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1643

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© Tom West, Replicas West Stephen Bernd (M) from Pawhuska, Oklahoma USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 450 ) 1973 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 4
"Super Chief" Owned by Nelson Carter from Pawhuska, Oklahoma USA Crew Chief: Nelson Carter
'73 Dodge Charger by RCE | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 426 Chrysler Hemi with 2 speed manual transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 7.849 at NHRA Pomona CA 2/03/73         1/4 Mile MPH: 199.11 at NHRA Pomona CA 2/03/73
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1973 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 00.91, MPH 01.00    Entry is 1.17711 times average ET and 0.92609 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1973 Records: 1/4 Mile: 6.169 ET, 235.64 MPH    1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 4.520 ET, 189.00 MPH   
1973 Average: 1/4 Mile: 6.668 ET, 215.00 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 4.657 ET, 184.00 MPH
1973 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 7.168 ET, 200.00 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 4.987 ET, 172.12 MPH
No Racer Website | No video link | Web Search | Web Image Search | Web Video Search
Notes: Bernd was at Pomona for the NHRA Winternationals. The track was rough, and in the first qualifying session held on February 3, Stephen's 7.849/199.11 held the "bump" for the sixteen-car field. By the time qualifying ended, his time had been bumped out of the show to the fourth alternate slot. Stephen crashed the car at an eight-car event in March. Steve was attempting to qualify when the car went into a wheelstand. He got off the peddle, and the Charger landed hard, breaking the steering. Without control, the car went into the guardrail and exploded into flames. He got out and was OK, but the car was a total loss. This ended the Super Chief series of cars until Henry Harrison brought the name back in the late 1970s.
Submitted by Draglist Archives, Last updated on Sunday, February 19, 2023, 11:42:28 PM by Ron Howard. Approved by Super Crew.
1647

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No Photo (Edit this to add one!) Kenny Bernstein (M) from Dallas, Texas USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 414 ) 1970 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 7
"Engine Masters" Owned by Ray Alley from Garden Grove, California USA Crew Chief: Ted Thocklen
'70 Mercury Cougar by Woody Gilmore | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 392 Chrysler Hemi by Engine Masters with 2 speed manual transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 7.690 at Unknown         1/4 Mile MPH: 187.50 at NHRA Dallas TX 6/14/70
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1970 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 28.95, MPH 17.07    Entry is 1.03919 times average ET and 0.94382 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1970 Records: 1/4 Mile: 6.725 ET, 218.44 MPH    1000 Ft. 5.890 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 4.520 ET, 173.00 MPH   
1970 Average: 1/4 Mile: 7.400 ET, 198.66 MPH 1000 Ft. 6.210 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 5.010 ET, 154.00 MPH
1970 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 8.075 ET, 182.05 MPH 1000 Ft. 6.630 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 5.410 ET, 142.54 MPH
No Racer Website | No video link | Web Search | Web Image Search | Web Video Search
Notes: Bernstein drove the car at San Antonio, Texas, early in January for a four-car show. His race ended prematurely when the car broke a rear-end before his first race against Kelly Chadwick. Kenny was at OCIR for the Big Four Championships on May 2. It was supposed to be a 32 car show, but only 28 cars showed. Bernstein ran 7.98/182.55 to beat Mert Littlefield's much quicker 7.71/175 in the first round. Unfortunately, he lost to Ray Alley's 'Cuda in round two. He was at Oklahoma on July 4 for a best-of-three-match race against Don Biggers. Kenny won all three races to win the match, running a best of 7.77/170.77. On Labor Day Weekend, Kenny was at Green Valley Raceway for an AHRA race. He slept on the line in the first round and lost to the only unblown car in the show, Terry Pringle in Gene Snow's injected car. Kenny qualified #16 at NHRA Dallas Springs at 7.801/187.50. He took an easy 9-second win in round one when Tom McEwen broke but had troubles himself in round two and his 13-second run last to Leonard Hughes. Sister car to Alley's Cuda in 70. Featured in Hot Rod. Kenny ran 7.71 at NHRA Dallas. Where was the 7.69 run?
Submitted by Danny White, Last updated on Wednesday, March 16, 2022, 12:47:05 PM by Ron Howard. Approved by Super Crew.
1650

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Handout, Gary Osborn Collection Kenny Bernstein (M) from Orange, California USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 414 ) 1973 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 7
"Ray Alley's Engine Masters" Owned by Ray Alley from Garden Grove, California USA Crew Chief: Ray Alley
'72 Dodge Charger by John Buttera | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 426 Chrysler Hemi by Engine Masters with 2 speed manual transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 6.740 at NHRA Gainesville FL 3/17/73         1/4 Mile MPH: 210.79 at NHRA Pomona CA 2/18/73
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1973 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 42.94, MPH 36.24    Entry is 1.01080 times average ET and 0.98042 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1973 Records: 1/4 Mile: 6.169 ET, 235.64 MPH    1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 4.520 ET, 189.00 MPH   
1973 Average: 1/4 Mile: 6.668 ET, 215.00 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 4.657 ET, 184.00 MPH
1973 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 7.168 ET, 200.00 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 4.987 ET, 172.12 MPH
No Racer Website | No video link | Web Search | Web Image Search | Web Video Search
Notes: Stock stroke motor. Kenny was at Beeline for the AHRA Winternationals on January 28, 1973, where he ran 6.89/204.08 to qualify #27. He lost to Stan Shiroma in round two when he lost a blower. He then went to Pomona for the NHRA Winternationals. The track was nothing less than horrible, and his 7.55/200.89 qualified #9. This set up a first-round meeting with low qualifier Butch Maas in the M/T Grand Am. Maas broke, and Bernstein's 7.66 advanced. Dave Beebe lost his clutch in the "Mr. Ed" Satellite in the second round, and Kenny's 7.50 won. He faced Al Bergler in the semifinals, and Al's ailing 9.10 lost to the Charger's 7.46. His run came to an end in the final, where he lost to Don Schumacher's 7.18. The team's next stop was at Lakeland for the IHRA Winternationals. Kenny qualified #10 and a tire-smoking 7.20/198.67 lost to Jim Paoli's 7.14/172 in the opening round of eliminations. At Gainsville, for the NHRA Gatornationals, his 6.74 best failed to qualify for the show. (That run does not appear on the NHRA DNQ sheet for Gainesville. Listing it but need confirmation. - BP)
Submitted by Danny White, Last updated on Thursday, November 11, 2021, 03:27:48 PM by Ron Howard. Approved by Super Crew.
1651

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© Ted Pappacena
Photog Web
Kenny Bernstein (M) from Orange, California USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 414 ) 1973 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 7
"L.A. Hooker" Owned by Beaver Bros. & Dave Condit from Downey, California USA Crew Chief: Gene Beaver
'72 Ford Mustang by S&R Race Cars | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 426 Chrysler Hemi by Gene Beaver with 2 speed manual transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 6.630 at Dallas TX 1973         1/4 Mile MPH: 142.40 at IHRA Rockingham NC 5/06/73
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1973 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 53.81, MPH 00.71    Entry is 0.99430 times average ET and 0.66233 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1973 Records: 1/4 Mile: 6.169 ET, 235.64 MPH    1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 4.520 ET, 189.00 MPH   
1973 Average: 1/4 Mile: 6.668 ET, 215.00 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 4.657 ET, 184.00 MPH
1973 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 7.168 ET, 200.00 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 4.987 ET, 172.12 MPH
No Racer Website | No video link | Web Search | Web Image Search | Web Video Search
Notes: Bernstein was the second driver in this car. Bernstein was at Rockingham on May 6 for the IHRA Pro-Am Championships. His 6.79 qualified #6 in the sixteen-car field, and in the opening round of eliminations, his 7.10/142.40 beat Dee Simmons. In round two, Kenny got crossed up and shut down against eventual winner Mike Snively. Kenny was at Muncie for the IHRA Northern Nationals in May. He qualified #12 with a 7.73 (easy show to get in), but he lost to eventual winner Jim Paoli in the first round. Early in July, Baton Rouge held its Louisiana State Summer Championships. Four Funny Car's ran, including Bernstein. He had lost to George Cox's "Banzai" but got back into the show as the Low ET loser. It was the "Banzai" car that Ken had to race in the final. The Charger failed to fire, so Bernstein would make an all-out solo for the win. The car left hard, but at the 1/8 mile, the "LA Hooker" exploded into flames. Bernstein got the Mustang stopped and had second-degree burns on his hands. The "Hooker" was totally destroyed.
Submitted by Danny White, Last updated on Sunday, November 21, 2021, 11:36:18 PM by Ron Howard. Approved by Super Crew.
1653

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© Ken Bolender Kenny Bernstein (M) from Orange, California USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 404 ) 1978 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 7
"Chelsea King" Owned by Kenny Bernstein from Orange, California USA Crew Chief: Leroy Goldstein
'78 Plymouth Arrow by John Buttera | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 484 Keith Black Hemi by Ed Pink with 2 speed manual transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 6.053 at NHRA Indianapolis IN 9/04/78         1/4 Mile MPH: 236.22 at NHRA Indianapolis IN 9/02/78
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1978 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 91.37, MPH 79.00    Entry is 0.93410 times average ET and 1.07353 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1978 Records: 1/4 Mile: 5.964 ET, 247.93 MPH    1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 4.000 ET, 189.00 MPH   
1978 Average: 1/4 Mile: 6.480 ET, 220.04 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 4.200 ET, 184.00 MPH
1978 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 6.996 ET, 203.81 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 4.530 ET, 172.12 MPH
No Racer Website | No video link | Web Search | Web Image Search | Web Video Search
Notes: Kenny Bernstein's car was awarded "best appearing" at Englishtown for the NHRA Summernationals. He also showed up with a new crew chief, Leroy Goldstein. Bernstein ran 6.21/231.36 to qualify #13, but he lost to Ron Colson driving the "Hawaiian" in the first round. He followed the NHRA tour to Canada for the Grandnationals, but he was the first alternate for the eight-car field with a 6.39 best. But #8 qualifier Tom Anderson blew his engine during qualifying, and Kenny took his spot in the show. In the first round, he had problems against Gary Burgin and shut off to an 8.59 loss. At the NHRA World Finals at Ontario, Bernstein qualified #10 with a 6.19/232.55. In the first round, a tire-smoking shutoff 10.73/71.77 lost to John Collins' 6.13/221.
Submitted by Ken Bolender, Last updated on Saturday, July 9, 2022, 02:33:55 PM by Ron Howard. Approved by Super Crew.
1654

