Bernstein snaps long Top Fuel losing streak

NHRA VIRGINIA NATIONALS at Virginia Motorsports Park

DINWIDDIE -- Tony Schumacher grinned, turned around, and pointed to the Top Fuel bracket on the wall behind him. It was about 90 minutes before the start of eliminations yesterday at Virginia Motorsports Park, and Schumacher had his path to a seventh national title -- and sixth consecutive -- mapped out.

"You couldn't have written a better script," he said, before showing how the previous two days of qualifying set him up for potential second and third-round matchups with two of his closest competitors -- Larry Dixon and Antron Brown.

But Brandon Bernstein and Brown -- not Schumacher -- were the big winners on a cool, sunny day. Bernstein broke a 52-race winless steak and Brown, by reaching the final, nibbled into Schumacher's points lead.

The top four in points all escaped the first round -- with Dixon having the easiest way with his unopposed run.

All but Cory McClenathan and Brown were gone after round two.

Dixon was ousted by Doug Kalitta's 6.153, and Brown upset Schumacher in a fantastic side-by-side sprint hole shot (Brown beat Schumacher off the line, and won despite Schumacher's better elapsed time).

"That was a real battle," Schumacher said. "Those were two terrific teams going nose to nose. That's the way it should be given the fact we're in the Countdown to 1 (NHRA's version of a playoff)."

Schumacher retains his points lead with two races to go -- at Las Vegas and Pomona, Calif.

"We were lucky right there (when Dixon was ousted)," Schumacher said. "Of course, we also had an opportunity to extend our lead if we could have gotten by Antron. But, that's racing and we'll get back after it in a couple of weeks out in Vegas."

McClenathan fell to Bernstein in the quarterfinals by four-hundredths of a second (3.83-3.87-seconds), while Brown advanced to the semis with his 3.83 over Kalitta (3.88). Brown had a chance to bite deeper into Schumacher's lead when he met Bernstein in the final. Bernstein, who hadn't won in more than two years, triumphed this time with a solid 3.844, 307.09. Brown smoked his tires early on, and Bernstein's streak was broken.

"With that long of a drought, it could be easy to get down on yourselves. We kept at the grind, and eventually we were going to knock down that door," Bernstein said.

"It was so smooth, and it stayed dead straight all day long. We knew the semifinals against Cory was going to be a tough run. We were consistent."

Bernstein talked to his father and team owner, legendary driver Kenny Bernstein, after the race. Kenny is back home in California.

"He was just so proud," Bernstein said. "All he could say was congratulations. He was so ecstatic, in his voice you could tell he wanted to be here. It was a great feeling."

Schumacher's lead is now 47 over Dixon. McClenathan is 68 back, and Brown trails by 81.

The series has a two-week break before visiting Las Vegas for the season's penultimate race.

Contact Shawn Fenner at (804) 649-6412 or .