bernstein to sign autographs at ESPN Zone in Las Vegas. Bernstein Team names New York-New York as their official hotel. Race fans will have an opportunity to meet six-time National Hot Rod Association champion Kenny Bernstein and his son Brandon, Friday, Oct. 27 from 9:30 – 10:30 p.m. at the ESPN Zone located on the Las Vegas Strip inside New York-New York Hotel & Casino. Fans that stop by for an autograph will have a chance to enter to win two VIP tickets to Sunday’s (Oct. 29) Budweiser pitside hospitality area for the ACDelco Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Kenny Bernstein, who retired at the end of the 2002 season, but drove the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster for a portion of 2003 while his son Brandon was recovering from racing injuries, has announced his comeback in 2007. Bernstein will return to full-time competition as pilot of the Monster Energy Funny Car. He will campaign a Dodge Charger by Mopar.

Brandon, who is battling for the Top Fuel championship this season, earned NHRA Rookie of the Year honors in 2003, and has had the most successful career launch of any other Top Fuel or Funny Car driver in NHRA history.

“We are happy to announce New York-New York as our official Las Vegas hotel,” said Kenny.

“We invite fans who may be planning to attend the ACDelco Nationals and the Budweiser Shootout to book their rooms at New York-New York and join us at ESPN Zone Friday night. Someone will win the opportunity to hang with our team on Sunday at the track.

“Our team enjoys the restaurants, the shows, and of course ‘The Roller Coaster’ in the Big Apple of Las Vegas.

“Look for the New York-New York logo on our Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster over the weekend.”

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BUDWEISER/LUCAS OIL TEAM MOVES TO SECOND IN NHRA TOP FUEL POINTS;
DRIVER BERNSTEIN EXPECTS EMOTIONAL ROLLERCOASTER RIDE TO THE FINISH

DINWIDDIE, Va. (Oct. 15) -- Kenny Bernstein’s Budweiser/Lucas Oil team has proven itself to be a formidable challenger for the 2006 POWERade Top Fuel championship. At the rescheduled Torco Racing Fuels Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park, the team took one step forward and one step back.

Second generation driver Brandon Bernstein moved to second place in point standings, his highest ranking of the season, yet the point leader gained one more round, or 20 points, as the season winds down with two races remaining.

The Budweiser/Lucas Oil team qualified fifth with a 4.552-second elapsed time at 319.75 miles per hour.

In the opening round of eliminations, Bernstein squared off against Morgan Lucas. The fans were treated to a great battle between the two friends who were glued together to about half track. Though Bernstein started skating around down track, he remained hooked up while Lucas lost traction near the finish line. Bernstein scored the win, 4.562/315.05, to Lucas’ 4.632/284.15.

The quarterfinals against point leader Doug Kalitta were critical. Bernstein was only able to challenge to about the 300-foot mark before losing traction. Kalitta took the win 4.601/308.85 to Bernstein’s 6.553/122.09.

“First of all we weren’t expecting to smoke the tires,” said Bernstein. “That caught us by surprise. Though Doug was able to gain another round on us, we certainly aren’t going to throw the towel in by any means. This team will hang tough and dig as deep as we possibly can.

“We were able to nudge into second place today, but we still have a real dogfight between second and third place, not even counting the championship. Pass the Tums. It’s going to be a barn burner to the end. But I’d rather be in the fight than on the outside looking in, so I’ll take the stress.

“Some days you feel like a yo-yo. Today was one of those days. You ride the high of climbing to second place, then you lose a bit of a foot hold and you’re hanging on the edge of the cliff.

“To add more excitement and drama, our next race is Las Vegas (Oct. 27-290 and that weekend includes the Budweiser Shootout. It’s a double header weekend. It would be great to double down.”

Bernstein is 83 points out of the POWERade Top Fuel championship lead and is six points ahead of third place.

# # #

KENNY AND BRANDON BERNSTEIN TO SIGN AUTOGRAPHS
AT ESPN ZONE IN LAS VEGAS;
NAME NEW YORK-NEW YORK AS THE TEAM'S OFFICIAL HOTEL

LAKE FOREST, Calif. (Sept. 30) - Race fans will have an opportunity to meet six-time National Hot Rod Association champion Kenny Bernstein and his son Brandon, Friday, Oct. 27 from 9:30 - 10:30 p.m. at the ESPN Zone located on the Las Vegas Strip inside New York-New York Hotel & Casino. Fans that stop by for an autograph will have a chance to enter to win two VIP tickets to Sunday's (Oct. 29) Budweiser pitside hospitality area for the ACDelco Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

"We are happy to announce New York-New York as our official Las Vegas hotel," said Kenny.

"We invite fans who may be planning to attend the ACDelco Nationals and the Budweiser Shootout to book their rooms at New York-New York and join us at ESPN Zone Friday night. Someone will win the opportunity to hang with our team on Sunday at the track.

