Kenny Bernstein | |
|---|---|
 Bernstein in 1986 | |
| Born | (1944-09-06)September 6, 1944 (age 80) Clovis, New Mexico, U.S. |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Education | Monterey High School (Lubbock, Texas) |
| Alma mater | University of Texas at Arlington |
| Known for | Drag racing; first driver to break 300 miles per hour in the standing-start quarter mile |
| Children | Brandon Bernstein (son) |
Kenneth Dale Bernstein (born September 6, 1944) is an Americandrag racer and formerNASCAR andIndyCar team owner. He is nicknamed "the Bud King" for his success in theBudweiser Kingfunny car anddragster. He has also been nicknamed "the King of Speed," because he was the first driver to break 300 miles per hour in the standing-start quarter mile. Bernstein ownedKing Racing, which he drove for in the NHRA and fielded various cars in other racing series such asIndyCar andNASCAR. Bernstein retired from full-time competition in 2002 and moved his sonBrandon into the Bud KingTop Fuel dragster, but returned to finish the season in place of his son after Brandon suffered a severe injury. With the exception of a brief return toFunny Car in 2007, Bernstein did not return to the car and instead continued to run his team until the end of the 2011 season when he left drag racing altogether.
Bernstein attendedMonterey High School inLubbock, Texas; he played on the high school'sfootball team.[1] Bernstein was attending the Arlington State College (nowUniversity of Texas at Arlington) in 1966 for business administration when he decided to quit to become a drag racer. He did not have enough money, so he became a traveling salesman for Whistle Stop (a clothing line for teenage girls).[1] He drove throughoutTexas,Oklahoma,Arkansas,Louisiana, andTennessee in aCadillac.[1]
At the 1978NHRA Summernationals atEnglishtown, Bernstein drove theChelsea Kingfunny car.[2] He first became a full-time professional Funny Car driver in 1979. The following year, he acquired a sponsorship deal fromAnheuser-Busch (with its Budweiser brand), which lasted for thirty years[citation needed] until the new owner of Anheuser-Busch,InBev, elected not to renew his contract. Bernstein won his first Funny Car championship in 1985, and successfully defended his title over the next three seasons.[citation needed]
Bernstein and tunerDale Armstrong would turn toland speed racers the Arivett brothers to design Bernstein'sBud KingBuick LeSabre in 1987.[3] This car would be dubbed the “Batmobile”.[4] It would profoundly change Funny Car aerodynamics.[5]
In 1990, following a change in NHRA rules, Bernstein began to drive in theTop FuelDragster class. Two years later, Bernstein became the first driver in any class to exceed 300 MPH in competition, and won his first Top Fuel championship in 1996, becoming the first driver in NHRA history to win a championship in both of the nitro classes, however, Bernstein states that his 1996 championship was "somewhat tainted" due to the loss of driverBlaine Johnson. At the awards banquet that year, Bernstein gave up his championship trophy to Blaine's brother, and lifelong crew chief, Alan, who has gone on to win twelve more championship trophies himself, as crew chief forGary Scelzi,Tony Schumacher,Larry Dixon,Del Worsham,Shawn Langdon andBrittany Force. Bernstein reclaimed the title in 2001, and is the only driver to have achieved multiple championships in both nitro categories.
Bernstein retired in 2002, handing driving duties of the "Budweiser King" to his son Brandon. However, he was pressed back into action as a substitute driver after Brandon Bernstein broke his back in June. Although he only raced in 15 events, Bernstein picked up right where he had left off, winning four straight Top Fuel events to close out the season, placing him sixth in season points. He returned to running his team after the season, but rumors began to persist that a comeback was in the works.
In September 2006, Bernstein announced that he would return to racing in the Funny Car division the following season, fielding theMonster EnergyDodge Charger for his own team. His return to active competition was not a good one to start, as he failed to qualify for the opening two events in the 2007 season, earning the minimum 10 points each driver gets for making at least one qualifying run. Following those events, Bernstein fired his crew chief Ray Alley and replaced him with Jimmy Walsh, former crew chief for Top Fuel driverJ.R. Todd.
Bernstein's results gradually improved over the season, but he did not make the inaugural Countdown to the Championship. He returned to retirement following the season and hiredTommy Johnson, Jr. to drive the Monster Energy Charger for 2008. Bernstein discontinued the team following that season.
Bernstein is the current president of the Professional Racers Organisation (PRO), a group of NHRA drivers, mechanics, and team owners, which has helped influence safety and prize money. In light of the crash that took the life ofEric Medlen, Bernstein has been influential in adjusting safety standards on NHRA race cars and safety restraints.
In 2008, as a direct result of the death of Funny Car DriverScott Kalitta, Bernstein, along with help from 14 time Funny Car ChampionJohn Force, six time Top Fuel ChampionTony Schumacher, and NHRA's Track Safety Committee, developed a sensor that monitors the engines of Top Fuel dragsters and Funny Cars. Should the engine backfire at any time, the fuel pump will automatically shut off and the parachutes will instantly deploy. This measure is intended to reduce or eliminate circumstances that contributed to Kalitta's death.
After Budweiser stopped sponsoring his team, Bernstein signed Copart Inc. to sponsor Brandon's dragster. They were joined byLucas Oil for 2011.
On November 15, 2011, two days after the close of the 2011 racing season, Bernstein announced his full retirement from NHRA racing as both driver and team owner.[6]
Bernstein ownedKing Racing, aNASCAR team that operated from 1986 to 1995. At the same he operated theIndy car team, King Motorsports. Bernstein is the only team owner to record victories in all three categories. His team raced at the1988 Indianapolis 500 withJim Crawford behind the wheel. Crawford, still recovering from leg injuries from the previous year, led 8 laps and finished 6th.