Two weeks ago three-time Top Sportsman World Champion Gary Bingham wasn’t sure he would be able to race at all this year. Now, he’s sitting in contention for his fourth IHRA Top Sportsman World Championship.

The Bingham family doesn’t usually miss many IHRA National Events, and has only skipped a couple over the last 19 years, but due to economic setbacks the two-car team was destined to sit on the sidelines for the 2009 season. With less than a week before their scheduled season start the team had no way to get their cars to the track. But, thanks to the help of a last minute private investor for the team and the workings of Tom Johnson Camping Center, Gary and family were able to purchase an American Coach to tow their trailer and Doug Herbert Performance Parts racing machines to the track. The investment came just in the nick of time, and a good investment it was. The team left for their first trip out with the new coach less than a week after taking possession of it and headed to the IHRA Mardi Gras Nationals in Baton Rouge, LA. There Gary Bingham picked up the coveted Iron Man, earning a spot in IHRA’s new Tournament of Champions. Two weeks ago three-time Top Sportsman World Champion Gary Bingham wasn’t sure he would be able to race at all this year. Now, he’s sitting in contention for his fourth IHRA Top Sportsman World Championship.

The Bingham family doesn’t usually miss many IHRA National Events, and has only skipped a couple over the last 19 years, but due to economic setbacks the two-car team was destined to sit on the sidelines for the 2009 season. With less than a week before their scheduled season start the team had no way to get their cars to the track. But, thanks to the help of a last minute private investor for the team and the workings of Tom Johnson Camping Center, Gary and family were able to purchase an American Coach to tow their trailer and Doug Herbert Performance Parts racing machines to the track. The investment came just in the nick of time, and a good investment it was. The team left for their first trip out with the new coach less than a week after taking possession of it and headed to the IHRA Mardi Gras Nationals in Baton Rouge, LA. There Gary Bingham picked up the coveted Iron Man, earning a spot in IHRA’s new Tournament of Champions.

The outlook on Bingham’s racing season changed in the blink of an eye. The grateful racer had this to say about his turn of events: “I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity to be out here racing this season. Things weren’t looking good for us, but everything came together at the last minute. Renee [Gary’s wife] and I knew that God was providing for us with the way things came together. To be able to race at all is a blessing in itself and to win my first race out this season is simply amazing! It took a lot of help to get us here and I can’t thank everyone enough. I have great sponsors who have been with me for years and it’s because of their support that I was able to make it to Baton Rouge and bring home the Iron Man. Doug Herbert Performance Parts has been with us for 16 years and his parts have supplied my engines and taken me to all of my Championships. Tom Johnson Camping Center has provided us with a home away from home for the last ten years. They’re great people to work with and have always bent over backwards to help racers with a coach. I’m so grateful to be out here representing these companies and the people behind them again. I’m grateful that after all these years they still believe in our team and help us get to the track and compete on a championship level.”

Bingham qualified 6th in his Stroupe-built Pontiac Grand Am with a 7.035 at 196.16. In the five rounds of competition, Bingham had to defeat one family twice. He faced off against Bob Gulitti in round two, and then met with brother Chris Gulitti in the finals. There Bingham put together the better package with an .018 margin of victory to take the win.

This win earns Bingham a chance to compete for the Top Sportsman World Championship in IHRA’s new Tournament of Champions. Through this program racers who win a National Event (among others who qualify on a divisional level) earn one of 33 spots into a tournament-type race at the IHRA World Finals in Rockingham, Oct 22-25. The winner of this 33 car race will be crowned the 2009 World Champion in each respective sportsman category.. As the IHRA slogan goes, with Bingham’s win, he’s in.

“Although I’m still not thrilled about the Tournament of Champions program in deciding a World Champion” says Bingham, “I’m excited that I have earned my right to participate in it. Now, the pressure is off for the Championship until October, so I will focus on the season race by race and see what I can do for the Divisional Championship. We also still plan to run as many National Events as possible, as we have since we started racing IHRA back in 1990.”

Bingham was full of gratitude for a race weekend that could have easily been non-existent for him. “This weekend was great from start to finish. The Louisiana weather was beautiful, the fans were great and kept saying over and over how much they enjoyed us being there, we met a lot of great folks down there including the track chaplains, and we topped it all off with a win! God’s blessings are all around us if we just choose to look.  I didn’t have to look too hard this weekend,” says Bingham with a smile.

The Bingham Motorsports team would like to thank Doug Herbert Performance Parts, Tom Johnson Camping Center, Goodyear, Ron’s Fuel Injection, VP Racing Fuels, Bruno’s Racing Transmissions, Stroupe Race Cars, Scott at PAR Racing Engines, TCI, and MSD Ignition.