"Our team enjoys the restaurants, the shows, and of course 'The Roller Coaster' in the Big Apple of Las Vegas.

"Look for the New York-New York logo on our Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster over the weekend."

RAIN POSTPONES TORCO RACING FUELS NATIONALS IN VIRGINIA

DINWIDDIE, Va. (Oct. 7) – Steady rain and chilly temperatures forced postponement of the Torco Racing Fuels Nationals at Virginia Motorsports Park until Oct. 13-15.

The rescheduled Virginia date marks the fifth consecutive week of race travel for the teams as the Sept. 15-16 Toyo Tires Nationals were rained out and run Sept. 29-Oct. 1.

Including the Torco Racing Fuels Nationals, there are three races remaining until the POWERade champions are crowned. The Kenny Bernstein-owned Budweiser/Lucas Oil team is in the running for the Top Fuel championship, 10 points out of second place and 62 points out of the lead.

# # #

BERNSTEIN HEADS FOR A WEEKEND OF RACING AND ROCKING IN RICHMOND

RICHMOND, Va. – With three races remaining until the NHRA POWERade champions are crowned, second generation driver Brandon Bernstein is neck and neck with second place and both are challenging the Top Fuel leader. The Top Fuel race can’t get much more intense as the NHRA circuit makes its 21st stop at the Torco Racing Fuels Nationals Oct. 6-8. It’s been five years since an NHRA national event was contested at Virginia Motorsports Park.

“This is going to be an interesting test,” said Bernstein, driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster. “I have never driven at this track. Though Tim (Richards, crew chief) and several of the other crew chiefs have had experience tuning here, a lot has changed on the race cars since we last raced in Virgina from tire compounds to ignition systems and a lot of other parts and pieces. I think everyone will be starting from the ground floor and it’s going to depend on who can get a handle on the race track first. You can’t afford to get behind in qualifying so you have to hope you can get a good baseline run on the first qualifying pass and fine tune from there.

“This race throws an interesting component into the championship battle.

“Plus this is the fourth consecutive weekend the teams have been on the road and it wears on the stamina of the crew members as well as the inventory of parts and pieces on the trailer.

“We have a battle-tested crew chief and a focused team. I’m looking forward to a good showing in Richmond.”

Bernstein is third going into the Torco Racing Fuels Nationals, 10 points behind second place and 62 points out of the lead with 12 rounds of racing remaining until the final bell tolls. The Budweiser/Lucas Oil team has tallied four victories and three runner-up finishes so far this season.

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, Oct. 6 at 3:30 p.m. with a second round of qualifying at 6:30 p.m. There are two qualifying sessions Saturday, 12:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., with final eliminations Sunday at 11 a.m.

TORCO RACING FUELS NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – Oct. 7 – ESPN2
10 p.m. – 12 a.m. ET

Eliminations – Oct. 8 – ESPN2
7 p.m. – 10 p.m. ET

Bernstein to appear at Budweiser 1 Night Stand concert – NHRA marquee Top Fuel driver Brandon Bernstein, son of six-time champion Kenny, will appear Thursday, Oct. 5, at the Old Town Civic Center in conjunction with a special concert promoted by Budweiser and the Planet radio station.

Local band Eleven to One will headline the evening leading off the festivities at 8 p.m. The event is free to the public. WKLR 96.5 listeners, can win meet and greet VIP tickets via on-air promotions. Listeners to sister stations Y-101 and K 95 will also be able to win VIP meet and greet tickets.

Bernstein will be signing autographs for VIP guests from 8 to 9 p.m. At 9 p.m. he will be on stage for a question and answer session before reintroducing the band who will play a second set from 9:30 to 11 p.m.

Old Town Civic Center is located at 136 River St. in Petersburg. Doors to the concert open at 7:00 p.m.

BERNSTEIN AND NHRA TOP FUEL LEADERS STATUS QUO AFTER READING

READING, Pa. (Oct. 1) – The Budweiser/Lucas Oil team hit a bump in the road, literally, at the rescheduled Toyo Tires Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway, but the team continues to keep pace as the Top Fuel championship battle turns for the homestretch.

Rain once again plagued the event during Saturday’s qualifying session, eliminating the fourth scheduled round. The race day field was set after three qualifying attempts.

Bernstein qualified fourth with a 4.528/325.59.

In the opening round of eliminations, Bernstein rolled into the staging beams to face David Baca. Both drivers lost traction early in the run. Bernstein was on and off the throttle seven or eight times. Baca’s car proved to be too tough to tame as it sashayed from side to side. Bernstein reached the finish line first, 7.064/210.67 to Baca’s 10.033/78.17.

“That was a challenge,” said Bernstein. “I tried to ease the throttle, but the tires kept popping up off the track and it was hard to steer. It was definitely a ride.”

The second round duel was between Bernstein and David Grubnic. Bernstein had the starting line advantage, but the car started to drift and haze the tires, while Grubnic had a trouble-free run, tripping the win light with a 4.535./323.43 to Bernstein’s 4.600/313.00.

