NHRA: Bernstein Ends 26-Race Winless Streak

MADISON, Ill. June 27, 2005; The AP reported that Brandon Bernstein ended a 26-race winless streak in Top Fuel competition Sunday night, turning a 4.553-second pass at 324.59 mph to beat Morgan Lucas at the Sears Craftsman NHRA Nationals at Gateway Raceway.

Other winners in the 12th of 23 events in the series included Ron Capps in Funny Car, Kurt Johnson in Pro Stock and Angelle Sampey in Pro Stock Motorcycle.

Bernstein won for the first time since May 2004 at the OReilly Summer Nationals in Topeka.

"Thats definitely true, the monkeys off our back," Bernstein said. "It had been over a year since we had won a race. Hopefully, this is a snowball thing."

Capp won in the Funny Car for the first time since the Checker Schuck's Kragen Nationals in February 2003, beating Tim Wilkerson with a run of 4.862 seconds at 321.04 mph.

In the Pro Stock, Johnson won for the first time in 10 final-round appearances and for the 29th time in his career, beating Greg Anderson with a run of 6.729 seconds at 205.19 mph.

In Pro Stock Motorcyle, Sampeys win over Antron Brown was her first since the 2004 season-ending Auto Club NHRA Finals. She had a run of 7.237 seconds and 186.02 mph.