KENNY BERNSTEIN, Owner

Birthplace: Clovis, New Mexico
Current Residence: Lake Forest, California
Years with Budweiser King Racing: 29

Other racing experience: Began pro career in the late 1960s in Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars, and in 1973 reached the Funny Car finals at the NHRA Winternationals at Pomona, Calif. Returned to racing in 1978, and a year later was the Funny Car winner at the NHRA Cajun Nationals at Baton Rouge, La. In 1980, began an association with the Budweiser brand of Anheuser-Busch, Inc., which stands as the longest-running active team/sponsor partnership in motorsports. A four-time NHRA Winston Funny Car Champion, and also an IHRA Winston World Championship Funny Car crown to his credit, he is a seven-time AARWBA Auto Racing All-American. Bernstein earned the title “King of Speed” when he became the first NHRA driver to break the elusive 300 mile-per-hour barrier when he was clocked at 301.70 mph on March 20, 1992, during qualifying for the NHRA Gatornationals at Gainesville, Fla. He was the first to reach 310 mph, when he was clocked at 311.85 mph on October 30, 1994, at Pomona Calif. Holds the unique distinction of being the first and only race team owner to have collected wins in each of America’s three major motorsports series -- NHRA Winston Drag Racing, NASCAR Winston Cup and IndyCar. Won the 1996 NHRA Winston Top Fuel Championship becoming the first driver to win NHRA championships in both Top Fuel and Funny Car. Honored at the 1997 Car Craft awards banquet by receiving the prestigious Ollie Award with Dale Armstrong for all of their years of dedication to the sport of NHRA Winston Drag Racing. Inducted into Petersen Publishing HOT ROD Magazine’s Hall of Fame as one of the Top 100 Most Influential People within the high performance industry. Won his second NHRA Top Fuel championship in 2001, by virtue of eight national event wins. In 2001, he won 61 rounds of competition, setting an NHRA record for the number of Top Fuel rounds won in a season, a record that was intact at the end of Bernstein’s driving career. In 2001 he set both ends of the world performance records, speed (332.18 mph) and elapsed time (4.477 seconds), records that were still unbroken at the end of Bernstein’s 2002 driving career. Also in 2001, he was voted in the top ten drivers in NHRA’s 50-year history. In 2003, Bernstein competed in 15 NHRA national events, substituting for his son who was injured May 18 in Englishtown, N.J. Bernstein won four of the last five events of the ’03 season, amassing 39 Top Fuel victories boosting him to second on the all-time Top Fuel win list, surpassing the legendary Don Garlits. His 39 Top Fuel victories, combined with 30 Funny Car victories, make him No. 2 on the career nitro (Top Fuel and Funny Car) win list. Also, Bernstein surpassed 1000 rounds of competition, which ranks him No. 2 on the all-time list of nitro category career rounds of competition.

In 2005 Bernstein was named by the American Auto Racing Writers and Broadcasters Association as one of 12 nominees for the Newsmaker of the Half-Century award. In April of 2006, he was inducted into the Texas Motor Sports Hall of Fame during a gala at the Texas Motor Speedway. Bernstein staged an NHRA comeback in 2007 driving a Monster Energy/Lucas Oil Dodge Charger Funny Car and finished runner-up twice. At the end of the 2007 season, he made a decision to step from the cockpit and continue his role as owner of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster and the Monster Energy Funny Car.

Responsibilities: Bernstein, a “hands on” team owner, continues to market, sell, and manage Budweiser King Racing and travels to each event.

Hobbies: Riding motorcycles, golfing, and speed walking.

BRANDON BERNSTEIN, Driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel Dragster

Birthplace: Dallas, Texas
Current Residence: Lake Forest, California
Years with Budweiser King Racing: 10th year, sixth season as driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster

Racing experience: Son of six-time NHRA champion Kenny Bernstein. Brandon worked part-time for the Budweiser King team during his summers away from Texas A & M University. Following graduation in 1996, he worked full-time with Budweiser King team. In 2001 he drove an Alcohol Dragster and worked part-time for the Budweiser King team. Won the Division 7 Alcohol Dragster championship, along with “Driver of the Year” honors and finished fourth in national Alcohol Dragster competition. He and his father became the first father/son duo in NHRA’s 50-year history to win at the same national event when they “doubled” at the SummitRacing.com Nationals in April 2001. They doubled again at the Lucas Oil Products Nationals in Chicago in June 2001. Brandon worked solely as a crew member on his father’s team in 2002. In 2003, Brandon had a sensational beginning to his rookie year behind the wheel of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster. He won three of the first eight events, qualified No. 1 twice and even lead the Top Fuel point standings before an injury May 18 at Englishtown, N.J. sidelined him for the season. Despite a shortened season, Bernstein’s early performance achievements won him the prestigious Automobile Club of Southern California Road to the Future Rookie of the Year award, determined by a vote from a distinguished paned of motorsports journalists. Bernstein has the distinction of having the most successful career launch of any other Top Fuel or Funny Car driver in NHRA history, winning five of his first 13 starts. He is also a second generation “King of Speed”, having set an NHRA world speed record of 333.41 mph in Chicago in May 2004. In 2005, he won two national events. In 2006, the team logged four victories and three runner-up finishes to challenge for the championship and ultimately finished third in the ’06 point standings. In 2007 he won five events, setting a career high number of event wins per season. He was a contender for the Top Fuel championship until the semifinals of the season-ending event and finished third in the final point standings. At the end of the 2007 season, his career Top Fuel victories tallied 17.

