The otherworldliness of Las Vegas is magnetic, but it holds something special for Brandon Bernstein: At the Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, he and his father, six-time world champ Kenny Bernstein, made history as the first NHRA father-son duo to earn trophies at the same event. A decade later, the younger Bernstein would like to draw on that magic.
 
The family's memorable weekend at The Strip in 2001 came to a fruitful end when Bernstein pedaled past Mark Hentges and earned his first national event win as a Top Alcohol Dragster pilot, just minutes after watching his father - who ran the table at the event - score the victory in Top Fuel over Andrew Cowin. Recently, the achievement was voted as one of NHRA's 60 Greatest Moments as part of the 60th Anniversary celebration.
 
"It really was surreal," recalled Bernstein, now driver of the Copart/Mac Tools Top Fuel dragster. "The way it all panned out because of weather delays, [the final of] Top Fuel actually ended up going before us. I was on the starting line and watched Dad win, and I knew then that if we won, it would be history. I went back and got in my car to go down there, and the second I saw the win light come on in my lane, I just went crazy. It was so special, and what an awesome day."
 
At the time, Bernstein's father called the day one of his proudest ever.
 
"The only day I was happier than this was when we went 301," he said, ranking the accomplishment just below breaking the 300-mph barrier at the Gainesville event in 1992 (No. 41 on the list of NHRA's 60 Greatest Moments).
 
The father-son triumph is on Bernstein's mind as the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series tour pulls into the city that never sleeps for the 12th annual SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals, April 1-3. Couple the historic double victory with the collective five wins that the two drivers have racked up in Las Vegas, and it looks as if the Copart team could be in business for a quick recovery from a season that started with back-to-back first-round exits.
 
"We've had some great success at this track," said Bernstein, who most recently picked up a Wally at The Strip in 2007 to add to his dad's 2000, 2001, and 2003 victories. "We've been fortunate enough to run well there. I don't know what it is, but it's just a track where the Bernsteins can win."
 
The confidence of returning to a land where the team has produced a good record is enhanced by the knowledge that the program has so many of the right components. Overseeing the operation is legendary driver and team owner Kenny, who won championships in Top Fuel and Funny Car and was voted No. 6 on NHRA's list of Top 50 Drivers in 2001.
 
The current guy behind the wheel, second-generation driver Brandon, is an experienced driver with 21 national event titles, including 18 in Top Fuel, and he has finished in the top 10 every season that he has raced the full schedule. 
 
On the wrenches is the notable tuning team of Todd Smith and Donnie Bender, who bring years of experience with drivers and team owners such as Don Prudhomme, Connie Kalitta, Larry Dixon, and Cory McClenathan. Last season, the team qualified in the top half at all but six events and went to the final round three times (Atlanta, Bristol and Denver). The early endings at the 2011 events at Auto Club Raceway at Pomona and Gainesville Raceway weren't the whole story; the team qualified in the top half at both events, proving that it has something solid to work with. The shortened race days of late haven’t taken a toll on Bernstein.
 
"You have to stay positive," he said. "The bottom line is that this team works really hard, and as a driver, you just have to stay mentally focused and accept that you're going to have bad races along with the good ones. It's a roller coaster, and you can't always be on top. Mentally, you have to know that bad times will come and go, and you stay positive.
 
"We're really close. We've struggled in these first few races, and we didn't run the greatest at preseason testing, but on Monday in a test session [after] Gainesville, we really found out a lot of stuff. I think that Todd and the guys have this Copart/Mac Tools dragster ready to perform well. We're really looking forward to getting out on the racetrack and applying what we learned in Gainesville. Hopefully, we'll come to Vegas, get some rounds behind us, and be right back in it."

To purchase tickets for the SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals April 1-3 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway or for information, call 702-644-4444 or log on to www.LVMS.com.