“It seemed like the car left hard,” said Bernstein, “but it kept drifting toward the wall. I tried to get it back in the groove, but we were bouncing on some bumps in the lane, and we hazed the tires as we got out of the groove. We also cut a fuel line at the starting line, so fuel might have leaked out under the tires as well, causing us traction problems.”

The ESPN2 drag racing anchors announced the results of a fan poll in regard to the favorite pick for the Top Fuel championship: 38 percent chose Bernstein; 33 percent chose Tony Schumacher and 29 percent chose Doug Kalitta.

“It’s great to be the fan favorite,” said Bernstein. “Three races to go and it’s just going to be a nail-biter each week.”

Bernstein remains third in NHRA Top Fuel standings, 10 points out of second place and 62 points out of the lead.

# # #

BRANDON BERNSTEIN TO MAKE APPEARANCE
AT BUDWEISER 1 NIGHT STAND CONCERT WITH BAND ELEVEN TO ONE

PETERSBURG, Va. – NHRA marquee Top Fuel driver Brandon Bernstein, son of six-time champion Kenny, will appear Thursday, Oct. 5, at the Old Town Civic Center in conjunction with a special concert promoted by Budweiser and the Planet radio station.

Local band Eleven to One will headline the evening leading off the festivities at 8 p.m. The event is free to the public. WKLR 96.5 listeners, can win meet and greet VIP tickets via on-air promotions. Listeners to sister stations Y-101 and K 95 will also be able to win VIP meet and greet tickets.

Bernstein, driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster, is currently in the battle for the NHRA Top Fuel championship. Bernstein will be signing autographs for VIP guests from 8 to 9 p.m. At 9 p.m. he will be on stage for a question and answer session before reintroducing the band who will play a second set from 9:30 to 11 p.m.

“This is a great opportunity outside the racetrack to connect with existing fans and perhaps gain some new fans for our sport,” Bernstein said. “Concert goers will get a chance to ask some questions that might help them get some extra insight into NHRA drag racing and our Budweiser/Lucas Oil team.”

Old Town Civic Center is located at 136 River St. in Petersburg. Doors to the concert open at 7 p.m.

BUDWEISER/LUCAS OIL TEAM RED HOT AS TOP FUEL CHAMPIONSHIP BATTLE HEADS TO READING

READING, Pa. – Budweiser/Lucas Oil driver Brandon Bernstein describes his team as riding the crest of a wave following this past weekend’s victory in Dallas. Going into the rescheduled Toyo Tires Nationals Sept. 29 through Oct. 1, Bernstein is third in NHRA Top Fuel point standings, a mere seven points out of second place and 40 points (two rounds of competition) out of the lead.

“Our team is clicking right now and we’ve got momentum,” said Bernstein. “We’re focused on going rounds. Tim (Richards, crew chief) is making some fantastic tune-up calls. Make no mistake, there is going to be a dogfight to the end in my opinion.

“There are so many good cars in the Top Fuel field that can ruin your day early on. In addition to that, you really need to meet your point competition early in eliminations which is contrary to what you would normally want. However, in order to make some big gains in points you have to defeat those that are still in the championship battle early on. Obviously that has a down side, because if you lose, you’re the guy that’s going to be in jeopardy of losing a lot of points.

“It’s really tough on the crew chiefs. We’re fortunate to have some veterans of championship war on our side. Tim (Richards) and Kim (Richards) have a lot of experience to draw upon and they’ve won championships before.”

Bernstein has been in the finals in three of the last four races, winning twice. This season the Budweiser/Lucas Oil scorecard reflects four victories and three runner-up finishes. The team has won the O’Reilly Spring Nationals in Houston in April, the Pontiac Performance Nationals in Columbus, Oh. in May, the Lucas Oil Nationals in Brainerd, Minn. in August, and last weekend’s O’Reilly Fall Nationals in Dallas.

Runner-up performances include the O’Reilly Summernationals in Topeka in May, the O’Reilly Midwest Nationals in St. Louis in June, and the prestigious Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in September.

“We still have four races and 16 rounds of racing left,” said Bernstein. “So there are a lot of points at stake. And there’s likely to be a lot of shuffling in the points before the championship trophy is awarded.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, Sept. 29 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 beginning Sunday at 11 a.m.

TOYO TIRES NATIONALS AT READING, PA.
TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – Sept. 30– ESPN2
4 – 6 p.m. ET

Eliminations – Oct. 1 – ESPN2
7 – 10 p.m. ET

DALLAS NATIVE BRANDON BERNSTEIN TAKES 12^th NHRA CAREER VICTORY AT TEXAS MOTORPLEX

ENNIS, Texas (Sept. 24) – Kenny and Brandon Bernstein, who grew up in Dallas, had a Texas-style victory celebration at the O’Reilly Fall Nationals. Six-time NHRA champ Kenny, owner of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster, watched from the starting line as his son Brandon piloted the car to his first Dallas victory and his 12th career win. It was Brandon’s fourth victory this season.