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Dave Kommel
Photog Web
Kenny Bernstein (M) from Orange, California USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 404 ) 1979 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 7
"Chelsea King" Owned by Kenny Bernstein from Orange, California USA Crew Chief: Leroy Goldstein
'78 Plymouth Arrow by John Buttera | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 484 Keith Black Hemi by Ed Pink with 2 speed manual transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 6.108 at NHRA Indianapolis IN 9/02/79         1/4 Mile MPH: 241.93 at NHRA Indianapolis IN 9/03/79
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1979 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 84.15, MPH 88.80    Entry is 0.94845 times average ET and 1.09406 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1979 Records: 1/4 Mile: 5.954 ET, 247.93 MPH    1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 3.820 ET, 193.96 MPH   
1979 Average: 1/4 Mile: 6.440 ET, 221.13 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 3.920 ET, 192.00 MPH
1979 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 6.940 ET, 205.20 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 4.250 ET, 177.09 MPH
No Racer Website | No video link | Web Search | Web Image Search | Web Video Search
Notes: Bernstein was one of the first FC racers o transport his car with an eighteen-wheeler. The Peterbilt also carried two spare engines as he entered the '79 season with four Ed Pink 1/2 strokers. Kenny failed to qualify at Pomona for the NHRA Winternationals. He did much better on February 18 for Beeline's NHRA Division 7 Opener. He qualified for the eight-car show and lasted until the final, where he finished runner-up to Tripp Shumake. He then went to the Bakersfield March Meet, where he easily won his first-round race. In the second round, he ran 6.55/216.34 to beat a tire-shaking Shumake. The car got out of shape in the semifinal, and Kenny shut off to 9.53 in a loss to Jim Adolph's 6.29. At the NHRA Gatornationals, he qualified #8 with a 6.33/229.59, but he got crossed up again and lost to Al Segrini in the first round. The following week (March 18), Kenny was at Darlington for the IHRA Winternationals. He qualified #2 in the eight-car show with a 6.17 but failed to reach the finals. On April 22, he won the IHRA Dixie Nationals in Atlanta by stopping Dale Pulde in the final. The NHRA Cajun Nationals at Baton Rouge was postponed by rain and run on May 2. It was here that Kenny got his first NHRA National event victory. He qualified #3 in the eight-car show with a 6.32/231.95. In round one, he beat Bob Pickett's 6.55/222 with a 6.36/234.98 (Top Speed). In the semifinals, a 6.49/202.55 beat Ron Colson's tire-smoking "Hawaiian." The final saw Kenny face future superstar John Force, and Force had his transmission break giving Kenny the victory with a 6.45/233.76. Bernstein was at Rockingham for the IHRA Pro-Am Championships. A 6.17 qualified #2 in the eight-car field, and in the first round, his 6.19/232.55 beat a tire-smoking Pulde, but in the semifinals, Paul Smith in the "Entertainer" got a jump on him, and his 6.39/226 beat Kenny's quicker 6.31/230.76. He qualified #8 at the NHRA Springnationals with a 6.20/233.76 but lost to Force's 6.27/220 in the first round with a 6.36/229.00. At the IHRA Springnationals at Bristol, he again ran well. A 6.24 qualified #3 in the eight-car field. A 6.34 in the first round beat Smith's 6.61, and in the semifinals, his 6.57 beat John Pott's 6.95 in the "Mr. Norm" car. That put him in the final with Pulde. Unfortunately, Bernstein took a nap in the final, and his 6.31/223.88 finished runner-up to Dale's 6.47/234. At Denver for the NHRA Mile High Nationals, he qualified #1 with a 6.35, but in the first round, he fouled against Pulde. The NHRA Summernationals was Kenny's next stop, and he qualified #6 there with a 6.20/238.09. A first-round 6.28 lost to Shumake's 6.23. He was in another final round the following week (July 22) at the IHRA Northern Nationals. A 6.15 qualified #2 for the eight-car show, and he worked his way into the final against Tim Grose. His 6.35/222.22 finished second best to Grose's 6.23/211. Bernstein followed the NHRA tour to Canada in early August for the Grandnationals. He qualified #6 in the eight-car field with a 6.28/234.37. He improved to a 6.25 in the first round, but it wasn't enough as he lost to Segrini's 6.19. Kenny failed to qualify at Martin, Michigan, for the PHR Championships. All cars ran one round, and the eight lowest ETs advanced into the show regardless of winning or losing. He was runner-up to Billy Meyer at the NHRA Division 4 race at Baton Rouge. His final round 6.47/226.13 lost to Meyer's 6.41/232. At Indy, Kenny's 6.108/231.36 qualified #13 for the NHRA U.S. Nationals. In the opening round, his 6.120/241.93 lost to Ron Colson's 6.06/236 in the "Hawaiian." The Indy times were Kenny's best of the year. He followed that up with a big win at Rockingham for the IHRA U.S. Open Championships, where he stopped Roy Harris in the final. The following week, he was in Seattle for the NHRA Fallnationals. A 6.27/227.84 qualified #12. In round one, he improved to 6.24/238.09 but lost to Jim Dunn's 6.10/238.
Submitted by Draglist Archives, Last updated on Thursday, November 24, 2022, 08:50:55 AM by Ron Howard. Approved by Super Crew.
1655

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Richard Shute
Photog Web
Kenny Bernstein (M) from Orange, California USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 404 / 9) 1980 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 7
"Budweiser King" Owned by Kenny Bernstein from Orange, California USA Crew Chief: Donnie Couch
'80 Plymouth Arrow by Mike Kase | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 484 Keith Black Hemi with 2 speed manual transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 6.002 at NHRA Seattle WA 9/20/80         1/4 Mile MPH: 241.93 at NHRA Baton Rouge LA 4/26/80
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1980 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 83.10, MPH 85.06    Entry is 0.95421 times average ET and 1.06184 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1980 Records: 1/4 Mile: 5.855 ET, 247.93 MPH    1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 3.820 ET, 0.00 MPH   
1980 Average: 1/4 Mile: 6.290 ET, 227.84 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 3.920 ET, 0.00 MPH
1980 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 6.790 ET, 211.06 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 4.250 ET, 0.00 MPH
No Racer Website | No video link | Web Search | Web Image Search | Web Video Search
Notes: Kenny's first year with Budweiser sponsorship. He crashed the brand new car at the press conference. Kenny started the '80 season with a runner-up finish to Don Prudhomme at the OCIR Super Bowl of Drag Racing event. At the NHRA Winternationals, he qualified #2 with a 6.06/233.16. He lost to Dale Pulde when he hit the guardrail in the first round. He got out of shape, crossed the centerline, and hit the rail. He was OK, but the Arrow body was wrecked. Bernstein went to Famoso for the Bakersfield March Meet but failed to reach the finals. A 6.06 qualified #4 at the NHRA Gatornationals, but he slept in the first round, and his 6.18/232.55 lost to Tom Hoover's 6.24/229. A week later (March 23), he was at Darlington for the IHRA Winternationals, but he failed to qualify for the eight-car field. He was at Rockingham on April 20 for the IHRA Pro-Am Championships. His 6.12/228 qualified #1 for the eight-car field. In his first-round race against Billy Meyer, Bernstein accidentally shirted back into low gear, and he lost to Meyer's 6.15. The following week, he qualified #5 at Baton Rouge for the NHRA Cajun Nationals, running 6.11/241.93 for the spot. It was an eight-car show, and by qualifying #5, it set up a first-round race with low qualifier Paul Smith in Larry Coogle's "Sting" Firebird. Paul won the race when Bernstein smoked the tires and shut off. On May 4, he was runner-up to Raymond Beadle in the "Blue Max" at the rain-delayed IHRA Dixie Nationals. At Bristol for another rain-delayed event, the IHRA Springnationals, he qualified #3 in the eight-car show with a 6.21. He lasted until the semifinals, where his 6.59 lost to eventual winner Meyer's 6.44. The "Budweiser King" wasn't running that well at the NHRA Springnationals, only qualifying #10 with a 6.22/232.55. He lost to Dale Pulde in the first round. He also lost in the first round at the next NHRA race, the Mile High Nationals in Denver. Kenny qualified #7 in the eight-car show, but his 6.57/225.00 in the first round lost to Beadle's 6.29/226. He then went to Alamo Dragway in San Antonio, Texas, for the AHRA Nationals. It was another eight-car field, and his 6.33 qualified #5, setting up a first-round encounter with low qualifier Prudhomme. It was a close race, but the "Snake's" 6.19 beat Kenny's 6.20. He won the NHRA Division 2 race at Blaney, beating John Speelman in the final with a 6.43/233.16 (Top Speed and a new track record). He earlier had set Low ET at 6.37. At Englishtown, he qualified poorly, only running 6.14/237.46 for the #11 spot, and in the first round, he lost to Prudhomme. Early in August, he was at Bristol for the IHRA Summernationals. He qualified #7 in the eight-car field with a 6.52, but in round one, he smoked the tires to a shut-off 12.40 that lost to Roy Harris' 6.30/236. Kenny was at Maple Grove for the NHRA Division 1 race. He ran well, making it into the final against future crew chief Dale Armstrong, but he had problems and shut off, giving Dale's 6.20/231 the victory. Kenny was disappointed at Indy for the NHRA U.S. Nationals, where his 6.15 best failed to qualify for the race that had a 6.10 "bump." Ray Alley then came on board to help with the car for the NHRA Fallnationals at Seattle. Kenny was the first to tell you that Alley "knew his stuff" as the car responded by running a career-best 6.002 at 239.36 to qualify low for the field. However, things didn't go so rosy in eliminations, as Bernstein's 6.61/214.28 in the first round lost to Armstrong's 6.62/180. Kenny wrapped up the year at the NHRA Finals in Ontario. He qualified #13 at 6.251/224.90 (243.90?) and bat Dale Pulde in round one, 6.585/220.04 to 6.79/207. In round two, he lost to eventual winner Ron Colson, 6.21/233 to 6.304/227.84.
Submitted by Draglist Archives, Last updated on Friday, April 29, 2022, 10:54:49 AM by Ron Howard. Approved by Super Crew.
1656

