Max
06-06-2003, 12:08 PM
Brandon Bernstein content to dream of the future as recovery continues
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By Rob Geiger, NHRA.com
6/6/2003
"I know it could have been a lot worse. I could be in a wheelchair."
- Brandon Bernstein
The year couldn't have started out much better for Top Fuel driver Brandon Bernstein. After inheriting the powerful Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster from his six-time champion father Kenny, 30-year-old Brandon bolted out of the blocks in his rookie season with three wins in his first six professional-level starts. Not only did Brandon appear to be a shoe-in for Rookie of the Year, his victory in Bristol, Tenn., placed him atop the POWERade standings, making him a bona fide threat for the 2003 series title.
Just when things couldn't get any better, his fledgling career took an unexpected left turn, literally, when his car veered out of control in the first round of the Englishtown event and impacted the retaining wall. The car continued to drive over the barrier before finally stopping in the infield, which is precisely where Brandon's season ended.
The accident crushed Brandon's T3 vertebra, which is located in the spine between the shoulder blades, and started him off on a lengthy recovery period that will not allow him to return to the cockpit of his 330-mph hot rod this season. In his stead, Kenny has come out of retirement to race once again.
Recovering nicely
Fortunately, there is plenty of good news surrounding Brandon's mishap. First and foremost, his team of doctors all point to 100-percent recovery. While the "what ifs" of the collision and Brandon's injuries are scary to even contemplate, the entire Bernstein family knows it could have been much worse and is understandably relieved and grateful things turned out the way they did.
Just a few weeks removed from the wreck, Brandon is back in California at the Bernstein's house, slowly and methodically recovering from his back injury under close supervision of a spinal expert.
The Bud dragster goes over the wall in Englishtown.
Photo by Rich Barry, Zoomster.com
"Basically I'm just learning how to deal with pain," an upbeat Brandon said. "I'm managing the best I can. We went back to the doc on Monday, a spine specialist here in Los Angeles, he said I was looking good. It's a very severe break. It's healing in the right spot for now but it's going to be four to six weeks before we really know if I'll need surgery. It all depends on how my spine continues to heal and if it stays in the right spot or not. We're being very cautious and I'm going in every week for pictures to make sure everything is staying straight.
"We took an MRI this past visit and it was the first time I could really see up close what had happened. It's severe, and the actual fracture is lying right up against the spinal cord, but fortunately it didn't do any damage. I have all the feeling in my legs in all the tests he does.
"It really woke me up when I saw the MRI. It's amazing that I'm actually walking because the break is right into the spinal cord. That shows you that I was so delicate and getting out of the racecar, the way the Safety Safari guys worked so diligently to keep my back straight, really saved me. I owe those guys big-time."
Although the process stands to be a lengthy one, Brandon reports that his doctors all say he will wheel his 4.5-second work vehicle at some point in the future, with no foreseen complications.
"I won't be at a higher risk for another injury at all," Brandon said. "He said it will heal, move away from the spinal cord somewhat, and be just like brand new bone. If we have to do the surgery it'll be a little different because he'll clean out all the old pieces and insert a manmade vertebra and screw it to the top and bottom of the other vertebrae. Either way, it'll be as strong as it was."
Dealing with the accident
Following Kenny's example, Brandon has elected not to watch his accident on video tape. In his mind, he lived the wreck firsthand and therefore sees no reason to re-hash the scene.
"I haven't watched and don't plan to," Brandon said. "You know, dad's never watched any of his wrecks and I just don't really see a need to watch it. I was conscious through the whole thing so I know what happened throughout the deal. It's just one of those things where I don't really care to see it.
Happier times in Bristol where Brandon's win catapulted him into the POWERade points lead.
Photo courtesy of KennyBernstein.com
"I knew I had hurt myself immediately when I hit the wall, which was when the fracture occurred. I knew I was in trouble when I started heading to the wall and I kind of braced myself for the impact. It just caught me in a bad spot."
Now that he's had time to reflect, Brandon is also dealing with the feelings that he's missing out on what would have been a great opportunity to challenge for the POWERade title. It's a daily battle he wages with himself, one that forces him to think long term.
"I have my ups and downs because I start thinking that we were right there having a great year, battling with Dixon for the championship," Brandon said. "We knew we had a very competitive racecar and we were all having such a good time. I just keep telling myself, 'Hey, we have a career ahead of us.' I know it could have been a lot worse. I could be in a wheelchair. Or maybe the doctors could have told me to never race again. I keep thinking about those things and keep myself on the positive side. We have many more years ahead of us and we'll be right back in it next year."
