What nickname is Kenny Bernstein known by after becoming the first drag racer to break 300 mph?

Kenny Bernstein became known as “The King of Speed” after becoming the first drag racer to break 300 mph in NHRA competition. He reached 301.70 mph during qualifying at the 1992 Gatornationals in Gainesville, Florida.

The breakthrough came on March 20, 1992, in Bernstein’s Budweiser King Top Fuel dragster, tuned by crew chief Dale Armstrong. The run crossed a barrier that had seemed almost mythical in Top Fuel, and Bernstein backed up the performance later that weekend with a 299.30-mph pass for the national record.

The nickname is easy to confuse with famous drag-racing monikers such as Don Prudhomme’s “The Snake,” Tom McEwen’s “The Mongoose,” and Don Garlits’s “Big Daddy.” Those names belong to other legends. Bernstein’s title specifically reflects his pioneering 300-mph performance, rather than his championships or his team sponsorship.