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Tom Schiltz Kenny Bernstein (M) from Dallas, Texas USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 404 ) 1981 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 4
"Budweiser King" Owned by Kenny Bernstein from Dallas, Texas USA Crew Chief: Ray Alley
'81 Dodge Omni by Mike Kase | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 480 Keith Black Hemi by Ray Alley with 2 speed manual transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 5.860 at NHRA Englishtown NJ 7/18/81         1/4 Mile MPH: 247.25 at NHRA Indianapolis IN 9/06/81
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1981 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 97.49, MPH 94.63    Entry is 0.93910 times average ET and 1.07421 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1981 Records: 1/4 Mile: 5.840 ET, 249.30 MPH    1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH   
1981 Average: 1/4 Mile: 6.240 ET, 230.17 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH
1981 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 6.740 ET, 213.10 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH
No Racer Website | No video link | Web Search | Web Image Search | Web Video Search
Notes: Set the national record at 5.900 at 1981 Mile High nationals (altitude factored from a 6.124). Ran first five with a 5.993 at Gainesville 3/15/81 to become the 7th member of the Cragar Five Second Funny Car Club. We need to confirm that this was a Mike Kase car. | Kenny started the season well by winning the AHRA Winternationals at Tucson on January 18. He qualified #2 with a 6.69/196, and in the first round, he picked up to a 6.56/211 to beat Tom Hoover's 6.85/209. In the semifinals, he ran 6.56 again at 213 to beat a tire-smoking Don Prudhomme. In the final, he unleashed Low ET (traction was poor) 6.54/214 to take the win over low qualifier Gordie Bonin's 6.68/202. Kenny barely made the field at Pomona on February 1 for the NHRA Winternationals, qualifying #15. He lost to Denny Savage in the first round. That should have been it for his Pomona story, but in the semifinals, his Texas neighbors, the "Blue Max" team, had blown off its roof on a 245 mph run that beat Prudhomme. They had no spare body, so Bernstein offered up his spare. The "Max" team cut the roof off of his car and grafted it onto theirs. All that effort, and they lost to Billy Meyer in the final. On March 8, Kenny was at Famoso for the Bakersfield March Meet. A 6.426/226.13 qualified #8 in the sixteen-car field. Unfortunately, the race was postponed one week due to rain, and he could not return the following week. At the NHRA Gatornationals, he qualified #5 with a 6.014/245.90. He beat Ron Colson's 6.06/233 in the "Hawaiian" in the first round, with a 5.993/238.72. He advanced past Prudhomme in round two when the "Snake" got crossed up. In the semifinal, he lost to Bonin. A week later (March 22), he was in the winner's circle at Darlington for the IHRA Winternationals. He set Low ET at 6.18 and beat Shirl Greer and Dale Pulde to reach the final. In the final, he ran the team he helped at Pomona, the Raymond Beadle-driven "Blue Max." Kenny took the victory with a 6.45/212. On April 5, he was at Green Valley Raceway for the NHRA Western Regional Opener. It was an eight-car show, and Kenny's 6.27/233.76 qualified #2. He set Low ET in the first round, with a 6.15/240.00 that beat Brian Conway. In the semifinals, a 6.45/209.79 lost to Beadle's 6.25/228. The NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta also had an eight-car field. It was a tough show to make with a 6.16 "bump." A 6.09/241.28 qualified Bernstein #3. He made his way to the finals by beating Meyer in the first round, with a 6.08/242.58, and in the semifinals, Prudhomme broke against him. In the final, he faced Tripp Shumake in Johnny Loper's Arrow. It was a close race, but Tripp's 6.07/233 beat Kenny's 6.08/243.90 (Top Speed). May 3 found the "Budweiser King" team at Rockingham for the IHRA Pro-Am Championships. He qualified #2 with a 6.03 and won his first-round race over Paul Smith with a 6.14/231.36. In the semifinal, his 6.28/226.70 lost to Meyer's 6.26/213.77. OCIR hosted the NHRA Western Regional on May 9. Things didn't go well there. It was an eight-car show with a soft "bump" of only 6.47. The "Budweiser King" failed to qualify. After that, it was off to Bristol for the IHRA Springnationals. A 6.17/245.90 (Top Speed) qualified #5 in the eight-car field. He faced low qualifier Beadle in the first round, smoked the tires, and lost. Kenny ended May with a runner-up finish to Meyer at the IHRA World Nationals. He did come away with Low ET at 5.97. At the NHRA Springnationals, Kenny qualified #5 with a 6.12/239.36. This set up an interesting first-round race with his eventual crew chief, Dale Armstrong. Bernstein won that first-round race with a 6.18/238, but he didn't get much further when his round two 6.21/233.16 lost to Beadle's 6.15/235. Kenny did really well in the thin air of Denver for the NHRA Mile-High Nationals. He qualified #1 with a 6.17/217.91; in the first round, his 6.24/227.84 beat Shumake's 6.28/228. He set Low ET and Top Speed in the semifinals with a 6.12/238.72, beating John Collins' 6.49/189. In the final, he ran the "Blue Max." Bernstein won a 6.21/234.37 over Beadle's 6.32/202. The "Budweiser King" really opened some eyes at Englishtown for the NHRA Summernationals, where Kenny pushed the car to a 5.860 at 237.46 in qualifying. Of course, that was Low ET and a new track record. He beat Smith in round two with a 6.08/238.72, while a tire-smoking 6.38/225.56 advanced in round two when Frank Hawley broke in the "Chi-Town Hustler." Unfortunately, a semifinal 6.24/233.76 lost to eventual winner Prudhomme's 6.19/230. He lost to Prudhomme again the following week at Dragway 42 for the AHRA Grandnationals. Only this time, it was in the final. The Budweiser team then returned to Bristol for the IHRA Summernationals in early August. Kenny qualified #3 with a 6.14, and then in the first round, his off-pace 6.70 lost to Smith's 6.50. But Paul's Citation broke while getting the win and could not run the semifinals, so Kenny got back into the show. A 6.30/232.55 beat Meyer, who smoked the tires. He ran the "Blue Max" in the final, and Beadle won, running 6.20/238 to Bernstein's 6.30/221.67. A week later (August 9), he was in Canada for the NHRA Grandnationals. Kenny's 6.07/241.93 qualified #4 in the eight-car field. He beat Tom Anderson and Beadle to reach the final, where he faced Prudhomme again. This time, Bernstein got out of shape and shut off to 14.01/55.14, giving the "Snake" the win at 7.18. The next stop was at Martin, Michigan, for the PHR Championships. It was another eight-car show, and things didn't look so good when he qualified on the "bump" with a 6.32. His 6.35/225.80 beat Hawley's 6.39/217 in the opening round. In the semifinals, he advanced when Gary Burgin broke. The final featured Bernstein versus Armstrong, but Dale had broken in his semifinal win, so Bernstein soloed for the victory. A week later (August 23), these two would meet again in the final at the NHRA Eastern Regional at Beech Bend. They qualified 1/2, with Armstrong's 6.10/223 leading and Bernstein chasing with a 6.18/222.22. A first-round 6.35/219.51 beat Fuzz Miller's 6.63/190. Kenny's 6.19/217.39 in the semifinals beat John Pott's 6.27/217. That put the two into the final, where Kenny improved to 6.14/234.98 to take the victory over Armstrong's 6.24/235. Then came the US Nationals at Indianapolis. Bernstein ran an impressive 247.25 while qualifying in the dreaded #9 spot. This set up a first-round pairing with low qualifier Beadle. They had a good race, but Raymond's 6.02/246 won over Kenny's 6.09/241.28. Beadle would go on to win the race. Bristol was next on the calendar for the IHRA US Open. Bernstein's track record 5.98 at 242.58 qualified #1 in the eight-car show. In the first round, Burgin smoked the tires, and Kenny's 6.10/220.04 advanced. In the semifinals, he had a blower explode that ripped the roof and windshield off the car. His 6.36/197.80 lost to eventual winner Pott's 6.07/234 in Larry Coogle's "Sting." NHRA held its final Western Regional race at Houston on September 20. Only five cars showed, and Kenny's 13-second time qualified last. In the first round, he and Shumake had a tire smoker that saw his 6.75/185.95 beat Tripp's slightly quicker 6.74/213. In the semifinals, he set Low ET with a 6.25/218.44 over Miller's right there at 6.28/229. This put the "Budweiser King" into another final. But this time, a tire-smoking 10.80/79.00 lost to Burgin's 6.49/220. The year was winding down, and Bernstein wanted to move up in the NHRA points standings. Going into the Golden Gate Nationals, he was second in points with 6,070 behind Beadle's 7,062. Prudhomme followed these two with 5,772 points. But Fremont was not good to the points chasers. Twenty-five cars were attempting to qualify for the 16-car field. While Beadle qualified and made it into the semifinals, neither Bernstein nor Prudhomme made the show! Kenny was the fifth alternate with a 6.22/207.85 best. On his last qualifying attempt, he blew a motor. That pretty much ended his hopes in the points chase. Things went even worse at the season-ending NHRA World Finals at OCIR. Bernstein could do no better than the sixth alternate with a 6.27/188.28 best. Prudhomme snuck past him in points, and Bernstein finished third for the year. The NHRA season might have ended, but a whole new chapter in the Bernstein story was about to begin. It started at OCIR on November 7 for the Manufacturer's Meet. For the first time, Armstrong came on board as crew chief. While the results were not immediately felt, it was the start of a super team. Bernstein won his first race with a 6.56/211 over Dave Condit, and in his second race, he smoked the tires and lost to Mike Dunn. The track was not at its best, as Low ET was 5.98 by Billy Meyer. Formerly listed a 250 mph run at an AHRA national event. We need confirmation of that and using the Indy 247.25 until we get it.
Submitted by Draglist Archives, Last updated on Monday, February 19, 2024, 10:48:31 PM by Ron Howard. Approved by Bill Pratt.
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Michael Beach Kenny Bernstein (M) from Dallas, Texas USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 404 / 3) 1982 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 4
"Budweiser King" Owned by Kenny Bernstein from Dallas, Texas USA Crew Chief: Dale Armstrong
'82 Mercury LN7 by Mike Kase | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 480 Keith Black Hemi by Dale Armstrong with 2 speed manual transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 5.900 at PHR Martin MI 8/82         1/4 Mile MPH: 247.25 at PHR Martin MI 8/82
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1982 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 77.05, MPH 81.29    Entry is 0.95008 times average ET and 1.05496 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1982 Records: 1/4 Mile: 5.637 ET, 254.95 MPH    1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 3.820 ET, 193.96 MPH   
1982 Average: 1/4 Mile: 6.210 ET, 234.37 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 3.920 ET, 192.00 MPH
1982 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 6.740 ET, 214.57 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 4.250 ET, 177.09 MPH
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Notes: Michael Beach photo from Martin, Michigan, Popular Hot Rodding event in 1982. Kenny started the '82 season at Pomona for the NHRA Winternationals. Unfortunately, his best of 6.20/236.22 failed to qualify, and he was third alternate for the show. He continued to have problems at Gainesville for the NHRA Gatornationals where he was second alternate with a 6.18/221.12 best. He qualified #5 with a 6.26 in the eight-car field at Famoso for the Bakersfield March Meet, but he failed to reach the finals. The next NHRA meet was the Southern Nationals at Atlanta that had an eight-car field. Kenny and crew chief Dale Armstrong had nothing, but problems and the best they could get the LN-7 to run was 12.19. Obviously, they failed to qualify. As bad as they were doing in NHRA events at the time, in IHRA, they scored a victory at the Pro-Am Championships on May 2. Kenny still didn't qualify so well, running a 6.21 for the final spot in the eight-car field, but he advanced past the first-round when Dale Pulde lost an engine on the line. In the semifinals, Bernstein picked up to a 6.06 to beat Al Segrini and move into the final where he faced John Pott in Larry Coogle's "Sting" car. Kenny repeated his qualifying time with a 6.21 to take the win. At the end of May, he showed at Baton Rouge for the NHRA Cajun Nationals. It was another eight-car show and once again he failed to qualify. He qualified for his first NHRA event of the year at the Springnationals in June. His 6.04/236.84 got the #5 spot in the sixteen-car field. He almost made it to the finals as well, by stopping Tom McEwen in round one, with a 6.24 and in round two, beating Don Prudhomme. But his 6.32/223.88 in the semifinals lost to Segrini's 6.27/236. The following week (June 20), he was at Norwalk for the IHRA World Nationals. He qualified #4 with a 5.98 in the eight-car show, but he lost in the first round, to Gary Burgin. On June 27, Bernstein was at Maple Grove for the Super Stock Magazine Nationals. He beat Kosty Ivanof in the first round, with a 6.17/226.13, but in the semifinals, he got out of shape, hit the guardrail, and coasted across the center line. He was OK. Things started going a bit better for the team by July when they showed up at Sanair in Canada for the NHRA Grandnationals. A 6.01 qualified #1, and he ran 6.08 and 5.99 to reach the finals against Prudhomme. The "Snake" won with a 6.03/245 over Kenny's runner-up 6.13/233.16 effort. At Englishtown for the NHRA Summernationals, a 5.93 qualified #4, and he lasted until the semifinals before losing to Prudhomme again. The next race on the NHRA tour was the Mile High Nationals at Bandimere. The "Budweiser King" qualified #3 in the eight-car show and in round one, he beat Garth Widdison. In the semifinals, he was late off the line and Billy Meyer's 6.19/223 beat his quicker 6.17/233.76. Kenny set a track record at US 131, Martin, Michigan, when he qualified #1 with a 5.90 at 247.25 for the PHR Championships. Unfortunately, he lost in the first round. Brainerd was the next stop on the NHRA tour for the Northstar Nationals. He qualified #5 in the eight-car show. That set up a first-round meeting with low qualifier Segrini. Al won their race with a 5.97/238 over the "Budweiser King's" 6.25/196.30.
Submitted by Curt Swartz, Last updated on Sunday, December 8, 2019, 09:30:33 PM by Ron Howard. Approved by Bill Pratt.
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© Jack Muller Kenny Bernstein (M) from Richardson, Texas USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 404 / 4) 1983 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 4
"Budweiser King" Owned by Kenny Bernstein from Richardson, Texas USA Crew Chief: Dale Armstrong
'82 Mercury LN7 by Mike Kase | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 484 Keith Black Hemi by Dale Armstrong with 2 speed manual transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 5.815 at NHRA Indianapolis IN 9/04/83         1/4 Mile MPH: 256.41 at NHRA Indianapolis IN 9/04/83 (NR)
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1983 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 80.16, MPH 96.88    Entry is 0.95172 times average ET and 1.09404 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1983 Records: 1/4 Mile: 5.621 ET, 257.87 MPH    1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH   
1983 Average: 1/4 Mile: 6.110 ET, 234.37 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH
1983 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 6.610 ET, 216.64 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH
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Notes: Kenny started the year winning at the OCIR Grand Premiere race. At Pomona for the NHRA Winternationals, he didn't do quite as well. Bernstein ran 6.342/222.22 to qualify #15, and he beat Dale Pulde in the first round, but he lost to Gary Burgin in round two. Burgin got him at the next NHRA meet as well, the Gatornationals in March. Kenny qualified #10 with a 5.95/241.93, but a first-round 5.94/245.90 lost to Gary's Low ET run of 5.78/238. Things went more Bernstein's way at Darlington the following weekend (March 20) for the IHRA Winternationals. He qualified #1 with a 6.14 and set Low ET with a 6.13. He beat Pulde in a semifinal tire smoker and then met Raymond Beadle's "Blue Max" in the final. Kenny took the win with a 6.21/227.27 over Beadle's 6.39/215. At the NHRA Southern Nationals on April 17 at Atlanta, Kenny's best of 6.08/234.98 (second alternate) failed to qualify for the eight-car show. Yet the following week (April 24), he qualified easily for the eight-car field at Rockingham for the IHRA Pro-Am Championships. His 6.02 qualified #4. Unfortunately, he failed to reach the finals. He didn't make the finals at the IHRA World Nationals at Norwalk either, but he did set Low ET at 5.88. A 6.02/222.77 qualified #4 in the eight-car field at Baton Rouge for the NHRA Cajun Nationals. Another 6.02 at 242.58 beat Pulde's 6.14/238, but an off-pace 6.26/226.69 in the semifinals lost to the eventual winner Al Segrini's 6.00/241. He followed the NHRA tour to Columbus for the Springnationals at National Trail. Kenny ran a 5.96/246.57 to qualify #4 but slowed to an off pace 6.25/237.46 in the first round, that lost to John Force's 6.01/246. He went to Bristol for the IHRA Springnationals but failed to qualify for the eight-car field with a "bump" of 6.01. The rough spell continued, with Bernstein failing to make the show at the NHRA Grandnationals, another eight-car show. Things went much better at Milan for the IHRA Northern Nationals. There he not only qualified, but he made his way into the final before losing to Beadle and taking the runner-up spot. At the NHRA Summernationals, Kenny made the show with a 6.02/245.23 (#11). He beat a tire-smoking Tom Anderson in the first round, before slowing to a 6.14/236 in round two that lost to Rick Johnson's 6.05/240 in the "Custom Body" Omni. He was at Denver for the NHRA Mile High Nationals in late July. Kenny qualified #3 in the eight-car field with a 6.05/234.37 in the thin air. He beat Pulde's 6.29/229 in the first round, with a 6.08/237.46. In the semifinals, an off pace 6.33/217.91 lost to the race's eventual winner Frank Hawley in the "Chi-Town Hustler" at 5.97/233. In August, he won over an eight-car field at Bonneville Raceway. He met Force in the final, and his 6.23/227.85 got the victory over John's 6.25/227. Bernstein got his first NHRA win of the year at Brainerd on August 21 for the Northstar Nationals. He ran 5.88/245.23 to qualify #2. In round one, a 5.96/244.56 beat Pulde, and in round two, a 5.97/238 advanced when Ken Veney fouled. He got an easy run in the semifinals when Mark Oswald broke in the "Candies and Hughes" car, but he still ran 5.97/243 for the win. In the final, he was up against Hawley. Kenny gunned him down with a 5.92/246.57 over Frank's 5.96/244. Photo from '83 Cajun Nationals. Longtime Bernstein crewman Mike Guger poses with the Bud King.
Submitted by Curt Swartz, Last updated on Thursday, December 23, 2021, 03:11:13 PM by Ron Howard. Approved by Super Crew.
1659

