Kenny Bernstein, right, and son Brandon enjoyed much success during their long run with Budweiser sponsorship and now will focus on findng a new partner.

The recent announcement of Anheuser-Busch’s decision to end its relationships with Kenny Bernstein Racing and NHRA after a 30-year partnership was met with mixed emotions from the team and NHRA.

The decision was not unexpected, given the recent acquisition of Anheuser-Busch by InBev, a Belgian beer company, which brought speculation about how the sale would affect Budweiser’s sponsorship programs in all of sports. The team is now able to move full speed ahead on procuring sponsorship for the 2010 season.

“We are proud of our long-term sponsorships, not only with Budweiser, but we’re also celebrating our 31st season with LaPaz party mixes, 22nd anniversary with Mac Tools, and our seventh season with Lucas Oil,” said Kenny Bernstein. “We believe that taking a proactive role in initiating programs and promotions that help sell product and build brand awareness has been an integral part of retaining our sponsorship associations through the years.

“Coupled with the success we’ve had on the racetrack while flying the Budweiser colors, including six NHRA championships and 85 national event victories between Brandon and me, it’s a very attractive opportunity for another sponsor,” Bernstein said.

NHRA was not surprised by the decision. NHRA had been tracking the progress of A-B’s recent acquisition by InBev and the formation of Anheuser-Busch InBev and anticipated potential changes that might come under new ownership. NHRA was informed that Budweiser’s decision was made to redirect dollars to a non-sports-enthusiast audience.

“The beer category is one of the most coveted at NHRA and we believe provides an incredible opportunity for a brand to take advantage of the unique attributes available through association with NHRA,” said Gary Darcy, NHRA senior vice president-sales & marketing. “With a highly loyal fan base, NHRA delivers a younger, more diverse fan base than other motorsports.” A Scarborough Research poll released in 2008 positions NHRA as having one of the youngest average fan bases of all major sports, three years younger than NFL and stock-car racing, five years younger than open-wheel racing, and three and a half years younger than the U.S. population.

Kenny Bernstein Racing plans an aggressive full-court press to secure a sponsorship for Brandon, who has 17 victories and holds the distinguished record of having the most successful career launch of any Funny Car or Top Fuel driver in NHRA history. “We’re passionate about the sport of NHRA Drag Racing and plan to continue if we can secure sponsorship. We are moving forward with the search for a replacement so that we can field an NHRA team in 2010 with Brandon as the driver. Having owned teams in NASCAR and CART, we have always felt that NHRA Drag Racing affords the best value for the sponsorship dollar,” said Bernstein.

It goes without saying that NHRA works extremely hard to ensure that every sponsor sees a strong return on investment in its association with the sport. “NHRA worked with everyone at Budweiser throughout our relationship to develop and execute programs that would increase the value of association and return on investment,” said Darcy. “We are aggressively pursuing opportunities within the category in hopes to make an announcement for the 2010 season.”

Bernstein echoed his desire to move forward in 2010, pointing out his formula for success that spans the better part of three decades. “We pride ourselves on ethics and integrity. We recognize you can’t have success without good people, and we have a skilled staff that offers the opportunity for a turnkey program that is inclusive from marketing and sales to public relations, highlighted by a race team that is professional and capable of winning on Sunday,” said Bernstein. “We are dedicated, committed, and willing to go the extra mile. We have been one of the marquee teams in this sport, and we bring with us 30 years of fan base. NHRA Drag Racing is our home, and we’re going to put forth every effort to find sponsorship and continue to field a competitive team here.”

Larry Dixon

There was little doubt that the potent combination of two past world champs, Dixon and Johnson, would yield race wins, and the two wasted little time. After a disappointing DNQ at the rain-shortened season opener, the two sealed the deal at the year’s third race by defeating Cory McClenathan in the final round, 3.89, 311.05 to McClenathan’s traction-plagued 4.57 pass.

“It’s hard to win these races, especially with a brand-new team,” said Dixon, who has now won the Gatornationals four times, though not since 2002 despite twice reaching the final since then, in 2005 and 2007. “They can have all the notes they want from last season, but you don’t have the same parts they had last season. They don’t have the same blowers or the same clutch discs, and anyone who runs a fuel car will tell you that each of those parts has its own personality and you have to learn that personality and understand it, and they’ve been able to do that.

“I know how hard it is to make these cars go down the track, but they make it look easy. It’s an amazing group. Alan Johnson is a genius, and Jason McCulloch is working right underneath him, and I’m happy for him to get his first win. I’m also happy for sheik [team co-owner His Highness Sheikh Khalid Bin Hamad Al Thani] and to be able to get his first win the third race out. I’m honored to be driving the car.”

Dixon, in his first season driving for Johnson and the new Alan Johnson/Al-Anabi team, qualified No. 1 with a 3.886, then bettered that number in round one with a sizzling 3.882 to beat fellow former Gatornationals champ Doug Kalitta. Dixon followed with a 3.86 to trailer Morgan Lucas and a 4.09 to beat last year’s runner-up, Brandon Bernstein. Dixon’s run would have been much quicker had not the blower belt broken; fortunately for Dixon, Bernstein had already smoked the tires. Dixon’s final-round appearance was his seventh at Gainesville Raceway and the 84th of his career.

McClenathan opened his Sunday with a 3.92 to beat local favorite Michael Gunderson, then defeated Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tony Schumacher, who had won the last two Gatornationals with Johnson tuning. Both drivers had to pedal their throttles after losing traction, but McClenathan’s Todd Okuhara- and Phil Shuler-tuned Fram dragster chased down Schumacher for the win. In the semifinals, Cory Mac ended the Cinderella bid of second-generation racer Bobby Lagana Jr., whose Tire Kingdom dragster had upset No. 2 qualifier Spencer Massey and Phoenix winner Antron Brown. Not only has McClenathan never won the Gatornationals in his prolific career, but until this year, the 34-time national event winner had never even reached the final round here.

