Brandon Bernstein must feel as if his Budweiser/Lucas Oil Top Fuel dragster has assumed the shape of a B-2 stealth bomber.

Just like the Air Force’s highly sophisticated undetectable aircraft, he has powered along this season at a rapid pace, quietly knocking out round-wins and accumulating points. However, mission control hasn’t turned him loose to bag the big one yet.

With runner-up finishes in Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Madison and six top-five qualifying positions, Bernstein has put himself in solid position in the NHRA Full Throttle Countdown to the Championship. A top-three player in the points standings all season, Bernstein hopes a victory at the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals in Bristol will provide the boost his team needs to move to the top of the standings, from where they can pursue their ultimate season goal – winning a world championship. 

Bernstein, who claimed victories at scenic Bristol Dragway in 2007 and 2003, hopes to earn his third at the historic northeast Tennessee dragstrip during the ninth annual NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, May 15-17. Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Melanie Troxel (Funny Car), and Dave Connolly (Pro Stock) are the event’s defending winners. The race will be televised by ESPN2 and ESPN2HD.

Crew chief Rob Flynn, right, joined the Budweiser team this season.

After coming very close to winning the 2007 world championship with five victories in seven final-round appearances, Bernstein has hit a bit of a dry spell since that amazing title run that ended in the semifinals at the season’s final race. In 2008, he was uncharacteristically shut out of the winner's circle, earning only four runner-up finishes, and finished seventh in points. An off-season change to a new crew chief in Rob Flynn and assistant crew chief in Mike Guger has blossomed more quickly than expected after longtime tuners Tim and Kim Richards retired last season. The team’s new chemistry coupled with its early-season success has Bernstein feeling very confident that his winless drought is about to be over.

“It’s been a great start for us, and we’ve been to [three] finals and feel like everything is coming together,” said Bernstein, a 17-time winner on the Full Throttle tour. “Rob and Mike are doing a great job, and we feel like we can win some races and make a run for this Full Throttle championship. We’d love to give the championship trophy to Budweiser in their final year with us.”

Last month, InBev, new owner of the Budweiser brand, announced it would not return as sponsor of the Bernstein team after this season. The announcement brings to an end a 30-year relationship, the longest such sponsorship in motorsports.

Bernstein says that his drive to win races and the championship is as intense as ever and that a title celebration at the end of the season would be a fitting finale to their incredible partnership with the popular beer brand. He says the team is very focused on the goal.

“There’s some pressure to perform this year, but mostly it’s the pressure that we put on ourselves,” Bernstein said. “Obviously, we know what we need to do. We need to win races and do everything we can to win the championship. Whenever you can have success on the track and keep your team out there in front of everyone, the better it is to find a new sponsor, too.”

A victory in Bristol would go a long way in helping the team in that area. Bernstein says racing in Bristol has always been a feel-good weekend for the team despite the outcome on the track.

“It’s just a great weekend overall for our team whenever we go to Bristol,” Bernstein said. “We’ve got a great relationship with Holston Distributing [local Tri-Cities Budweiser distributor], and they’ve really been good to my dad [NHRA legend Kenny Bernstein, team owner] over the years and a big supporter of our team. We’ve had our share of success at that track, and hopefully we’ll have some more this time out.”

He says the setting at Thunder Valley just puts you in the mood to race.

“There’s just something special about racing at Bristol back there in the mountains with all of the trees and beautiful scenery all around,” Bernstein said. “From the moment you drive into that place and see the NASCAR track sitting there and just the sounds that are created from the echoes as cars race up the valley, it’s just really cool.”