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Richard Shute
Photog Web
Kenny Bernstein (M) from Richardson, Texas USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 404 / 3) 1984 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 4
"Budweiser King" Owned by Kenny Bernstein from Richardson, Texas USA Crew Chief: Dale Armstrong
'84 Ford Tempo by Mike Kase | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 500 Keith Black Hemi by Dale Armstrong with 2 speed manual transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 5.735 at IHRA Norwalk OH 8/26/84         1/4 Mile MPH: 260.11 at NHRA Gainesville FL 3/17/84 (NR)
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1984 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 87.30, MPH 95.67    Entry is 0.94481 times average ET and 1.10216 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1984 Records: 1/4 Mile: 5.621 ET, 262.39 MPH    1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH   
1984 Average: 1/4 Mile: 6.070 ET, 236.00 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH
1984 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 6.570 ET, 218.04 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH
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Notes: Followed Joe Amato into the 260 mph zone by minutes. He also ran a nice 5.80/255.68 at IHRA Cincinnati. | Bernstein ran well in '84, becoming the first Funny Car driver to run 260. He benefited from wind tunnel testing the previous December. He ended up finishing third in the NHRA year-long points chase and if it were not for Sherm Gunn, he may have finished higher. Gunn beat Bernstein in the first round, three times on the NHRA tour. Still, with the addition of an on-board computer to aid crew chief Dale Armstrong, Kenny was always a threat to win. He started the season by winning the Super Bowl of Drag Racing at Firebird Raceway in January. A final round 5.98/248.61 beat Tom McEwen's 6.07/236. At Pomona for the NHRA Winternationals, he qualified #1 with a 5.83 (Low ET) at 252.80. Unfortunately, a first-round 5.90/251.91 lost to John Force's 5.89/247. He made history at the next event, the NHRA Gatornationals in March. He qualified #2 with a 5.78/256.41. In the first round, he beat Tom Anderson with a 5.84/256.41. Round two saw his 5.79/257.87 advance when Mark Oswald broke, and in the semifinals, a 5.79/256.41 beat a tire-smoking Raymond Beadle in the "Blue Max." In the final, he ran his historic 5.80/260.11 to win over John Collins' 5.92/245. This was the last 260 mph run he would make this season as well as his only NHRA win of '84. At Darlington for the IHRA Winternationals, a 5.88/254.23 qualified #2, and he lasted until round two, where McEwen's 5.87/245 put the Tempo's 6.04/245 on the trailer. At Atlanta for the NHRA Southern Nationals, Kenny qualified #1 with a 5.78/255.68. He made it into the final where he ran 5.80/254.23 for the runner-up spot to Billy Meyer's 5.73/252. He was at Rockingham for the IHRA Pro-Am Championships and ran well, but failed to make the finals. At the NHRA Cajun Nationals, he qualified fourth in the field and lost in the second round when he smoked to tires and lost to Meyer. He lost in the first round, at the IHRA Springnationals where he qualified #5 in the sixteen-car field with a 5.83/250. Once again, he smoked the tires, this time losing to Sherm Gunn in the first round. Another first-round loss came at the NHRA Springnationals. He qualified #4 with a 5.84/252.10, but in the first round, smoked the tires and lost to Gunn. At the NHRA Grandnationals in Canada, a 5.96/252.80 qualified #12, but once again, he lost early. Things went better the following week (July 8) at Milan for the IHRA Northern Nationals where he won by beating Don Prudhomme in the final. He qualified #6 with a 5.78/249. In the opening round, his 5.99/205 beat Scott Kalitta and a second-round 5.77/251 beat a tire-smoking Tim Grose. He got a bit of a holeshot in the semifinals that saw his 5.81/255.68 beat Jim Head's slightly quicker 5.80/257. A final round 5.81/257.87 beat the "Snake's" 5.89/236. At Englishtown on July 15 for the NHRA Summernationals, he qualified #5 with a 5.79, but broke a reverser after his burnout in the semifinals. This gave eventual winner Beadle a single into the final. At Denver for the NHRA Mile High Nationals, he again made it as far as the semis before losing. On August 5, Kenny won his second IHRA event, the Summernationals at Edgewater Park near Cincinnati. He beat Oswald in the final with a 5.80/255.68 to Mark's 5.84/251. Mark got one back at the next race, the NHRA Northstar Nationals at Brainerd, where he stopped Bernstein in the semifinals. At Norwalk for the IHRA World Nationals, Kenny qualified #2 with a 5.73/249.89, but he failed to reach the finals. The Budweiser King team had made enough points in qualifying at NHRA national events to be able to run in the Big Bud Shootout at Indianapolis. It was an eight-car affair and in the first round, Kenny's 5.95/247.93 beat Dale Pulde's 5.97/246. In the semifinals, his 5.91/252.10 lost to McEwen's 5.84/254. For the running of the NHRA US Nationals, Kenny qualified for the field with a 5.78/257.14 (#7). He beat a tire-smoking Gunn in the first round, with a 5.91 and in round two, a 5.84/249.30 beat Meyer who also smoked the tires. In the semifinals, a 5.74/250.69 advanced when Frank Hawley got out of shape in the "Chi-Town Hustler" and almost smacked the guardrail. In the final, he had problems and slowed to a 15.24/50.81 that lost to Head's 5.96/254. A week later, he was at Bristol for the IHRA Fallnationals, where once again he ran well, but failed to reach the finals. Best NHRA ET was a 5.747 in round 3 at Indy.
Submitted by Curt Swartz, Last updated on Monday, March 20, 2023, 11:26:55 PM by Ron Howard. Approved by Super Crew.
1660