Returning to the track
Any race fans that stopped by the Budweiser pit at the two national events since Brandon's accident knows the question asked time and again is, 'When will Brandon be back?' The answer is twofold. Brandon plans to come out and support the team and mingle with the fans (no back slaps, please) as soon as the doctors clear him to do so. He also has a new vested interest in how Kenny does on the racetrack in his absence.
Brandon was 2-0 versus reigning champ Larry Dixon, including the final in Phoenix.
RacersEdge Photography
"Hopefully, I'll be back out there to visit everyone in about six to eight weeks," Brandon said. "That's the time frame that doc thinks will work for me to travel. I can't wait to get around the fans and all the other racers. Plus, I can't wait to get out of the house.
"It's so hard for me right now. The doc says I can't do anything. I can't even work out; I have to be in the brace 24/7. I am becoming an expert with my Playstation2. I'm doing that a lot. It's hard because I love being at races with my team and sponsors and the fans. It's a tough time right now for me but I'll be out there hanging out soon, I hope."
As for rooting for dad, well, he was doing that anyway. But then Kenny, the only pro is drag racing history to win championships in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, made things much more interesting when he modified a previous offer he had made to Brandon.
Brandon's first professional-level win in Phoenix was special for both father and son.
Photo courtesy of KennyBernstein.com
"When we were in Bristol we drove by a Nissan dealership and I pointed out the new 300Z," Brandon said. "Dad told me they were making a convertible version and I said, 'Now that would be cool to have.' He said, 'I'll tell you what. If you win the championship, I'll buy you one.' Pretty good deal, right? After the wreck I said to him one day, 'Well dad, I guess the car's out of the question.' He laughed, thought about that for a second and said, 'Here's what we'll do. We'll take your points and my points, add them together, and if that total is more than the No. 1 guy, I'll still get you the car.' Now he's really my favorite driver. I'm really on it now."
Keeping up with the sport and watching dad's progress keeps Brandon occupied for the time being, as does the deluge of "Get Well" wishes he has received from around the world.
"From the bottom of my heart I want to tell everyone out there how grateful I am," an emotional Brandon said. "I've gotten so many cards and flowers and e-mails, I just want to say to all of our sponsors, friends, and family, and especially the fans, that it means so much to me. To read all the special things people write and say, sometimes even from people who are total strangers, it has lifted me up so many times and I can't thank everyone enough."
This story is copyright 2003 National Hot Rod Association.
http://www.nhra.com/2003/news/june/060601.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Return to 2003 News Archive
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By Rob Geiger, NHRA.com
6/6/2003
"I know it could have been a lot worse. I could be in a wheelchair."
- Brandon Bernstein
The year couldn't have started out much better for Top Fuel driver Brandon Bernstein. After inheriting the powerful Budweiser/Lucas Oil dragster from his six-time champion father Kenny, 30-year-old Brandon bolted out of the blocks in his rookie season with three wins in his first six professional-level starts. Not only did Brandon appear to be a shoe-in for Rookie of the Year, his victory in Bristol, Tenn., placed him atop the POWERade standings, making him a bona fide threat for the 2003 series title.
Just when things couldn't get any better, his fledgling career took an unexpected left turn, literally, when his car veered out of control in the first round of the Englishtown event and impacted the retaining wall. The car continued to drive over the barrier before finally stopping in the infield, which is precisely where Brandon's season ended.
The accident crushed Brandon's T3 vertebra, which is located in the spine between the shoulder blades, and started him off on a lengthy recovery period that will not allow him to return to the cockpit of his 330-mph hot rod this season. In his stead, Kenny has come out of retirement to race once again.
Recovering nicely
Fortunately, there is plenty of good news surrounding Brandon's mishap. First and foremost, his team of doctors all point to 100-percent recovery. While the "what ifs" of the collision and Brandon's injuries are scary to even contemplate, the entire Bernstein family knows it could have been much worse and is understandably relieved and grateful things turned out the way they did.
Just a few weeks removed from the wreck, Brandon is back in California at the Bernstein's house, slowly and methodically recovering from his back injury under close supervision of a spinal expert.
The Bud dragster goes over the wall in Englishtown.
Photo by Rich Barry, Zoomster.com
"Basically I'm just learning how to deal with pain," an upbeat Brandon said. "I'm managing the best I can. We went back to the doc on Monday, a spine specialist here in Los Angeles, he said I was looking good. It's a very severe break. It's healing in the right spot for now but it's going to be four to six weeks before we really know if I'll need surgery. It all depends on how my spine continues to heal and if it stays in the right spot or not. We're being very cautious and I'm going in every week for pictures to make sure everything is staying straight.
"We took an MRI this past visit and it was the first time I could really see up close what had happened. It's severe, and the actual fracture is lying right up against the spinal cord, but fortunately it didn't do any damage. I have all the feeling in my legs in all the tests he does.