“It’s really special to be able to come to Dallas and perform well in front of our friends and family,” said Brandon. “It was nice to have my mom there because she doesn’t come to every event.

“And as always, it was awesome to have dad there to talk to after every round. He just told me to ‘keep doing what you’re doing.’ Dad is a real stabilizing force for me.”

Bernstein qualified seventh at the Texas Motorplex with a 4.617/329.26, but not without some drama. Going into the final qualifying session, the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team was not in the top 16.

“We had a brand new chassis for this event and that’s probably why we had to dial it in during qualifying,” explained Brandon. “We were probably a little too aggressive at first, but the race day performance looked excellent.”

In the first round of race day eliminations, Bernstein gained a win over Doug Herbert.

The Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster streaked to its quickest run of the weekend, 4.572/327.98, while Herbert struggled with loss of traction.

Bernstein faced point leader Doug Kalitta in a pivotal quarterfinals match. Bernstein had the starting line reaction time advantage and won the round with a 4.696/296.83 as Kalitta lost traction down track.

“That was a nail-biter,” said Bernstein. “You normally don’t want to meet Doug as early as the second round, but if you want to gain points, you need to try to defeat him early in the day. We were fortunate that Tim (Richards, crew chief) made an excellent tune-up decision that got us to the win light first.”

Bernstein transferred to the finals with a semifinals victory over David Grubnic. The Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster crossed the finish line first with another consistent 4.629/326.63 while Grubnic spun the tires and lost traction.

The money round was a repeat of the previous rounds. Bernstein ran 4.612/323.19 while Hot Rod Fuller lost traction and spun the tires.

“It’s just a great day,” said Bernstein. “I can’t say enough about Tim (Richards), Kim (Richards) and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team. They did everything right today.

“Our focus right now is to go rounds and try to win the POWERade championship.

“We’re trying to ride the wave and it seems that our team is peaking at the right moment with consistency. I’m trying to do the best job I can and we’re all clicking right now. We’ve got momentum.

“The top three are bunched up, but there are still heavy hitters in the field that can do damage. I truly think that it’s going to be a race down to the wire. It’s going to be fun for the fans.”

Bernstein remains third in NHRA Top Fuel point standings but has significantly closed the gap. He is 40 points out of the lead, and seven points out of second place.

# # #

KENNY BERNSTEIN ANNOUNCES MONSTER FUNNY CAR BODY

LAKE FOREST, Calif. (Sept. 19) – Kenny Bernstein, who surprised the motor sports media at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals by announcing his 2007 comeback in a Monster Funny Car, today confirmed that he will campaign a Dodge Charger body by Mopar.

“We are pleased to be associated with Mopar in this endeavor,” said Bernstein. “The Dodge Charger body has proven to be very competitive, and of course, we’re looking to assemble a championship-caliber operation. Mopar has committed to work hand-in-hand with us to try to accomplish that goal.”

“Mopar is pleased to have an opportunity to work with a world-class racing organization such as Kenny Bernstein Racing,” said Kevin Miller, Senior Manager, Mopar Brand Performance and Motor Sports. “The race drivers that compete under the Mopar banner are among the best in the business. Kenny’s position of leadership in the motor sports industry goes hand in hand with Mopar’s success in the sport. We are excited in building a partnership with Monster Energy’s entrance into NHRA Drag Racing and their Funny Car effort.”

The Funny Car chassis will be manufactured by Murf McKinney.

Bernstein expects to take delivery of the Funny Car body and chassis in November.

# # #

BERNSTEIN SAYS TEAM HAS TALENT TO REPEAT CONSECUTIVE HOMESTRETCH VICTORIES

ENNIS, Texas – The championship pressure is on and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel team feels the heat as the NHRA circuit makes its 20th stop of the 23-race series at the O’Reilly Fall Nationals Sept. 22-24.

“With the Top Fuel point standings as close as they are, you’re under pressure to go rounds,” said driver Brandon Bernstein. “Ideally you have to make it to the finals of every race to keep pace and make gains. It’s the only way. With three or four of us still battling, you can’t stumble.

“Tim (Richards, crew chief), Kim (Richards) and the team have proven they can win under pressure. In 2003 when I suffered back injuries in Englishtown, N.J., dad jumped back in the cockpit to finish the season. That year the team won four of the last five events.

"Tim is a stabilizing force. He helps me stay focused and gives me confidence that every time we pull to the line, we have a car that can win. Even when we get to the final rounds, I have to think of it as just another round.

“Dad and I will have family and friends at this event. It will be nice to have a lot of fans pulling for you to win.