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Richard Shute
Photog Web
Kenny Bernstein (M) from Richardson, Texas USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 404 / 3) 1985 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 4
"Budweiser King" Owned by Kenny Bernstein from Richardson, Texas USA Crew Chief: Dale Armstrong
'85 Ford Tempo by Mike Kase | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 500 Keith Black Hemi by Dale Armstrong with 2 speed manual transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 5.559 at IHRA Rockingham NC Fall 1985         1/4 Mile MPH: 265.46 at IHRA Rockingham NC Fall 1985
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1985 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 100.0, MPH 98.45    Entry is 0.92189 times average ET and 1.10608 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1985 Records: 1/4 Mile: 5.559 ET, 266.27 MPH    1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH   
1985 Average: 1/4 Mile: 6.030 ET, 240.00 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH
1985 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 6.530 ET, 221.62 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH
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Notes: Long Nose 85/86. Photo from Milan, MI, IHRA Northern Nats 85. Set NHRA ET records at 5.646 at 85 Gators and 5.569 at 1985 Maple Grove. Low qualifier at 1985 Gators with a 5.672. Ran 258.76 at 85 World Finals. | Kenny started the season at Firebird Raceway's Super Bowl of Drag Racing in January. He qualified #1 for the eight-car field with a new track record 5.74 at 248.61 (Top Speed). Kenny made his way into the final by beating Tom McEwen with a 5.84/248.61 and a tire-smoking single in the semifinals when Paul Smith was unable to run after a first-round fire. He met John Collins in the final and the "Budweiser King's" reverser failed so Collins got to solo for the victory. The following week, he was at Pomona for the NHRA Winternationals. His 5.74/254.09 qualified #4 and in round one, a 5.80/259 beat Jim Head. Bernstein ran a career-best (to this point) 5.67 at 235.60 in round two, but he lost to Rick Johnson who was running a 5.58/263 in the "Hawaiian." He was in Atlanta for an eight-car show in March where his 5.81/250.00 qualified in the #2 spot. In the first round, Mark Oswald stepped up from a qualifying 5.91 to a 5.72/248 in the "Candies and Hughes" car to beat his 5.85/249.30. Things clicked for the team at the NHRA Gatornationals. Kenny qualified #1 with a 5.67/261.78 (Top Speed). Frank Hawley broke a transmission in the first round, in the "Chi-Town Hustler" and Bernstein advanced with a 6.25/226.92. In round two, his 5.71/251.81 beat Tom Hoover and a semifinal NHRA record-setting 5.64 at 256.70 took out Collins' tire shaking Camaro. He faced John Lombardo driving Raymond Beadle's "Blue Max" in the final. John had problems and shut down while Kenny ran 5.70/254.09 for the win. His next stop was at Darlington for the IHRA Winternationals. Once again, he ran well, lasting until the semifinals where his 5.80/247 lost to Oswald's 5.78/260. Another NHRA title came at Atlanta for the Southern Nationals in April. Kenny's 5.72/254.09 qualified #1, and he worked his way to the final by stopping a tire-smoking Dale Pulde in the first round, with a 5.81/249.03. In round two, a 5.80/249.58 ended Jody Smart's chances and a 5.75/254.66 got around Don Prudhomme's off-pace 6.12/204 in the semifinals. His final-round opponent was Ed "the Ace" McCulloch. There was no stopping Bernstein on this day as his track record 5.69 at 252.95 got the victory over Ed's 5.81/247. While he was running strong in NHRA, he was still not able to reach the final in IHRA competition. At the second race of the season, the Pro-Am Championships at Rockingham, he got another semifinal finish when Billy Meyer's 5.88/250 beat his 5.95/243. Bernstein's next stop was at Baton Rouge for the NHRA Cajun Nationals. His 5.74/247.93 qualified #2 behind Pulde's similar 5.74/251. He beat McCulloch in round one, with a 5.83/243.90. In round two, a 5.76/245.49 beat Oswald, but in the semifinals, Kenny lost an engine on a 6.09/185 pass that beat a tire-smoking John Force. The team replaced the engine for the final where he ran Head. Something wasn't, buttoned up right as the "Budweiser King" broke on the line and Head soloed for the race win. His IHRA semifinal streak continued at Bristol for the Springnationals. There, he set Low ET in the semifinals with a 5.66 at 258, but he lost to eventual winner Pulde whose quick-leaving 5.69/257 won. Things were better at Columbus for the NHRA Springnationals. He qualified #1 at 5.75/248.48, and then a track record 5.73 at 251 beat Al Segrini and in round two, his 5.74/249.03 got around a tire spinning Pulde. Another 5.74 at 248.48 beat an out of shape Prudhomme in the semifinals. This matched Kenny up against Texas neighbor Meyer in the final. Billy overpowered the track and went up in smoke while Bernstein won his third NHRA race of the season with a 5.81/251.25. The team's next stop was at Maple Grove for the Super Stock Magazine Nationals. Kenny's 5.67/249.30 (Top Speed) qualified #2 behind Pulde's 5.66/249. In the first round, Bernstein set Low ET with a track record 5.65 at 249.30 to beat Chuck Etchells. A semifinal 5.78/243.24 advanced over Tim Grose. This paired him up against Pulde in the final. Kenny had traction issues and Pulde won with a 5.90/247. Another runner-up finish came at the NHRA Grandnationals. There, he only ran 5.85/246.94 to qualify #10. Both he and Grose ran 5.84 (the Bud car at 244.96), but Kenny got the win light. In round two, Oswald fouled against him and Kenny blew an engine while advancing with a 5.85/240.12. The team swapped out a new engine for the semifinal and it improved the car to a 5.69/252.52 to beat Prudhomme's 5.80/256. He faced Johnson in the final and despite running a 5.79/250.13, Rick picked up his first NHRA National event victory with a 5.72/260. The following week (July 7), he had some bad luck at Milan, Michigan, for the IHRA Northern Nationals. He qualified #4 for the show, but attempted another run. Something let go and the car turned into a fireball. Kenny got it stopped and was OK, but the car was damaged badly and was unable to run in eliminations. With a team this strong, they didn't miss a beat, showing up at Englishtown the next week for the NHRA Summernationals. Bernstein set Low ET with a track record 5.62 at 234 in qualifying number one. He then ran 5.90, 5.85, and 5.76 at 249.58 to beat McEwen, Pulde, and John Force (in that order). In the final, he went up against Grose, and Bernstein's 5.77/249.58 scored the win over Grose's 5.80/250. Best NHRA times were the 5.569 at Maple Grove and 261.78 at the Gators. Ran 5.714/250.69 in winning IHRA Cincinnati over Dale Pulde, snapping Dale's four-win streak.
Submitted by Curt Swartz, Last updated on Monday, March 20, 2023, 11:26:05 PM by Ron Howard. Approved by Bill Pratt.
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© Tom West Kenny Bernstein (M) from Richardson, Texas USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 404 / 1) 1986 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 4
"Budweiser King" Owned by Kenny Bernstein from Richardson, Texas USA Crew Chief: Dale Armstrong
'85 Ford Tempo by Mike Kase | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 500 Keith Black Hemi by Dale Armstrong with 2 speed manual transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 5.425 at NHRA Ennis TX 9/25/86         1/4 Mile MPH: 271.41 at NHRA Indianapolis IN 8/31/86
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1986 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 100.0, MPH 100.0    Entry is 0.90417 times average ET and 1.12787 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1986 Records: 1/4 Mile: 5.425 ET, 271.41 MPH    1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH   
1986 Average: 1/4 Mile: 6.000 ET, 240.64 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH
1986 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 6.530 ET, 221.62 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH
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Notes: Long Nose 85/86. The first lock-up clutch at Indy resulted in best-ever times of 5.509 at 271.41, which were not backed up for records. Hit the first 5.40s with a 5.425 low qualifier at the Ennis Chiefs, which was not backed up as a record. However, a 5.543 at Ennis was backed up as the new record. Ran 266.66 and 265.17 at 1986 Chiefs. | This was Kenny's last year with the Tempo body and probably one of, if not his best season. At Firebird Raceway's Super Bowl of Drag Racing, Kenny ran a track record 5.66 at 254.95 to qualify first. He beat Ed McCulloch in round one, with a 5.73/244.56, but in the semifinals, his 5.78/217.91 lost to John Force's 5.85/250. The NHRA season started at Pomona for the NHRA Winternationals. He qualified #1 with a 5.60 (Low ET) at 250.00 and continued to run 5.60's in the first two rounds over Rick Johnson (5.60/246.57) and John Martin (5.60/252.80). But in the semifinals, he smoked the tires and lost to eventual winner Tim Grose who ran a 5.61 for the win. At the Gatornationals, he qualified #1 with a track record 5.59 at 261.17. In the first round, he beat Tom Hoover's 5.76/254 with a 5.64/255.24. In round two, a 5.66/256.99 beat Force's 5.91/212, but he lost to a holeshot by Tom McEwen in the semifinals, when Tom's 5.67/256 beat Kenny's 5.65/255.82. He was runner-up to Paul Smith at the IHRA Pro-Am at Rockingham, and once again, he walked off with Low ET honors with a 5.58. In April at the NHRA Southern Nationals, he qualified #1 with a 5.67/260.86 (Low ET and Top Speed) but then suffered a rare first-round loss. He got out qualified for the first time that year at the NHRA Cajun Nationals when Force ran 5.66 (Low ET) while Kenny had to settle for the second position with a 5.69/253.73. But for the second race in a row, he lost in the first round. This time his 5.88/237.52 lost to Johnny West's 5.83/252 in the "Hawaiian." At Bristol, he got another runner-up finish at the IHRA Springnationals. He set Low ET at 5.57, but he blew an engine letting Grose's 5.87/231 get the victory in the final. Another runner-up finish followed at the NHRA Springnationals. A 5.65/254.02 qualified #2 behind Mark Oswald in the "Candies and Hughes" Firebird. And that's how they finished. The final saw Oswald's 5.76/255 take the win over the Tempo's 5.80/250.13. It was a strange situation. The "Budweiser King" was probably the most feared car to come up against in competition, yet here it was, the middle of June, and the team hadn't won yet. Well, that all changed with the running of the Super Stock Nationals. While it wasn't a major event, it was still a satisfying win. Kenny qualified #1 in the eight-car show with a 5.62/257.14 (Low ET and Top Speed). He beat Bruce Larson and Dominic Santucci with times of 5.75/254.95 and 5.72/256.41 before singling for the win with a 5.76/251.39 when West's Daytona broke. Now that the seal was broken, the wins started coming. On June 29, he won the NHRA Grandnationals. He qualified #2 with a 5.71/254.66 but went on to set Low ET at 5.66 and, in the final be beat Force with a 5.69/257.28. The following week (July 6), he won the IHRA Northern Nationals at Milan. A 5.81/256.41 (Low ET and Top Speed) qualified #1, and he beat Smith and Grose with times of 5.95/253.52 and 5.84/252 to meet Oswald in the final. A 5.87/253.52 wrapped up the win. He took his fourth meet in a row at Englishtown for the NHRA Summernationals. He qualified #2 behind Oswald with a 5.62/239.48. He beat Scott Kalitta in the first round, and a 5.67/254 beat West in round two. Hoover smoked the tires against him in the semifinals, and his 5.66/257 got lane choice over Force in the final. Once again, Bernstein prevailed, running 5.65/259.39 for another win. He managed to get into the finals at the next NHRA race, the Mile High Nationals at Denver. Kenny qualified #1 with a 5.84/227.96 and made his way into the final to meet Oswald. It took a Low ET of the meet run by Oswald to keep Bernstein out of the winner's circle again. Mark's 5.81/252 nipped Kenny's close 5.82/247.52. He won the PHR Championships at US 131, Martin, Michigan. A 5.79/247.25 qualified #1 in the sixteen-car field. In the first two rounds, he ran 5.74 and 5.80 while beating Bob Gottschalk and Scott Kalitta. But in the semifinals, he set track records of 5.72/259.36 to beat Grose's 5.94. In the final, he ran Oswald again. But Kenny took the win easily with a 5.77/257.87 when Mark had problems and slowed to a 7.55/120. On August 17, Kenny set Low ET in qualifying #1 at the NHRA Northstar Nationals with a track record 5.67 at 251.39. Unfortunately, in the first round, he fouled away a 5.81 against Billy Meyer. The following week (August 24), he was back in the winner's circle at Norwalk for the IHRA World Nationals. He qualified #2 (behind Oswald) but improved to a meet's best of 5.57/260. In the final, he met and beat Oswald.
Submitted by Draglist Archives, Last updated on Saturday, November 27, 2021, 03:36:43 PM by Ron Howard. Approved by Bill Pratt.
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© Rick Oldfield Kenny Bernstein (M) from Richardson, Texas USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 404 / 1) 1987 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 4
"Budweiser King" Owned by Kenny Bernstein from Richardson, Texas USA Crew Chief: Dale Armstrong
'87 Buick LeSabre by Mike Kase | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 500 Keith Black Hemi by Dale Armstrong with 2 speed manual transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 5.364 at NHRA Ennis TX 4/05/87         1/4 Mile MPH: 274.39 at NHRA Indianapolis IN 9/05/87 (NR)
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1987 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 99.09, MPH 89.43    Entry is 0.93368 times average ET and 1.09423 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1987 Records: 1/4 Mile: 5.357 ET, 280.72 MPH    1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH   
1987 Average: 1/4 Mile: 5.745 ET, 250.76 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH
1987 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 6.245 ET, 230.68 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH
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Notes: AKA the Batmobile. Set national record at 5.482 (low qualifier) at Pomona Winters, then first in the 5.30s with a 5.39 and finally a 5.364 at the Ennis, Texas, All-Stars race in April (but records were not recorded at that race). Won 1987 world championship with a quarterfinal finish at Ennis on 10/87. Best non-special event ET was 5.429 at Ennis Fall 87. | Bernstein debuted the "Batmobile" at Firebird Raceway on January 18 for the Super Bowl of Drag Racing. He set Low ET in qualifying #1 with a 5.69/253.52. A first-round 5.73/250.69 beat Johnny West in the "Hawaiian" while he beat Ed McCulloch in the semifinals with a 5.72/254.28 (Top Speed). In the final, he met #2 qualifier, John Force. The two had a good race, but Force's 5.70/252 got the win over Kenny's 5.78/243.24. He won his 18th NHRA National event at the Winternationals. Bernstein set a 5.48 track record in qualifying #1. More importantly, the ET was a new NHRA record. His speed on the run was 266.66. He had some problems as in the first round, he burned a main bearing on a 5.62/261.24 single when Force lost a blower on the line. The team installed a new engine for their round two race with Ed McCulloch who had run a strong 5.53/266 in his first-round race. Ed overpowered the track and Kenny's 5.54/265.64 advanced. In the semifinals, Dale Pulde got out on him, but the "Budweiser King's" 5.56/263.62 got the win over Pulde's 5.75/253. This put Bernstein into the final against Australian Graeme Cowin. The final went to Kenny as his 5.48/264.16 beat Cowin who blew an engine. Kenny then went to Darlington for the IHRA Winternationals. His 5.67/253 in qualifying held for Low ET of the meet, and he made his way to the final where he faced Tom McEwen. A 5.73/256.41 (Top Speed) got Bernstein another victory over McEwen's 5.87/243. The following week (March 22), the "Budweiser King" was at Gainesville for the NHRA Gatornationals. Kenny set a new track record 5.47 in qualifying #1. His speed on the run was 264.31. Crew chief, Dale Armstrong backed it down to 5.58/261.93 in the first round, but it was still enough to beat Tom Hoover's 5.73/252. A 5.59/263.85 in round two took out Doc Halladay's 5.95/241, but in the semifinals, Bernstein, Bernstein smoked the tires and lost to eventual winner Don Prudhomme's 5.71/257. He didn't have to wait long before he got his next win. It came at the Texas Motorplex for the NHRA Winston All-Star race on April 5. There were no points on the line at this race. Kenny ran 5.41/264.93 to lead the eight-car field. A 5.39/263.77 in round one, beat West's 5.64. He really opened it up in the semifinals with a 5.36/265.56 to beat Mike Dunn's 5.71. Just as he had at Darlington, he faced McEwen in the final. This time McEwen was behind the wheel of Raymond Beadle's "Blue Max.” Tom ran a great 5.42/231 in the final only to be overshadowed by Kenny running another 5.36 at 266.35 for the victory. Another win in the still young season came at Atlanta on April 26 for the NHRA Southern Nationals. There his 5.52 track record at 263.62 qualified #1. He beat John Martin in the first round, with a 5.82/255.53 and in round two he ran Mark Oswald in the "Candies and Hughes" car. The two had a good race with Bernstein's 5.61/264.47 (Top Speed and a new track record) getting the measure of Oswald's 5.68/263. In the semifinals, a 5.57/262 beat the "Ace" McCulloch. This set up a final round meeting with Force. Kenny avenged his lost to Force from Firebird Raceway in Jan by downing John's 5.74/262 with a 5.55/264 for his 19th NHRA National event victory. At Rockingham for the IHRA Pro-Am Championships, Kenny set Low ET and Top Speed in the final where his 5.61/256.41 beat Jim Head for the trophy. The wins kept stacking up as he then went out and won the NHRA Cajun Nationals.
Submitted by Draglist Archives, Last updated on Sunday, October 16, 2022, 11:49:30 PM by Ron Howard. Approved by Bill Pratt.
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Michael Beach Kenny Bernstein (M) from Richardson, Texas USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 404 / 1) 1988 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 4
"Budweiser King" Owned by Kenny Bernstein from Richardson, Texas USA Crew Chief: Dale Armstrong
'88 Buick Reatta by Mike Kase | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 500 Keith Black Hemi by Dale Armstrong with 2 speed manual transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 5.295 at NHRA Pomona CA 10/29/88         1/4 Mile MPH: 278.46 at NHRA Gainesville FL 3/88
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1988 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 92.94, MPH 87.11    Entry is 0.93042 times average ET and 1.09221 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1988 Records: 1/4 Mile: 5.230 ET, 286.62 MPH    1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH   
1988 Average: 1/4 Mile: 5.691 ET, 254.95 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH
1988 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 6.191 ET, 234.36 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH
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Notes: The second car under 5.30. Set two national records at 1988 Gators, 5.333 then 5.314. Low qualifier at Indy with a 5.330. Photo from Columbus 1988. | Kenny started the '88 season at Firebird Raceway's Super Bowl of Drag Racing. He qualified #3 in the eight-car field with a 5.57. In the first round, an improved 5.53/257.14 beat Jim Dunn, but in the semifinals, the car broke and he lost to John Force. At Pomona for the NHRA Winternationals, he qualified #2 with a 5.41. A 5.42 in the first round, beat Don Prudhomme, but in round two he smoked the tires and lost to Mark Oswald. More problems kept him from the winner's circle at Darlington for the IHRA Winternationals. Bernstein set Top Speed in qualifying with a 271.90 pass and in round one, his 5.40/267.06 beat Dominic Santucci, but in the semifinals, he shut off just off the line giving Force an easy ride into the final. Kenny broke through with a win at the next race, the NHRA Gatornationals. He qualified #3 with a 5.37/272 and in the first round, beat Chuck Etchells with a 5.33/278.46 (Top Speed). In round two, his 5.39/274.97 beat R.C. Sherman and a Low ET shot at 5.31 took out Tom Hoover in the semifinals. The 5.31 was a new NHRA record. To top it all off, he beat Oswald in the "Candies and Hughes" car in the final with a 5.35/278.12. At Atlanta in April for the NHRA Southern Nationals, Bernstein lasted until the semifinals where his 5.72 lost to Force's 5.60. Things didn't go very well at Memphis for the NHRA Mid-South Nationals. He qualified #7 with a 5.64 and in the first round, beat Prudhomme, but in round two, the car broke at about half track, advancing Ed McCulloch into the semifinals. For the first time since the season opener at Darlington, Kenny was back on the IHRA trail at Bristol for the Springnationals. He qualified #1 and a 5.66/253.59 beat Scott Kalitta in the first round, but in the semifinals, he smoked the tires and lost to Dale Pulde. A week later he was in the finals at the NHRA Cajun Nationals. There he ran 5.47 over Johnny West, a 5.53/256 over Prudhomme, and a 5.50/257 over a tire smoking Oswald in the semifinals. In the final, he lost to an old veteran of the Funny Car wars, Bruce Larson. A 5.44 (Low ET) qualified #1 at the NHRA Springnationals and in the first round, he took out Jim Head. A 5.73/244 beat a tire smoking Pulde, but in the semifinals, he got out of shape and shut off, losing to Force. The wins certainly weren't coming as often as they did in years past and at the NHRA Grandnationals, he fouled in the first round, against Jerry Caminito. Kenny qualified #5 with a 5.56/257.65 while Jerry qualified with a 5.89. Things went better at Englishtown for the NHRA Summernationals. A 5.48/258.39 qualified #3 in the field and he lasted until the semifinals where Larson's 5.57/260 beat his 5.62/255. The "Budweiser King's" next stop was at Maple Grove for the Super Stock Nationals. It was an eight-car show and Bernstein qualified #1 with a 5.54 (Low ET) at 248.61. He beat Caminito in round one, with a 5.66/248.61 and a 5.62/249.30 beat Santucci in the semifinals setting up a final, round race with Larson. Kenny won that race. After that, he won the NHRA Seafair Nationals at Seattle. A 5.33/269.46 qualified #3. He beat Eric Reed in the first round, and improved to a 5.32/270 in round two to beat Force. In the semifinals, a 5.43/258 beat Richard Tharp in the "Blue Max." In the final, he met Brad Tuttle and Bernstein got the win with a 5.35/271.16. The NHRA Winston All-Stars had only eight-car fields in the Fuel categories. Kenny qualified #3 and made it into the final by beating Force with a 5.43/257 and Mike Dunn with a 5.40/262 in the semifinals. In the final, he faced Oswald, and although both ran 5.52, Mark got the win. Bernstein set a 5.40 track record in Sonoma while qualifying #1 for the NHRA California Nationals. Unfortunately, in the first round, he lost to Reed when both ran 5.48, but Eric got the win light. The "Budweiser Team" had an interesting weekend at Brainerd for the NHRA Northstar Nationals. Kenny had set Low ET in qualifying #1 with a 5.43 at 264.62, but in the first round, against Pulde, he did his burnout and then proceeded to back up to the line. He then found that the transmission was locked into reverse. Crew Chief, Dale Armstrong and fellow crew member Jim Male lifted the body and tried to help Kenny get the car out of reverse. The car lurched forward, hitting both Dale and Jim. Both were OK other than bruises. Pulde singled for the round win. The jokes started coming by the time Bernstein got to Indy. One team had a decal that read "I Break for Crewmen." It was all in good fun as no one got hurt. The Big Bud Shootout was held in conjunction with the NHRA US Nationals. Over the year, the "Budweiser Team" had earned 1,660 points in qualifying at the National events. They were second to Force. The Shootout consisted of the eight best qualifiers over the year. Kenny had won this event in prior years. He won his first-round race with a 5.41/270.18 over Larson's off pace 6.51/134. In the semifinals, it was Kenny who had trouble and his 9.05/83.42 lost to Head's 5.45/269. The next day (September 4), for the US Nationals, he qualified #1 with a 5.33/268.57. He beat Larson again in the first round, with a 5.40/270.51. In round two, a 5.38/267.30 beat Pulde's 5.40/267 and a 5.35/273.97 in the semifinals took out Oswald's 5.42/269. That put him into the final against McCulloch. Ed had just set a 5.32 track record in his semifinal race so he was tough. Kenny ran his best of eliminations in the final, a 5.34/270.83, but he lost to the "Ace's" slight holeshot with a 5.35/271. It was a close race. Bernstein resumed his winning ways at the next NHRA race, the Keystone Nationals at Maple Grove on September 18. There, he didn't qualify so well, only running 6.68/134.16 for the #14 spot. He ran even worse in the first round, but his 7.62 advanced when John Martin crossed the centerline on a 5.52 run. Bernstein picked up the pace in round two when both he and opponent Mike Dunn ran 5.38 (Kenny at 266.50), but the red Buick got the win. In the semifinals, Bernstein out drove Pulde as his 5.38/268.49 beat Dale's quicker 5.34/276. Once again he was in the final, and once again his final round opponent was McCulloch. Kenny showed his reflexes were sharp as he once again won with a holeshot. His 5.36/268.49 got the victory over Ed's 5.34/276.
Submitted by Draglist Archives, Last updated on Sunday, October 17, 2021, 01:22:26 PM by Ron Howard. Approved by Bill Pratt.
1664

