Auto racing six-time NHRA champion and motorsports icon Kenny Bernstein made a surprise announcement that he is stepping out of the cockpit of the Monster Energy/Lucas Oil Funny Car effective immediately and has hired well-known Funny Car driver Tommy Johnson Jr. as his successor.

“I was only contemplating driving one more year,” explained Bernstein, “but when Tommy became available at the end of the ’07 season, we started to give the situation a lot of thought. We’ve been fortunate to win six championships, 69 races, and we have some milestone performance marks, chief among them, becoming the first to crack the 300 miles-per-hour barrier.

“I guess we can always look to win one more race or one more championship, but in reality, I’ve had a great career and many talented crew members who have helped mold my success through the years. For me at this stage of my life, the right decision is to step away from the cockpit.

“We chose Tommy because he is a quality driver, likeable person, and he understands the corporate nature of our business. He also has ties to Lucas Oil and Mac Tools which certainly fit right into our sponsor alignment.”