"It really woke me up when I saw the MRI. It's amazing that I'm actually walking because the break is right into the spinal cord. That shows you that I was so delicate and getting out of the racecar, the way the Safety Safari guys worked so diligently to keep my back straight, really saved me. I owe those guys big-time."
Although the process stands to be a lengthy one, Brandon reports that his doctors all say he will wheel his 4.5-second work vehicle at some point in the future, with no foreseen complications.
"I won't be at a higher risk for another injury at all," Brandon said. "He said it will heal, move away from the spinal cord somewhat, and be just like brand new bone. If we have to do the surgery it'll be a little different because he'll clean out all the old pieces and insert a manmade vertebra and screw it to the top and bottom of the other vertebrae. Either way, it'll be as strong as it was."
Dealing with the accident
Following Kenny's example, Brandon has elected not to watch his accident on video tape. In his mind, he lived the wreck firsthand and therefore sees no reason to re-hash the scene.
"I haven't watched and don't plan to," Brandon said. "You know, dad's never watched any of his wrecks and I just don't really see a need to watch it. I was conscious through the whole thing so I know what happened throughout the deal. It's just one of those things where I don't really care to see it.
Happier times in Bristol where Brandon's win catapulted him into the POWERade points lead.
Photo courtesy of KennyBernstein.com
"I knew I had hurt myself immediately when I hit the wall, which was when the fracture occurred. I knew I was in trouble when I started heading to the wall and I kind of braced myself for the impact. It just caught me in a bad spot."
Now that he's had time to reflect, Brandon is also dealing with the feelings that he's missing out on what would have been a great opportunity to challenge for the POWERade title. It's a daily battle he wages with himself, one that forces him to think long term.
"I have my ups and downs because I start thinking that we were right there having a great year, battling with Dixon for the championship," Brandon said. "We knew we had a very competitive racecar and we were all having such a good time. I just keep telling myself, 'Hey, we have a career ahead of us.' I know it could have been a lot worse. I could be in a wheelchair. Or maybe the doctors could have told me to never race again. I keep thinking about those things and keep myself on the positive side. We have many more years ahead of us and we'll be right back in it next year."
Returning to the track
Any race fans that stopped by the Budweiser pit at the two national events since Brandon's accident knows the question asked time and again is, 'When will Brandon be back?' The answer is twofold. Brandon plans to come out and support the team and mingle with the fans (no back slaps, please) as soon as the doctors clear him to do so. He also has a new vested interest in how Kenny does on the racetrack in his absence.
Brandon was 2-0 versus reigning champ Larry Dixon, including the final in Phoenix.
RacersEdge Photography
"Hopefully, I'll be back out there to visit everyone in about six to eight weeks," Brandon said. "That's the time frame that doc thinks will work for me to travel. I can't wait to get around the fans and all the other racers. Plus, I can't wait to get out of the house.
"It's so hard for me right now. The doc says I can't do anything. I can't even work out; I have to be in the brace 24/7. I am becoming an expert with my Playstation2. I'm doing that a lot. It's hard because I love being at races with my team and sponsors and the fans. It's a tough time right now for me but I'll be out there hanging out soon, I hope."
As for rooting for dad, well, he was doing that anyway. But then Kenny, the only pro is drag racing history to win championships in both Top Fuel and Funny Car, made things much more interesting when he modified a previous offer he had made to Brandon.
Brandon's first professional-level win in Phoenix was special for both father and son.
Photo courtesy of KennyBernstein.com
"When we were in Bristol we drove by a Nissan dealership and I pointed out the new 300Z," Brandon said. "Dad told me they were making a convertible version and I said, 'Now that would be cool to have.' He said, 'I'll tell you what. If you win the championship, I'll buy you one.' Pretty good deal, right? After the wreck I said to him one day, 'Well dad, I guess the car's out of the question.' He laughed, thought about that for a second and said, 'Here's what we'll do. We'll take your points and my points, add them together, and if that total is more than the No. 1 guy, I'll still get you the car.' Now he's really my favorite driver. I'm really on it now."
Keeping up with the sport and watching dad's progress keeps Brandon occupied for the time being, as does the deluge of "Get Well" wishes he has received from around the world.
"From the bottom of my heart I want to tell everyone out there how grateful I am," an emotional Brandon said. "I've gotten so many cards and flowers and e-mails, I just want to say to all of our sponsors, friends, and family, and especially the fans, that it means so much to me. To read all the special things people write and say, sometimes even from people who are total strangers, it has lifted me up so many times and I can't thank everyone enough."
This story is copyright 2003 National Hot Rod Association.
http://www.nhra.com/2003/news/june/060601.html
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Return to 2003 News Archive