Driver Brandon Bernstein, a two-time winner in Brainerd, is hoping to earn a third victory at this track and take home his 18th career Wally next weekend when the NHRA Full Throttle Series returns to action after a brief summer break.

Courtesy: NHRA Media Relations

Brainerd, MN-The Kenny Bernstein-owned Budweiser/Lucas Oil team has earned a starting berth in the coveted Countdown to 1 competition that will determine this year’s NHRA Full Throttle champions. With a little breathing room before the start of the final six races when competitors will battle for the championship, the team is looking forward to the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals.

 

Driver Brandon Bernstein, a two-time winner in Brainerd, is hoping to earn a third victory at this track and take home his 18th career Wally.

 

“Brainerd is a more ‘laid back’ venue with thousands of fans camping for the weekend on the race grounds,” said Bernstein. “We have some great Budweiser fans that come back year after year to cheer us on, and of course, with Lucas Oil as the title rights sponsor, it gives us even more incentive to win.

 

“Our team had time following the Western Swing to comb through the performance data from those events and recharge their batteries before going into Brainerd. We now have three races to fine-tune our combination. Even though we’ve secured a spot in the Countdown, we still need to go rounds to ensure that we stay in the top five in the points standings.

 

“The first part of the season is tough enough, but we know the Countdown to 1 will be a real dogfight with everybody bringing their A game to the starting line. It’s a real team effort. The driver has to do his part in the cockpit, and the team can’t afford a misstep.”

 

Bernstein won consecutive events at Brainerd Int’l Raceway in 2006 and 2007 and enters this year’s competition in fourth place in the NHRA Full Throttle points standings.

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