Three decades of Budweiser on the side of a Kenny Bernstein-owned nitro car will end next Sunday afternoon in Pomona, Ca.

“This final race is going to be very emotional for our family,” said Budweiser/Lucas Oil team owner Kenny Bernstein.  “We owe a debt of gratitude to all the executives, brand management and sports marketing team members and wholesalers who have touched our lives during our tenure at Anheuser-Busch.  All of these folks made it possible for a young man from Texas to follow his dream.  We have enjoyed success that was way beyond our wildest imagination when we were a teenager reading hot rod magazines in high school. It’s been a great ride.”

Kenny and Brandon Bernstein, while sponsored by Budweiser, combined for a total of 86 national event wins:  68 Top Fuel and Funny Car victories for Kenny, 18 Top Fuel trophies for Brandon.  Kenny won four consecutive Funny Car championships from 1985-1988, and then capped that achievement with two Top Fuel championships, 1996 and 2001. Kenny will forever be remembered as the first to surpass the 300 mile-per-hour barrier in Gainesville, Fla. on March 20, 1992.

They became the first father and son in NHRA history to win at the same national event in Las Vegas in April 2001 when Brandon won the Alcohol Dragster category, sharing victory circle with his father who won Top Fuel honors driving his Budweiser dragster.

Brandon was in the hunt for the 2007 championship which came down to the deciding round between Bernstein and Schumacher in the semifinals at the season finale in Pomona.  Bernstein finished third in NHRA point standings that year for the third time in his career.

Brandon’s last event win was two races ago in Richmond, Va. He has also taken runner-up honors four times this season and has five semifinal showings.

“We started the season strong,” explained Brandon, “and then bogged down a bit during the summer.  We have had a resurgence these last several events and think we have a good chance to take Budweiser to victory circle one last time. It would be the icing on the cake if we could make that happen.”

For the Bernstein family, one door closing offers the opportunity for a new one to open.

“After this event, we’ll be trading paint,” Brandon said. “The team will hot foot it back to our race shop in Brownsburg, Ind. and by the end of that week, we’ll be applying our first coat of Copart blue paint.

“We were fortunate enough to obtain Copart sponsorship for 2010 with the help of NHRA and our friend Vacaville, Calif. restaurateur Joe Murdaca.  We are looking forward to a new chapter with Copart, an online vehicle auction company.  This is their first experience with NHRA drag racing and they are energized!  We are all excited about the coming season.

“We are also thrilled that Lucas Oil will remain with us and we’re looking forward to the debut of the Copart/Lucas Oil dragster.  Mac Tools will also be celebrating their 23rd year with us, and La Paz will commemorate their 32nd season.”

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