Kershner is wired for speed

Whether it's work related or for a leisure purpose, Bryan Kershner always seems focused on "speed."

During the work week, Kershner is the director of Information Technology for Pencor Services, looking to help the area community in connecting their computers with "Internet built for Speed."

In the evening, when Kershner is home with his wife and four children in New Tripoli, he is busy helping Jennifer care for their family.

In addition to work and family life, Kershner, his wife, his father Rick, and his brother Kevin, find time in their hectic schedules to enjoy racing something he has enjoyed for nearly 30 years.

Between work, his family and his love for the sport, it pretty much sets Kershner up for what is almost a 20-hour work day. Kershner said he gets up at 5 a.m. and goes to bed at midnight

But, Kershner has no problem with his schedule.

"It's kind of crazy. My wife and I look at each other several times a week and go, 'Man, how do we balance this?' said Kershner. "But, it's a lot of fun. It's just something we enjoy doing. I couldn't imagine not doing it.

"It's gotten to a point now that it is so big for us that we're coming home on a Sunday sometimes even starting Sunday to get ready for next Saturday. It's a seven-day operation from April to October.

"I remember my grandfather telling me, 'You only get out of life what you put into it.' So, hopefully, I'm putting enough into it."

Kershner first got started in the sport when his father Rick put him behind the wheel of a Quarter Midget car at the age of six.

After having a successful racing career with Quarter Midgets, Kershner decided to switch to drag racing rather than stock car racing, which his father had done for many years.

"It's very fulfilling to go that speed," Kershner said. "Some people like it, some don't. I happen to love it. The faster, the better."

It was the contagious atmosphere that soon evolved into a family affair.

His wife took over in Kershner's first dragster a 1972 Chevrolet Nova; his brother is the driver of a 1967 Chevrolet Nova and Kershner put the pedal to the medal in a 1982 small-block Chevrolet Camaro, which has an excess of 850 horsepower.

From June to November, the Kershner family forms a caravan headed to Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton usually for two-day series in what is called the ET Bracket Series, which is sponsored by Summit Racing.

Kershner has been pretty successful with it as he has qualified for the Northeast Division Championships in six of the last seven years, including a runner-up finish in 2008.

A year before that a shot on Speed Channel's "Pinks All-Out" hooked Kershner up with one long-term marketing relationship between Blue Ridge Cable and his racing team.

Kershner his father Rick and his owner and crew chief decided to give the show a shot in 2007.

"The funny story about that we ran it in '07 and that's really what kind of started the partnership with Blue Ridge," Kershner said. "When I worked down at Third Street (in Palmerton), that the Pinks All-Out Show was kind of what started the conversation with Blue Ridge on sponsorship. That's what kind of what got that going.

"It certainly was good to be on television. We were picked in the Top-16 for that and we did get to be on the Speed Channel on that particular show."

In addition to working with area people with their Internet, he can spread the interest of the sport of drag racing.

"It works well," said Kershner. "We're out promoting it in the local community. We're promoting it in the racing community.

"And, it seems to have a really good draw when we're at shows, carnivals and things like that. Along with Blue Ridge, it seems to be very receptive having the car there. We get a lot of people come up to us and talk to us about it. And, it certainly is a good correlation between going fast and fast data transfer, which is ultimately what we want to push here."

Kershner loves the rush of getting his car to 150 miles per hour in a matter of usually eight or nine seconds on a quarter-mile drag track.

"Whether you win or lose, or whatever, when you get out of the car, your adrenaline is just so unbelievable," Kershner said. "You're shaking. There's nothing you can do whether you're excited from the win or slightly disappointed from the loss. Just that adrenaline rush of coming down the track is something that gets to you."