| 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 today is the second longest such
racer-sponsor alliance in motorsports history. A four-time NHRA Winston Funny
Car Champion, and also an IHRA Winston World Championship Funny Car crown to his
credit, he is a six-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., and 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 reached twelve final rounds out of 24 events. Setting an
NHRA record for Top Fuel final round appearances. He 2001 he set both ends of
the world performance records, speed (332.18 mph) and elapsed time (4.477
seconds). See career highlights and career wins for details. The 2002 season
will mark Bernstein’s last as a driver and he pays tribute to his fans with the
“Forever Red…..A Run to Remember” tour. |