“On race day, I am very, very focused until first round and spend a lot of time going through my routine in my head. If we make it through the first round, then I can come back and mix with my friends and family, then sign some autographs for the fans, but then it’s back into game day mode and so it goes round to round.”

Bernstein has been to six final rounds this season, with an even win-runner-up split, three each. The Budweiser/Lucas Oil team won the O’Reilly Spring Nationals in Houston in April, the Pontiac Performance Nationals in Columbus, Oh. in May. Runner-up performances include the O’Reilly Summernationals in Topeka in May, the O’Reilly Midwest Nationals in St. Louis in June and the prestigious Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in September. He has qualified No. 1 three times this year.

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, Sept. 22 at 4:30 p.m. with a second session at 7:30 p.m. There are two qualifying rounds Saturday, 12:30 and 3:30 p.m. with final eliminations Sunday beginning at 11 a.m.

O’REILLY FALL NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – Sept. 23 – ESPN2
11 p.m. – 1 a.m. ET

Eliminations – Sept. 24 – ESPN2
7 p.m. – 10 p.m. ET

# # #

KENNY BERNSTEIN ANNOUNCES FUNNY CAR COMEBACK;
BRANDON BERNSTEIN FINISHES RUNNER-UP AT MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS

CLERMONT, Ind. (Sept. 4) – It was a “monster” Labor Day weekend for the Bernstein family at the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals.

On Friday, Sept. 1, Budweiser/Lucas Oil team owner Kenny Bernstein surprised the motor sports media by announcing that he would return to the cockpit in 2007 at the wheel of a Monster Energy Drinks Funny Car. Bernstein’s comeback pronouncement was the buzz of the weekend and kept the six-time champion busy with multitudes of electronic and print interviews.

“We are pleased to have found a scenario with Monster Energy Drinks that is such a perfect fit,” said Bernstein. “With many Anheuser-Busch wholesalers distributing Monster product, we were able to keep the sponsorship association in the Anheuser-Busch family.”

On the race track, second generation driver Brandon Bernstein kept pace with the championship

chase by earning a runner-up finish at the most prestigious event on the NHRA drag racing circuit.

The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Top Fuel class was the quickest in NHRA history. Bernstein qualified an uncustomary No. 10 with a 4.544-second elapsed time at 328.46 mph.

In the opening round of Monday’s final eliminations, Bernstein faced off against Hillary Will.

The Budweiser/Lucas Oil team ripped off their quickest run of the weekend, 4.514/332.67, to win the round and set top speed of the event. Will suffered loss of traction early in the run, clocking 8.463/84.82.

“That run was a blast,” said Bernstein. “It was really fast. We might not have qualified as high in the field as we normally do, but Tim, Kim and the team certainly made some tuning strides in the first round today.”

The battle of the beers ignited in the quarterfinals as Bernstein and Larry Dixon rolled to the starting line. Dixon lost traction at the hit of the throttle (9.996/97.12) while Bernstein made another consistent pass, 4.551/329.02.

"Our goal is to keep going rounds,” said Bernstein. “This is what Tim Richards does on race day: he just fine tunes.”

In the semifinals, Bernstein and Cory McClenathan raced to one of the closest matches of the day, Bernstein clocking 4.524/332.51 to best Cory's 4.588/323.04 effort by a .0023-second margin of victory.

Bernstein transferred to his first Mac Tools U.S. Nationals finals to face Tony Schumacher. Bernstein was first out of the starting gate and it was a dogfight down the quarter-mile but the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster began to lose ground at the finish line and Schumacher won the event.

“It was so exciting to be in the final round at Indy,” said Bernstein. “I was so excited that I really had to stop and change my perspective to think of it as just another round.

“We were right there with Tony when our crankshaft broke at about the 1,000 foot marker. It was still a good weekend and the point chase has tightened up with five races to go.”

Bernstein maintains third in NHRA POWERade Top Fuel standings, 42 points out of second place and 96 out of the lead.

BRANDON BERNSTEIN THIRD IN TOP FUEL POINTS AS BATTLE HEATS UP IN READING

READING, Pa. -- The NHRA Top Fuel championship is dangling between four drivers with five races remaining before the coronation of this year’s best of the best.

Brandon Bernstein, driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster, is only 96 points out of the lead and 42 points out of second place as the NHRA circuit makes a stop in Reading, Pa. Sept. 15-17. He has been to six final rounds in 18 starts this season, winning three events.

“There’s no question that this is going to be a tough battle to the end,” said Bernstein. “We gained 56 points on the leader at Indy, but that was an unusual circumstance. It’s all about going rounds. We had a good showing at Indy with a runner-up finish. We had a crankshaft break in the final round, but Tim (Richards, crew chief), Kim (Richards) and the team had our car just perfect. We were running competitive elapsed times and we were able to repeat the consistency all day.

“Our team strategy is just to focus on one round at a time. We also have to be aware of those behind us in the points. It’s obvious that the four of us who are really battling for the championship can’t make it to the final round every remaining race, so whoever stumbles will be very vulnerable since we’re all packed in there within a few rounds of each other.