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Michael Beach Kenny Bernstein (M) from Richardson, Texas USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 404 / 1) 1989 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 4
"Budweiser King" Owned by Kenny Bernstein from Richardson, Texas USA Crew Chief: Dale Armstrong
'89 Buick Reatta by Mike Kase | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 500 Keith Black Hemi by Dale Armstrong with 2 speed manual transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 5.211 at NHRA Ennis TX 10/07/89         1/4 Mile MPH: 280.37 at NHRA Maple Grove PA 9/89
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1989 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 92.93, MPH 90.12    Entry is 0.91566 times average ET and 1.09971 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1989 Records: 1/4 Mile: 5.132 ET, 286.62 MPH    1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH   
1989 Average: 1/4 Mile: 5.691 ET, 254.95 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH
1989 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 6.191 ET, 234.36 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH
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Notes: Everyone expected this car to win the NHRA Funny Car Championship in '89. After winning the championship the previous four years, it was a little disappointing how the season went for Kenny. It started at Pomona for the Winternationals. Kenny qualified way down the ladder in the #13 spot with a 5.47/266.74. He improved to a 5.42/264.16 in the first round to beat Dale Pulde. In round two, a consistent 5.43/269.21 beat Tom Hoover. In the semifinal, he beat Chris Lane with a 5.48/265.33. In the final, he met who was soon to be his nemesis, Bruce Larson. And sure enough, Larson scored the win over Bernstein. The next event on the NHRA schedule was the Supernationals. Kenny qualified #4 with a 5.30/270.27 but broke a rear end in the second round and lost to Art Hendey. The Gatornationals was the next stop; a 5.39/269.70 qualified #6. He lost to Larson in the second round. At the fourth race of the year, the Southern Nationals in Atlanta, Bernstein qualified #4 with a 5.47/266.27, but once again, he lost in the second round, this time to Eric Reed. He looked like the Bernstein of old at the Mid-South Nationals at Memphis. He qualified #1 with a 5.25 (Low ET) at 280.11. He beat Scott Kalitta in the first round and then got a couple of lucky breaks when, in round two, both he and Hoover smoked the tires, but Kenny's 6.45/232 held on for the win. In the semifinals, he ran a 5.42/270 to win over Ed McCulloch, who shut off to a 10.00. In the final, he ran Mark Oswald in the "Candies and Hughes" Probe, and once again, he had a little luck when Oswald broke, and Bernstein scored his first victory of the season. The next race was the Cajun Nationals. Kenny used a 5.50/266.50 to qualify #4. In the first round against John Martin, the car broke on the burnout, giving Martin an easy single. The seventh race of the season was the Springnationals at National Trail. Bernstein qualified #3 with a 5.33/269.13. He beat Kalitta in the first round with another 5.33 but smoked the tires and lost to Jim White in round two. A strong performance was turned in at the Grandnationals in Canada. Kenny set Low ET in qualifying #1 with a 5.44/265.72. In the first round, both he and Johnny West had problems, and both ran 5.60, West at 253 and Bernstein at 212.31, but the Buick still won the race. A 5.47/270.92 (Top Speed) beat Hoover's 5.68 in round two. In the semifinals, he beat Don Prudhomme's 5.73/231 with a 5.48/254.47. Once again, he met with Oswald in the final, and the results were the same, with Kenny's 5.51/265.72 beating Oswald's close 5.54/258. He didn't have to wait long for his third victory of the year as it came at the next event, the Summernationals at Englishtown. He qualified #3 with a 5.35, beat Hendey in the first round, and John Force in the second with a 5.36/272. He ran a solo 5.40/270 in the semifinals when Prudhomme broke just off the line. In the final, he was paired with McCulloch, and Kenny ran a 5.41 to win over Ed's 5.50. He was a favorite to win when the teams headed to Denver for the Mile High Nationals. He didn't disappoint in qualifying when his 5.53/263.38 (Top Speed) got the pole. He beat Hendey in the first round, and a 5.62/254 beat Mike Dunn's close 5.65 in round two. But in the semifinals, Oswald put him away with a track record 5.50. The California Nationals was next, and again Kenny qualified well with a 5.39/273.88, taking the #3 spot. Unfortunately, he and Tony McCallum ran 5.52 in the first round, with Tony winning. The next race was the Seafair Nationals at Seattle. Bernstein qualified #4 with a 5.34/278.89 (Top Speed). He beat Hendey's 5.57/260 in the first round with a 5.35/276.66. In round two, a 5.41/248.23 beat R.C. Sherman, and in the semifinals, he took a big win over Prudhomme with a 5.34/276.07, beating the "Snake's" 5.40/263. In the final, he met Larson, and despite running quicker and faster with 5.37/273.22 times, he lost to Larson's holeshot 5.40/271. At the Northstar Nationals, a 5.43/266.11 qualified #2. When McCallum broke, he ran an easy 11.70/72.42 in the first round. But in round two against Larson, Kenny ran even worse when he smoked the tires to a 14.35/70.56 to lose to Bruce's 5.51/271. Kenny and Dale probably thought things couldn't get worse when they went to Indy for the US Nationals. A 5.37/276.75 qualified #8 there, but he lost to Hoover in round one. They went to Norwalk for the IHRA World Nationals and set Low ET and Top Speed in qualifying #1 with a 5.35/264.71. Kenny got past a fouling Gary Bolger in the first round, and in the semifinals, he ran a 5.64/216.35 that beat Doc Halladay's quicker 5.61. In the final, he met the second qualifier, R.C. Sherman, who beat him with a 5.50 to the "Budweiser King's" 5.54. On September 10, he was at Darlington for the IHRA US Open. A 5.51/264.41 qualified #2. He smoked the tires to a 6.67 in the first round but still beat Halladay. A 5.54/272 beat Johnny West's 5.98/244 in the semifinals. Kenny got his first IHRA victory of the year when he stopped a tire-smoking Darrell Amberson in the final with a 5.56/273.53. A week later (September 17), he was at Maple Grove for the NHRA Keystone Nationals. He broke 280 in qualifying with a 5.25/280.37 (#3). Another 5.25 at 279.06 beat a fouling Scott Kalitta in the first round, but in round two, he smoked the tires in a 6.80/141.17 loss to Larson's 5.30/276. He also lost in the second round at Topeka for the NHRA Heartland Nationals. There, his 5.44 lost to Oswald's 5.34. The following week (October 8), he was at the Texas Motorplex for the Chief Nationals. He qualified #4 with a 5.21/277.60. Another 5.21 at 278.46 beat Hendey in the first round. A 5.24/277.43 advanced in round two when Tony McCallum broke, but in the semifinals against Prudhomme, he smoked the tires to a losing 9.29/79.33. The NHRA tour then went to Arizona for the Fallnationals at Firebird Raceway. Kenny qualified #2 with a 5.48 at a track record 271.98. He beat Jim Dunn in round one, while a 5.49/267 in round two advanced when Jim White lost a blower on the line. In the semifinals, he slipped to a 5.56/268.17, losing to eventual winner Larson's 5.43/268. At the season-ending World Finals at Pomona, Bernstein did not end his Funny Car career as he would have liked. He qualified #4 with a 5.32/278.46, but in the first round, against Jerry Caminito, he lost with a 7.30/184.84. In the season-long NHRA points chase, he finished third behind Larson and Prudhomme. In the IHRA standings, he finished #7, even though he only ran two events. Some drivers would have loved to have seasons like that, but it was below his expectations for Kenny. Set 5.257 national record at Memphis 89. Ran 276.75 at 89 Big Bud Shootout. Photo from Indy 1989.
Submitted by Draglist Archives, Last updated on Monday, February 19, 2024, 10:51:23 PM by Ron Howard. Approved by Bill Pratt.
1670