Bob Tasca III

Tasca defeated good friend Tony Pedregon to claim his first Funny Car Wally, driving around Pedregon’s better leave to take the win with his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang, 4.20, 280.72 to 4.53, 210.90.

“Tony is my best friend – I was the best man at his wedding – and I can’t tell you what he means to me, ” said Tasca. “Our families are going to Disney World tomorrow – my wife is his wife’s best friend, too – and he hugged me before the final and said, ‘B, either way, we’re going to Disney tomorrow, but if you win, you’re buying dinner.’ [After the final], he gave me a big hug. I know he was so proud to see me achieve this win, and I know he wanted to win as bad as I did, but I know he was real happy for me.

“To qualify No. 1 and beat Tim Wilkerson, John Force, and Tony Pedregon to win your first race, it’s just awesome. It’s a tribute to the whole program. Today is a culmination of 27 races, and we’ve had our struggles as a team, including me as a driver. We’re just determined to do well, and I can assure you that this won’t be our last trophy. We have a championship-caliber program.”

Tasca guided his Chris Cunningham-wrenched Ford to a series of steady if unspectacular passes to the final. He rode a pair of 4.19s to beat Jim Head and teammate Wilkerson; the win against Head in round one was by a whisker-thin .004-second. He then used a semifinal 4.17 to best 14-time world champ Force to reach the final. Tasca had appeared in four finals in Top Alcohol Funny Car and won two.

Defending event champ Pedregon, who had not won a round in the season’s first two races, reached the Gatornationals final for the second straight season with his Dickie Venables-tuned Quaker State entry. Pedregon beat two-time Gatornationals champ Ron Capps on a first-round holeshot, 4.19 to 4.16, then slid to a 4.23 win against Del Worsham. In the semi’s, the 67-time finalist ended Matt Hagan’s bid for his first final-round appearance on a tight 4.160 to 4.161 count that was only close on the scoreboard after Pedregon’s four-hundredths-quicker launch.

Jason Line

Line, last year’s Pro Stock runner-up here to Jeg Coughlin, went that finish one better and did it on a holeshot against Allen Johnson, 6.614, 209.20 to 6.607, 209.01, to win by a fender. The title is the 17th of his Pro career.

“The engine-guy side of me is really upset that I had to win on a holeshot,” said Line, who also won the Gatornationals in 2005. “We’ve really struggled all weekend. We did not run good. [Mike] Edwards made us look bad. Hats off to him, he’s driving really good. But it was a great win, and I’m very excited. For me to do this good this early in the year, it hasn’t happened before, so I’m excited. I’ve been driving pretty good, and knock on wood it stays that way.

“The guys did a good job because we did not have the best car this weekend. I was thinking to myself before the weekend started, the guy who drives the yellow car, Mr. Coughlin, very seldom does he win having the best car, and we need to do the same thing because you’re not going to have the best car every weekend, and you’ll have to step up some other part of it, and for me, it’s the driving part. I’m doing the best I can, and I thank the guys for working with me at the shop because they really do try to help me.”

Points leader Line, who also won this year at the season-opening Winternationals, reached his 36th Pro Stock final with the Summit Racing GXP with a string of low-6.6-second passes. After beating former world champ Jim Yates in round one with a 6.605, Line zipped past Kurt Johnson with a 6.612 and upset-minded Rickie Jones with a 6.617. Earlier in the day, Jones had defeated low qualifier Edwards on a holeshot.

Allen Johnson, racing on mother Revonda’s birthday, looked strong in reaching his 15th final in the Mopar-sponsored Dodge with a pair of 6.61 passes but dodged a bullet in the semifinals when his car got loose on the launch. He fought for control then chased down Greg Stanfield, who had the misfortune to lose the engine – and his significant lead – at the top end.

Hector Arana

Arana, a 19-year veteran of the Pro Stock Motorcycle class, scored his second NHRA national event win by defeating the low qualifier, Matt Smith, in the final round, 6.97, 191.40 to 7.13, 185.51, after Smith’s bike faltered on the top end.

“Last year, the bike was just as good as it is now, but I wanted to win so bad after winning the first one, and I was trying too hard and made some mistakes,” admitted Arana, who is the points leader for the first time in his long career. “I looked back and decided I just needed to relax.”

Arana’s Lucas Oil Buell, which carried him to his first win just last season in Norwalk, was the bike to beat all day. After qualifying No. 2, Arana sped to a 6.935 in round one, which was low e.t. of the meet, to defeat Junior Pippin, but he needed a break to light the win lamp after a tardy .186 light. Fortunately for him, Pippin’s bike bogged just after his holeshot launch. With new life, Arana steamrolled to passes of 6.942 and 6.981, both the quickest of the round, to beat reigning season champ Eddie Krawiec’s Harley and Shawn Gann. Arana also gave up a big lead to Gann after a .120 light but ran him down to win by .0016-second.

“I knew I had the fastest bike and didn’t want to push the Tree,” he explained. “I wanted to win this race. I red-lighted on my last qualifying run Saturday and couldn’t sleep last night thinking about that. It feels awesome to prove that last year wasn’t a fluke, and I want to win some more.”

Smith, in his first race aboard the Nitro Fish Suzuki for Don Schumacher Racing after campaigning his own Buell the last two and a half seasons, raced to his second Gatornationals final and the 21st of his career from the No. 1 spot he captured Friday. Smith, the 2007 event runner-up, defeated red-lighting Ryan Schnitz in round one, then ran 7.02 and 7.03 in the middle rounds to best 2005 Gatornationals champ Steve Johnson and former three-time world champ Andrew Hines, the 2004 event winner.