“Maple Grove Raceway conditions are traditionally cool, quick and fast. With all the trees surrounding the track, there’s plenty of oxygen to feed the horsepower of these engines.

“It should be a good race for the fans and media in Reading and for the remainder of the season.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, Sept. 15 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 beginning Sunday at 11 a.m.

TOYO TIRES NATIONALS AT READING, PA. TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – Sept. 16 – ESPN2
4 – 6 p.m. ET

Eliminations – Sept. 17 – ESPN2
7 – 10 p.m. ET

BERNSTEIN THIRD IN NHRA POINT STANDINGS;
LOOKING TO GO ROUNDS AT INDY TO GAIN GROUND IN CHAMPIONSHIP CHASE

CLERMONT, Ind. – In his young career, Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel driver Brandon Bernstein has amassed an enviable 11 career victories and three runner-up finishes, a record he is very proud of. He credits his success to crew chief Tim Richards, Kim Richards and his teammates.

“If it weren’t for Tim, Kim and the team, I would never have been able to have the success I’ve enjoyed.

“Above all, I want to thank my dad for giving me the opportunity.”

An important addition to any NHRA drag racing driver’s resume is to be able to count the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals among his or her list of victories.

The Mac Tools U.S. Nationals Sept. 1-4 becomes very important not only to the winning driver, but because the Top Fuel championship chase is winding down, those teams that have a mathematical shot at taking home the season’s crown, will be focused on going rounds to accumulate as many points as possible.

As it stands, going into the 18th race of the 23-event series, Bernstein is third in Top Fuel standings, 16 points out of second place and 152 out of the lead.

“Our focus will be to go rounds, taking them one at a time,” said the second generation driver. “We have a chance to gain points if someone stumbles, but we also need to defend our position from those who are right behind us. With six races remaining, every round win is critical and difficult because of the caliber of competitive cars in our class.

“After the Memphis race, we went to Indy to test, as did most of the other teams. We worked on making some changes to our hot weather tune-up, and we feel we made some headway.

“The fans should really be enjoying the chase this year.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, Sept. 1 at 7:30 p.m. There are two qualifying rounds Saturday, 2:45 p.m. and 7:30 p.m., followed by two rounds Sunday, 12:45 p.m. and 4:10 p.m. Eliminations begin Monday at 11 a.m.

MAC TOOLS U.S. NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – Sept. 2 - ESPN2
5 – 6 p.m. ET

Qualifying – Sept. 3 –ESPN2
Noon – 2 p.m. ET

Qualifying – Sept. 3 – ESPN2
11 p.m. – 1 a.m. ET

Eliminations – Sept. 4 – ESPN2
Noon – 2 p.m.

Eliminations – Sept. 4 – ESPN2
4 p.m. – 7 p.m. ET

BERNSTEIN INCHING HIS WAY UP THE CHAMPIONSHIP POINT LADDER;
SETS LOW ELAPSED TIME AND TOP SPEED AT O’REILLY MID-SOUTH NATIONALS

MILLINGTON, Tenn. (Aug. 21) – Brandon Bernstein and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team continue to whittle away at the NHRA POWERade Top Fuel championship point standings. After the O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals at Memphis Motorsports Park, the team gained a position and is now third in point standings. Additionally they are only 16 points, less than one round, behind second place and 156 points out of the lead.

Bernstein qualified third for the 17th event in the 23-race series, with a 4.605-second elapsed time at a speed of 324.05 mph. Bernstein’s qualifying speed held throughout the weekend as top speed of the event.

In the first round of eliminations, Bernstein and Doug Herbert squared off under very hot, sunny conditions with track temperatures in excess of 130 degrees. Both cars lost traction, Herbert early on, and Bernstein at half track. Bernstein drove to the win light with a 5.325/221.02 vs. Herbert’s 5.531/257.63.

Before the second round got underway, persistent rain storms battered the racetrack. At 9 p.m. Sunday evening, NHRA officials were forced to postpone eliminations until Monday morning.

When racing resumed, Bernstein drove to the starting line to face the driver of the rival “blue” car, Larry Dixon. As announcer Bob Frey frequently likes to say, ‘Tim (Richards, crew chief) had the Budweiser/Lucas Oil car running on mean.’

Dixon and Bernstein left together, Dixon began to nose ahead, but about the 400-foot mark, Bernstein blasted by to set low elapsed time of the meet (4.553 seconds) at 327.59 mph, winning by a car length.

“Larry and I are good buddies,” said Bernstein, “but we both really get up for these head to head matches. Neither one of us wants to call our sponsor and say they lost to the other beer car. They’re a tough team and I know Tim put a lot of thought into that tune-up. That was a great ride.”

The semifinals face off against Doug Kalitta saw an unexpected gremlin weaken the performance of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster. Kalitta had a trouble-free run to the win light, while the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster dropped two cylinders at the hit of the throttle.