Education: Graduated Texas A & M University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology, specializing in Sports Management in 1996.

Hobbies: Computers and computer gaming, golfing, riding his Budweiser TCX Customs motorcycle

TIM RICHARDS, Crew Chief

Birthplace: Scranton, Pa.
Current Residence: Indianapolis, Indiana
Years with Budweiser King Racing: Eighth year

Other Racing Experience: 1982-1992, served as crew chief for Joe Amato. Tuned Amato to five NHRA Winston Top Fuel championships (1984, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992) and 31 national event victories. From 1993-1998, served as crew chief for Funny Car driver Chuck Etchells. With Richards turning the wrenches, Etchells became the first NHRA Funny Car driver to make a four-second pass with a run of 4.987 seconds at the 1993 Sears Craftsman Nationals at Topeka, Kan. The Richards/Etchells duo won nine national events, and went to another 13 final rounds, finishing runner-up. Etchells retired from the cockpit in 1999, and Whit Bazemore took the seat. Richards tuned Bazemore to four consecutive final round appearances, winning the Autolite Nationals in Sonoma, Calif. In addition to working with Etchells, Richards also tuned Connie Kalitta’s Top Fuel dragster to three national event wins in 1994. Richards was honored as Car Craft Top Fuel Crew Chief of the Year in 1990 and 1991 and 2001. Led Budweiser King team to 2001 Top Fuel championship and numerous performance records. During the 2002 ‘Forever Red’ season, tuned Kenny to a second place finish in the POWERade Top Fuel standings. Richards began the 2003 season with three national event victories with Brandon in his rookie year as driver of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster. After Brandon was injured in May in Englishtown, N.J. and sidelined for the remainder of the season, Richards led the team to a spectacular season-ending charge with Kenny as driver. Kenny won four of the last five events in the 2003 season, and Richards and the team totaled seven victories for the year. Richards has tuned Brandon Bernstein to victories each season, and the team was a championship contender in 2006 and 2007. Since joining the Bernstein camp, Tim has scored 33 Top Fuel victories through the end of the 2007 season.

Responsibilities: Crew chief and general manager

Hobbies: Enjoys symphonies and concerts

KIM RICHARDS

Birthplace: Lansing, Mich.
Current Residence: Indianapolis, Indiana
Years With Budweiser King Racing: Eighth year

Racing Experience: Wife of crew chief Tim Richards, daughter of driver-turned-crew chief, Dick Lahaie. Grew up in the racing industry and spent time learning mechanical side of racing from her father. Began following the circuit full time in 1982 as a member of her father’s Top Fuel team including 1987, the year her father won the NHRA Winston Top Fuel championship.
In 1988, Richards won the Car Craft Top Fuel Crew Chief award. Drove a Top Fuel Dragster for Laurie and Larry Frazier in 1992. In 1993, joined the Chuck Etchells racing team as a crew member, leaving midway through the 2000 season. In addition to working with the Etchells team in 1994, Richards also was a crew member on Connie Kalitta’s Top Fuel dragster. Was a member of the 2001 Bud King Top Fuel championship team, and together with her husband Tim, has tuned the Bernstein-owned Top Fuel team to a total of 33 victories through the end of the 2006 season. The Richards tune-up team has tuned Brandon Bernstein to victories each season, and they were championship contenders in 2006 and 2007.

Responsibilities: Clutch and entire driveline

Hobbies: Enjoys symphonies and concerts

SUSIE ARNOLD, Dir. Of PR, Marketing, Special Events

Birthplace:  Indianapolis, Indiana

Current Residence:  Temecula, Calif.

Years with Budweiser King Racing:  20

Other Work Experience:  Worked for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway; Dan Gurney; Bobby and Al Unser; with Jack Long on the marketing side for the U.S.-based Formula One Grands Prix including Caesar’s Palace, Detroit, and Long Beach; and the public relations firm of Bob Thomas and Associates.

All Anheuser-Busch racing public relations including Can-Am, Indy 500, NASCAR and drag racing were administered by Bob Thomas and Associates in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s.  When Kenny obtained the Budweiser sponsorship for the Funny Car, I first became acquainted with him. I was also the marketing director for NHRA from 1993-1999 before returning to Kenny’s Budweiser King Racing team.

Responsibilities at Kenny Bernstein Racing:  Director of marketing and public relations for the company.  Work closely with Anheuser-Busch wholesalers across the country and the sports marketing team in St. Louis. Also maintain the www.kennybernstein.com web site.

Hobbies:  Pilates, reading

JULIE GONZALEZ       

Birthplace: New London, CT
Current Residence:  Cooper City, FL
Years with Kenny Bernstein Racing:  Second year

Other racing/work experience:  Began career in drag racing with Darrell Gwynn Racing in 1998, while completing a bachelor’s degree in communications.  Continued with Jerry and Darrell Gwynn and driver Cory McClenathan through 2003.  In 2004, again joined Cory as Team Operations Manager of Carrier Boyz Racing.  Served as Administrator for the Professional Racers Owners Organization (PRO) from 2005 to 2007.

Responsibilities at Kenny Bernstein Racing:  Coordinate/oversee trackside hospitality program for the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel and Monster Energy Funny Car teams, as well as guest ticket needs and team travel.  Assists Sheryl with team merchandise, team apparel, and other special projects.

Hobbies: Shopping, beach, snorkeling, fishing and spending time with friends and family in S. Florida.