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ArnieBeswick.com
Photog Web
Arnie Beswick (M) from Morrison, Illinois USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 397 ) 1967 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: S/XS, Div: 3
"Star Of The Circuit / "Farmer" Arnie Beswick" Owned by Arnie Beswick from Morrison, Illinois USA Crew Chief: Arnie Beswick
'66 Pontiac GTO by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 421 Pontiac by Arnie Beswick with automatic transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 8.230 at Detroit MI 1967         1/4 Mile MPH: 173.00 at Unknown
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1967 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 59.14, MPH 47.51    Entry is 0.98327 times average ET and 0.99574 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1967 Records: 1/4 Mile: 7.604 ET, 200.44 MPH    1000 Ft. 7.120 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 5.490 ET, 151.00 MPH   
1967 Average: 1/4 Mile: 8.370 ET, 173.74 MPH 1000 Ft. 7.476 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 5.700 ET, 129.00 MPH
1967 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 9.136 ET, 159.17 MPH 1000 Ft. 7.896 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 6.030 ET, 121.94 MPH
No Racer Website | No video link | Web Search | Web Image Search | Web Video Search
Notes: Arnie Beswick and Don Gay were two of the last to run Pontiac-powered FCs. That and the fact that they were both very competitive made track operators do what they could to make them appear at their track. Arnie had been there since the beginning of the FC movement. He was a diehard Pontiac fan. While he never scored many "major" event victories, he was always tough to beat in match race competition. Early in May, he was at Oswego for a best of three match race against Doug Cooke, who was driving the "Stone, Woods and Cook" Mustang. A wheelstanding 10.76/104.56 lost to the Mustang's 8.89/166 in the first race but a 9.44/157.89 in the second, won when Doug blew a rear end. He made an easy solo for the win when Cooke could not repair for the last race. On May 14, he was at Minnesota Dragways for a match against Hayden Proffitt and his Corvair. Arnie's 8.82/169.81 won the first race over Proffit's 8.87. He shut off in the second race, giving Hayden the win at 8.72/163. The two had a great race in the tiebreaker that saw Hayden's 8.88/157 get the win over Beswick's much better 8.71/169.81. Arnie was at Union Grove in mid-September for a UDRA race. Unfortunately, he broke a rear-end during qualifying, and Pete Gates took his place. On October 1, he was at Covington for its Factory Showdown race. It was a 3/16 mile track, and the race featured eight cars. He beat Huston Platt in the opening round but fouled against Phil Bonner in the semi-final. Hard to say whether his tiger-striped AWB LeMans coupe or the beautiful "Star Of The Circuit" GTO is the Farmer's most famous racecar. The "Star" was built on a budget. Beswick didn't have the dough for a full tube chassis, so he took the stock frame from under the '64 Mystery Tornado GTO and had the Logghe Bros. add a tube front axle to it. This car has been restored and is running serious laps at nostalgia drag events. - RT
Submitted by Draglist Archives, Last updated on Sunday, July 3, 2022, 03:32:15 PM by Ron Howard. Approved by Super Crew.
1671