“Fuel system problems cropped up on that run,” said a disappointed Bernstein. “We obviously would have liked to gain a few points in the championship chase. We definitely have the team and we have proven we can run competitive numbers. Here in Memphis we had both top speed and low elapsed time of the event. That’s a big feather in the team’s hat.

“And very importantly, we gained a position in points. We’re third and we’re going after second place. But we have to defend our position from drivers coming up behind us in the points as well. I’m sure there will be some big dogfights in these final races.”

# # #

BERNSTEIN LOOKS FOR STRONG SHOWING AT NHRA O’REILLY MID-SOUTH NATIONALS

MILLINGTON, Tenn. – With seven races remaining on the 23-event NHRA POWERade circuit, Brandon Bernstein and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team need to make every pass down the quarter-mile count at the O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals Aug.18-20. Fresh off a win last weekend at the Lucas Oil Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway, the team has momentum and has clearly seeded itself in the Top Fuel championship chase at this time.

During the first half of the season, the team made four trips to the final round, two to victory circle. Bernstein won the O’Reilly Spring Nationals in Houston in April, the Pontiac Performance Nationals in Columbus, Oh. in May and was runner-up at the O’Reilly Summernationals in Topeka in May and the O’Reilly Midwest Nationals in St. Louis in June. He has qualified No. 1 three times this year.

Then during the July West Coast Swing, the team stumbled in the first round of each of the three races.

“It was frustrating,” said driver Bernstein. “The painful part is that Tim (Richards, crew chief), Kim (Richards) and the team had the car running really stout in qualifying. It wasn’t like we were struggling. If there was a change from cooler to hotter track conditions in qualifying, we still went right down the track, clocking competitive numbers.

“In fact during the last two races of the West Coast Swing, our team was awarded the Full Throttle prize for performance and consistency in qualifying.

“It’s very obvious we’re running competitive numbers. We just needed to go rounds and we proved we could run consistently when we won at Brainerd. We didn’t back into any of those round wins.”

“The bottom line is that we’re not lost,” said team owner and six-time champion Kenny Bernstein. “What happened to us in the Western Swing was that we just had a little too aggressive of a tune-up in all three of the first rounds.

“Does it surprise us we won at Brainerd? No, because we really have it in it. It was just a matter of putting four consecutive runs together and Tim got that going at Brainerd.

“Can we challenge for the championship? The car’s got it, the team’s got it, and it’s just a matter of making it work. We made up some good ground at Brainerd. We just need to keep it going.”

“And one last thing,” added Brandon, “For whatever reasons, we’ve been successful at O’Reilly title rights races. We expect the weather will be very hot in Memphis for this race and as a result, the track will be tricky. But let’s hope our team’s winning tradition continues for the O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals.”

Nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) qualifying begins Friday, Aug. 18 at 5:30 p.m. with a second session at 8 p.m. There are two qualifying rounds Saturday, 3 and 7 p.m., with final eliminations beginning Sunday at 3 p.m.

O’REILLY MID-SOUTH NATIONALS TELEVISION ADVISORY

Qualifying – August 19 – ESPN2
8 – 10 p.m. ET

Eliminations – August 20 – ESPN2
10 p.m. – 1 a.m. ET

Bernstein Pit Notes: Budweiser, the leader in the U.S. premium beer category, has extended its contract with the Bernstein family through 2009. The 30-year partnership eclipsed Richard Petty’s 29-year sponsorship by Scientifically Treated Petroleum (STP), to become the longest consecutive major team sponsorship in autosports history.

Kenny Bernstein was inducted into the Texas Motor Sports Hall of Fame, Wed. April 5 at a gala at the Texas Motor Speedway. Six-time NHRA world champion Bernstein and Indy-car designer and team owner Jim Hall were chosen by a panel of motorsports journalists across Texas as third year inductees into the Hall of Fame. Bernstein was honored for his achievements in drag racing and as an Indy Car and NASCAR team owner.

BUDWEISER/LUCAS OIL TEAM WINS THIRD RACE OF SEASON AT NHRA LUCAS OIL NATIONALS

BRAINERD, Minn. (Aug. 13). – The Kenny Bernstein-owned Budweiser/Lucas Oil team got back in the winning groove at the Lucas Oil Nationals, following the script they had written. The script read “go rounds.”

Driver Brandon Bernstein drove to his 11th career victory and added his first Brainerd victory to the five his father earned at this track. It was Brandon’s third victory of the season and his fifth final round appearance.

Bernstein was the No. 2 qualifier with a 4.538-second elapsed time at 325.14 miles per hour.

In the opening round of rain-delayed eliminations against Scott Weis, Bernstein clocked a winning 4.614/315.19 as Weis fouled with a red light start.

