Bernstein Cranks It Up for Pomona

He may have announced that he is turning over the seat in his Budweiser King top-fuel dragster to his son Brandon at the end of the 2002 National Hot Rod Assn. drag racing season, but Kenny Bernstein is not going quietly.

If all goes right for the 57-year-old Lake Forest businessman-driver today and Sunday at Pomona Raceway, he can collect nearly $400,000 for driving his 6,000-horsepower dragster seven times down the legendary quarter-mile strip at the L.A. County Fairgrounds.

Wins today in three rounds of the Budweiser Shootout would earn him $100,000. If he could come up with a four-round winning streak Sunday, he would collect $40,000 for winning the 37th annual Auto Club NHRA Finals, plus a $50,000 bonus for winning both top-fuel events.

And a win in the NHRA Finals would assure him of the $200,000 bonus from Winston for winning the season championship.

Actually, Bernstein does not need to win to beat Larry Dixon for what would be his fifth NHRA title.

With a 54-point lead, Bernstein just needs to get past the second round to Dixon, whose father, Larry Sr., won the Winternationals on this same track in 1970.

“The money is nice, but that’s not what motivates all these guys,” Bernstein said Friday at a gathering of the eight Shootout drivers. “We all want to win. That’s what drag racing is all about.”

Brandon Bernstein, 29, won the Division 7 Federal Mogul dragster crown this year, but will not race next year while acclimating himself to his father’s routine. Twice this season, at Las Vegas and Chicago, each Bernstein won in his specialty.

The elder Bernstein, a two-time Shootout winner, will meet a young nemesis in today’s 12:45 p.m. first round, rookie Darrell Russell, who took over Joe Amato’s dragster when the five-time champion retired before the 2001 season started.

Russell, 33, defeated Bernstein in the final round two weeks ago in Las Vegas. In four previous meetings, Russell won three, more than any other driver against the points leader.

In other first-round Shootout matches, Dixon will meet Tony Schumacher, Mike Dunn will race Doug Herbert and defending series champion Gary Scelzi will face Doug Kalitta.

Bernstein retained the top spot for Sunday’s eliminations when he posted a 4.52-second run against Dixon, who remained third at 4.54.

Whit Bazemore of Indianapolis stole the funny car show from 11-time champion John Force by setting track records of 320.20 mph and 4.772 seconds to take over the No. 1 qualifying position.

Racing legend Don “Big Daddy” Garlits, trying to make the top-fuel field at 69, remained out of the top 16 when his tires smoked off the starting line in his second effort.

Two more chances remain today.

John Lingenfelter of Decatur, Ind., also set track records of 181.91 mph in 7.431 seconds in a Summit Racing GMC to top pro stock truck qualifying. This is the final year of the class in the NHRA.

Other top qualifiers included Warren Johnson, five-time pro stock champion, 201.49 mph at 6.867 seconds in a Grand Am, and Angelle Savoie, defending pro stock bike champion, 185 mph in 7.206 seconds on a Suzuki.