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ArnieBeswick.com
Photog Web
Arnie Beswick (M) from Morrison, Illinois USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 397 ) 1968 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: S/XS, Div: 3
"Star Of The Circuit / "Farmer" Arnie Beswick" Owned by Arnie Beswick from Morrison, Illinois USA Crew Chief: Arnie Beswick
'66 Pontiac GTO by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 421 Pontiac by Arnie Beswick with automatic transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 7.990 at Aiken SC 1968         1/4 Mile MPH: 181.63 at Aquasco MD 6/16/68
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1968 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 46.14, MPH 41.34    Entry is 1.00630 times average ET and 0.98691 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1968 Records: 1/4 Mile: 7.305 ET, 205.46 MPH    1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 4.940 ET, 155.17 MPH   
1968 Average: 1/4 Mile: 7.940 ET, 184.04 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 5.080 ET, 147.54 MPH
1968 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 8.575 ET, 170.41 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 5.410 ET, 138.54 MPH
No Racer Website | No video link | Web Search | Web Image Search | Web Video Search
Notes: Hard to say whether his tiger-striped AWB LeMans coupe or the beautiful "Star Of The Circuit" GTO is the Farmer's most famous race car. The "Star" was built on a budget. Beswick didn't have the dough for a full tube chassis, so he took the stock frame from under the '64 Mystery Tornado GTO and had the Logghe Bros. add a tube front axle to it. This car has been restored and is running serious laps at nostalgia drag events. - RT | Confirmed 8.34 at Cecil County 5/18/68. | Arnie was loyal to Pontiac, and by '68, it was getting harder and harder to compete against the Mopar Hemis, SOHC Fords, and Chevy Rat motored cars. The other Pontiac standout, Don Gay, switched to Chevy motors mid-season. But there was no way Beswick would put a Chevy or any other engine in his car. He started the season with this GTO, but he changed to a Romeo Palamides built car mid-season. On February 18, he competed at the East Coast Funny Car Championships in Orlando, Florida. A first-round 9.32/163.33 beat Lee Walker's Camaro at a quicker 9.21/153. He was to face Phil Bonner in round two, but Arnie had to shut off on the line with no oil pressure. He then went to Daytona Beach for the NASCAR Winter Championships, where he finished runner-up to Bill Lawton's 8.91/169 despite running a quicker 8.88/164.53. On May 5, he was at Aquasco for the Funny Car Invitational. Unfortunately, he fouled against Jim Liberman in the first round. He ran really well at Cecil County's Fuel Showdown on May 18. A first-round 8.34/156.79 beat Malcolm Durham's quicker 8.16/180. In the semifinals, Beswick ran 8.17/174.41 but lost to Liberman's 7.92/182. Arnie was back at Aquasco on June 16 for a best-of-three-match race against Durham. The "Strip Blazer" was having all kinds of problems, and Arnie won two straight, hitting 181.63 on one run. He was in Canada for Grand Bend's Funny Car Championships on June 30. It was a four-car field, and Beswick got out of shape and shut off against Gary Dyer in his first race. In his second race, he lost to Eddie Schartman. Shortly after this, he debuted his new GTO.
Submitted by Draglist Archives, Last updated on Tuesday, February 15, 2022, 01:16:45 PM by Ron Howard. Approved by Super Crew.
1673

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Big Bob Snyder
Photog Web
Arnie Beswick (M) from Morrison, Illinois USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 397 ) 1970 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 3
"The Super Judge / Arnie "The Farmer" Beswick" Owned by Arnie Beswick from Morrison, Illinois USA Crew Chief: Arnie Beswick
'69 Pontiac GTO by Logghe Stamping Co. | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 428 Pontiac by Arnie Beswick with 2 speed manual transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 6.910 at Unknown         1/4 Mile MPH: 213.00 at Unknown
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1970 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 86.29, MPH 86.24    Entry is 0.93378 times average ET and 1.07218 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1970 Records: 1/4 Mile: 6.725 ET, 218.44 MPH    1000 Ft. 5.890 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 4.520 ET, 173.00 MPH   
1970 Average: 1/4 Mile: 7.400 ET, 198.66 MPH 1000 Ft. 6.210 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 5.010 ET, 154.00 MPH
1970 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 8.075 ET, 182.05 MPH 1000 Ft. 6.630 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 5.410 ET, 142.54 MPH
No Racer Website | No video link | Web Search | Web Image Search | Web Video Search
Notes: Arnie was at Orlando on January 4 for the Drag News Championships. A first-round 8.49/175.78 advanced past Huston Platt, who broke a transmission in Tommy Smith's Dart. Phil Castronovo blew an engine in the second round, and Beswick shut off to an 11.02/114.20 to advance. In the semifinals, he fouled against Larry Arnold. He went to York US 30 for an eight-car show in April, where his 8.24/173.41 lost to Bruce Larson's 7.71/187 in the opening round. He came back later for a grudge race against the "Super Twister," and Arnie won with an 8.06/176.81. He was at New York National Speedway in May for the Springnationals. Beswick lost early, and his best pass was 7.99/180.26. On June 21, he was at St. Louis for the AHRA 1/8 mile Championships. He reached the final against Bobby Rowe driving the "Super Duster," but Arnie broke a rear end and had to settle for the runner-up money. Beswick was at Lions on October 24. 25 FCs were attempting to qualify for the eight-car field. Arnie qualified, but in the first round of competition, his 7.38/198.67 lost to Randy Walls' 7.30/204. Did Arnie really run a 6.91/213 in this car? We need confirmation. | Photo from 1970 Springnationals at New York National Speedway, Long Island. - RT
Submitted by Danny White, Last updated on Thursday, March 17, 2022, 11:49:10 PM by Ron Howard. Approved by Super Crew.
1674

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No Photo (Edit this to add one!) Arnie Beswick (M) from Morrison, Illinois USA   (Comp Nr/Finish: 397 ) 1971 - Category: FUELFC, Type: FN, Class: AA/FC, Div: 3
"Vic Ferris" Owned by Vic Ferris from Morrison, Illinois USA Crew Chief: Arnie Beswick
'71 Dodge Challenger by an Unknown chassis builder | Powered by Supercharged Nitro 426 Chrysler Hemi by Ramchargers with 2 speed manual transmission
1/4 Mile ET: 6.910 at Detroit MI 1971         1/4 Mile MPH: 213.11 at Unknown
1000 FT ET: Unknown at Unknown    1000 FT MPH: Unknown at Unknown
1/8 Mile ET: Unknown at Unknown    1/8 Mile MPH: Unknown at Unknown
Entry's 1971 Performance Ratings (0 to 100) based on comparison to average ET/MPH:
1/4 Mile Rating: ET 57.00, MPH 63.26    Entry is 0.98997 times average ET and 1.02457 times average MPH
1000 FT Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1/8 Mile Rating: ET 00.00, MPH 00.00 Entry is 0.00000 times average ET and 0.00000 times average MPH
1971 Records: 1/4 Mile: 6.480 ET, 227.27 MPH    1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH    1/8 Mile: 4.520 ET, 173.00 MPH   
1971 Average: 1/4 Mile: 6.980 ET, 208.00 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 4.780 ET, 161.29 MPH
1971 Minimum: 1/4 Mile: 7.480 ET, 194.10 MPH 1000 Ft. 0.000 ET, 0.00 MPH 1/8 Mile: 5.110 ET, 150.87 MPH
No Racer Website | No video link | Web Search | Web Image Search | Web Video Search
Notes: This was a leased deal for Beswick after he suffered a fire at his shop to fill out dates he had already booked. Arnie was contacted by a team that was having a lot of problems trying to run their Challenger FC. It was using the best parts money could buy, but the guys couldn't get it to run well. Even with Arnie's help, the team blew up just about everything, so eventually they sold out to Beswick for next to nothing. Arnie worked on it and it became to come around, turning some decent numbers, but the car's short career came to an end at Maple Grove. While running Gene Snow in a match race, the car flipped at the top end of the track and was totally destroyed. Arnie was fine; in fact, he jumped into his Pontiac Funny Car for a race the next day.
Submitted by Danny White, Last updated on Saturday, February 15, 2020, 12:58:22 PM by Ron Howard. Approved by Bill Pratt.

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