In the quarterfinals against David Grubnic, the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster looked flawless as it streaked to the win light with a 4.519/330.80 while Grubnic lost traction in the other lane, limping across the finish line with a 5.002/306.53.

That was an important round win for the Kenny Bernstein team as Grubnic came into the Brainerd event only 44 points behind.

“We needed some round wins,” said Brandon. “Tim (Richards, crew chief) made some tune-up changes for the second round. All I know is that drawers were opening and closing at a fast pace in the race trailer as Tim chose parts and pieces for the second round. Whatever he did worked!”

In the semifinals, Bernstein faced off against his good friend Morgan Lucas. Morgan is the son of Charlotte and Forrest Lucas who sponsor the Brainerd race and are a title rights sponsor on the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster.

“I’ve said this many times before,” said Bernstein. “I just have to block out the other lane, make sure I do my job, and stomp the throttle.”

The Bernstein-Lucas match was a battle to the 1000-foot mark, where Bernstein nosed ahead for the victory, 4.545/332.10, to Morgan's 4.687/252.28. Brandon's 332.10 mph speed was top speed of the meet.

In the money round against Tony Schumacher, Bernstein had a trouble-free blast down the quarter-mile (4.510/329.34) while Schumacher lost traction early on.

“When Tim gets on a roll on race day he is able to get the car to repeat,” said Brandon. “And maybe he just gives it a little more here or there to see if it will respond and sure enough, it did. I figured he was going to go for a low 4.50 or maybe a high 4.40 in the final because we knew Schumacher could and was running those numbers. We didn’t really want to beat ourselves. We just wanted to run well and take the win light.

“I never saw Tony. I never heard him or anything. And then our (blower) belt came off right when I lifted and I actually didn’t know if we’d won or not. I thought maybe he got around us.

Legendary driver/owner Kenny Bernstein addressed this victory that was preceded by three first round losses on the Western Swing.

“The bottom line is that we’re not lost,” said Kenny. “It’s not as if we can’t get down the racetrack. We’ve been running well. In the Western Swing we ran good. We qualified one, two or three at all three races. We put a lot of good runs together. It’s just being consistent on race day. What happened to us in the first round on the Western Swing was that we just had a little too much at all three of them.

“Tim did a great job today,” continued Kenny. “Does this surprise us? No, because we really have it in it. It’s just a matter of making it happen on four consecutive runs. Today was the day we got it going.

“Can we challenge for the championship? The car’s got it, the team’s got it, and it’s just a matter of making it work.

“We’ve been in the position in the past where we’ve been totally lost and not running good and then something like this would have been real surprising. People thought we were really struggling these last races and we really were not. We were running well. We just didn’t get a break and we overdid it a taste. It’s a different deal entirely than being lost. This sport definitely makes you humble. We are ecstatic to have another win for Budweiser, Lucas Oil, and all of our sponsors.”

“We made up some good ground today,” said Brandon. “We’ve made up some points and we have a car that’s a winner. There are seven races left. That’s a lot of racing.”

Bernstein remains fourth in POWERade Top Fuel point standings has chipped away at the leaders. The Budweiser/Lucas Oil team is 116 points out of first place and 35 points out of second.

BERNSTEIN LOOKING TO GO ROUNDS AT SPONSOR’S RACE

BRAINERD, Minn. – Brandon Bernstein and the Budweiser/Lucas Oil team are feeling the heat of the POWERade Top Fuel championship challenge as the circuit heads to the Lucas Oil Nationals Aug. 11-13.

In the first half of the season, they made four final round appearances, winning two events. Though the team qualified well, great expectations of continuing their string of round wins went up in smoke, literally, in the West Coast Swing where they suffered first round losses in each of the three races. The team is currently fourth in POWERade Top Fuel point standings and remains optimistic that they will be in the hunt as the season winds down.

“We certainly didn’t expect that outcome on the West Coast Swing,” said second-generation driver Bernstein.

“Temperatures in Brainerd are traditionally cooler so we’re looking forward to that. However, our performance on the West Coast Swing in qualifying was good on hot or cooler tracks. Now we have to go rounds.

“Going into Brainerd, we’re 180 points out of first place with eight races remaining in the season. If the cards go right, we can get back within striking distance of the championship. There’s still plenty of time, especially if the front runners stumble.

“A perfect example of our team’s capability to rally was in 2003 when I suffered back injuries and Dad drove the rest of the season. He won four of the last five races and had six semifinal finishes. You can rack up a lot of points going rounds like that.

“Tim (Richards, crew chief) is a seasoned veteran with a lot of talent. I know this team will remain focused.

“Also we want to perform well at Brainerd for our sponsor, Lucas Oil.”

Bernstein won the O’Reilly Spring Nationals in Houston in April, the Pontiac Performance Nationals in Columbus, Oh. in May and was runner-up at the O’Reilly Summernationals in Topeka in May and the O’Reilly Midwest Nationals in St. Louis in June. He has qualified No. 1 three times this year.</