Sometimes drag races can best be described as a writer once described a war. Hours of boredom punctuated by moments of sheer terror. Such was the case at the 1993 NHRA Winternationals which took the better part of 10 days to actually complete. Weather wreaked havoc on the original weekend and after officials threw in the towel they used the better part of another weekend to get the job done. There’s nothing more depressing than a rainy weekend at the track. Everyone is geared up for action and when you can only float toy boats, it stinks.
After slogging through the previous weekend and making their way into elimination and ultimately to the final, Kenny Bernstein and Joe Amato both knew that they had something for each other. Two of the best funded and more professionally run cars on the tour, they were also armed with the some of the best brains that the tuning world had to offer. The video interviews and commentary leading up to their run is proof of that and proof that both teams had sized each other up accordingly. In a crazy twist, no one would end up caring what the low elapsed time was of the round because by the time one of the cars got to the finish line it was in terrible trouble.
Kenny Bernstein was the unlucky one in this pair the machine smoked the tires and then it appeared to suffer a tire failure which send it across the track, out of control. While crossing the track the car rotated and ended up striking a steel guardrail gate opening and leaving the race track complete, ending up flipping over outside of the track, shedding the rear of the chassis, including the engine. Amazingly Bernstein was able to walk away from this calamity but he got knocked around pretty hard. Listen to what he says to Steve Evans when the mic reaches him upon standing up in the mangled car.
This race was being broadcast live and the on-air talent as Brock Yates, Bob Frey, and Steve Evans. They masterfully handle the situation and fill all the appropriate time while getting the interviews, replays, and information that viewers desperately wanted. This is a heck of a watch and a wild way to see a broadcast end!
I remember watching this live… Couldnt believe it as Kenny Bernstein was my favorite driver at the time… I was 8 years old. Dad promised Mom we would go to dinner but only after the races were over. After the crash Mom decided to order some pizza and stay in cause i was in shock… Thanks mom, hahaha