Following dad’s footsteps to victory

Mike Harris

Thursday, April 26, 2001 | 11:57 a.m.

Not many of Kenny Bernstein's 54 career victories in more than two decades of drag racing thrilled him more than watching his son win for the first time.

"It was almost overwhelming," the elder Bernstein said after Brandon won April 8 in Las Vegas - the first time a father and son have won at the same National Hot Rod Association event.

Kenny, a five-time national champion, and still one of the biggest stars in the Top Fuel division at 58, had already wrapped up his latest trophy when his 28-year-old son won the Federal-Mogul alcohol dragster division in only his fifth start.

"For me to win was wonderful because we had been struggling for a while," Kenny said. "For him to win was icing. It was cool."

Brandon added a victory last Sunday in Bakersfield, Calif., and will be looking another this weekend in the Mac Tools Nationals in Bristol, Tenn.

The victories help validate the family plan for the younger Bernstein to step into the Budweiser King Top Fuel car sometime in the near future.

"The plan, basically, is that I will drive no more than two years at the most - possibly only one, depending on a couple of factors," Kenny said.

Next season, Brandon will drive the Darien-Meadows A Fuel dragster in 10 national and eight divisional events.

"In the meantime, I'll be chasing another championship on the Bud King side," Kenny said. "What I do at the end of next year depends on our success and how Brandon progresses."

It's an ambitious plan, considering Brandon's limited time in a dragster. But the younger Bernstein has always been excited about a career in racing.

"I pretty much figured out in high school that this is what I wanted to do," said Brandon, who lived with his mother after his parents divorced when he was 2. "Having a father who is famous, I was always looking at articles and reading about him, seeing his success.

"When I first went to one of his races, the nitro, the sound, to have a father who had such a successful career, just added to it. I knew then I wanted to be a driver and own a team, like my dad."

But his father, who remained a big part of his life, wasn't going to make it easy on Brandon. Kenny insisted his son get a college degree before getting into a car. In 1996, Brandon graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in kinesiology.

Then he began his career in very humble fashion.

"I let him start working for the team four years ago, sweeping floors and running errands," Kenny said. "I wanted him to know every aspect of this sport, everything he would need to know to have a career in it, if that's what he decided he wanted."

Finally, Brandon was allowed to go to Frank Hawley's drag racing school for some basics. He came away with his Super Gas license.

"I saw right off the bat he was comfortable in the car and that he knew he would make mistakes and needed to learn," the elder Bernstein said. "Then we had to see if he still wanted to do it after getting into competition. Some people change their minds after they get into the car and see what it's really all about."

Not Brandon, who has made more than 50 passes at speed.

"Whenever my dad is ready for me to step in, I'm comfortable with that," he said. "I'm fine with one year or two years. Heck, I'll wait three."

Jerry Darien, a longtime racer-owner overseeing Brandon's apprenticeship, said a lot of the young driver's quickness comes from watching his father.

"He's probably made a million runs in his mind," Darien said. "Now he just needs to make them in the car."

Brandon thinks about the future every time he watches his father go to the starting line. Mentally, he puts himself in the seat.

"I'm visualizing what he's actually doing, when he puts the fuel on the high side, when he lets the clutch out," said the younger Bernstein.

Still, it's definitely more fun inside the car.

"Every day that goes by these last three or four weeks, I step back and go, 'Wow, this dream is really coming true,' " he said. "I didn't think it would all play out this nicely."

But his father says Brandon still has some miles to cover.

"He's still green as he can be," Kenny said. "But now we know the kind of driver he could be. He just has to pay his dues."