Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Kenny Bernstein eyes one more Nationals title

Thursday, Aug. 21, 2003 | 9:19 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand covers motor sports for the Las Vegas Sun. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. He can be reached at bh@lasvegassun.com or (702) 259-4089.

Kenny Bernstein retired at the end of last season with six NHRA championships and 65 national-event victories in both the Funny Car and Top Fuel categories.

Although he admitted he missed racing the car during the first eight events this season, he said he was content to step aside and let his son, Brandon, take over the driving duties while he concentrated on his role as the team owner. That changed, however, when Brandon was injured in a crash in Englishtown, N.J., in mid May.

"I missed driving the car," Kenny Bernstein said. "I've been doing it my whole life and I've missed that. I didn't have a problem coming back. But, under these conditions, with Brandon getting injured, I would never have wanted it to happen that way. It was a team decision to carry on."

Now that he is back behind the wheel of the Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster, the elder Bernstein would like to add one last accomplishment to his already impressive resume: a fourth U.S. Nationals title. The NHRA Powerade Drag Racing Series will stage its biggest event of the season next weekend at Indianapolis Raceway Park in Clermont, Ind.

"It would be really nice to be able to grab one last victory at Indy to top our career and put some icing on the cake," Bernstein said. "That would be very special."

Bernstein, 58, has qualified in the top half of the field at each of the eight races -- with one pole -- since replacing his son and has advanced to the semifinals five times. He struggled through a three-race stretch in June in the Midwest, where he suffered three consecutive first-round losses.

"We've been struggling a little bit in the hot weather," Bernstein said. "Tim Richards, our crew chief, and the rest of our team are doing a great job. We're running better and better and just need a break. We were very consistent at the last event in Brainerd; we're right there with everybody."

Stevens, 24, made a routine pass at 6.999 seconds at 195.62 mph late in the session but the car's parachutes failed to deploy at the end of the run. The Chevy Cavalier veered out of control, hit the left guardrail, rolled over on its roof and then hit the left guardrail.

Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Gary Densham (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and rookie Sean Conner (Pro Stock Bike) posted the quickest runs in their respective categories during Tuesday's test.

Kalitta, who defeated Schumacher in the final, closed to within 271 points of leader Larry Dixon in Top Fuel points.

"This was a big win for our Mac Tools team," Kalitta said. "It is a great birthday gift. We are still in the championship hunt. Dixon and those guys are going to be really tough to catch, but if anyone can do it, (this team) can."