May 30, 2014
BINGHAM TRIUMPHS THROUGH TRIAL, GETS FIRST PDRA FINAL

Gary Bingham is no stranger to the winner’s circle, but in 2014 round wins have been hard to come by for the four time World Champion. At the inaugural PDRA event in Rockingham, N.C. a broken driveshaft sent Bingham home in round one, after which his Competition Products dragster would require chassis adjustment and radiator repair on top of the new drive shaft. Bingham managed to get things back in working order before the next PDRA event in Valdosta, Ga, but went home with a breakout loss in round one.

With ample determination, Bingham headed to the Inaugural Memphis Drags looking to make a change in the direction of his season. Having run an IHRA divisional race the weekend before, he’d had no time to make some needed repairs to his shocks before pulling in the Memphis International Raceway gates.

“I knew I needed to have a leaky shock repaired, but when I pulled them off on Thursday at Memphis I found out they were spent,” relayed 

Bingham.

“I called Jeff Stange at Strange Engineering and they overnighted me a new set.”

With the Strange Engineering shocks in place, Bingham qualified 15th in STT Safety Equipment Top Dragster. This paired him with number eight qualifier, young gun Bob Mandell III. Bingham’s experience scored the win with an .016 light and 4.67 run on a 4.65 dial in against Mandell’s .029 light, running four hundredths above his dial in.

With another great light (.007), Bingham advanced through round two when his opponent, Michael Kile, went red. In the semi finals, the North Carolina native again had an impressive light, .011, but Laramie Reid’s perfect reaction left Bingham with slight ground to make up. He did just that, running dead on his dial in, while Reid was .019 over.

In the final round, Bingham would have to face another Mandell. This time is was Bob’s brother, Jeff. Unfortunately, Bingham would post his worst light of the event, and wouldn’t have enough room to get inside of Mandell’s dead on run.

“Without Jeff Stange and Strange Engineering I wouldn’t have even been racing this weekend, much less in the final,” told Bingham. “I really appreciate them coming through for us in such short notice.”

Although Bingham lays claim to the 1988 IHRA Bracket World Championship and three consecutive IHRA Top Sportsman World Championships (1994-1996) it’s been a while since he’s been at the top of the sport and he’d like nothing more than to be the first ever PDRA Top Dragster World Champion. His final round appearance in Memphis has brought that goal into sight, as he currently sits third in points.

“It would be really special to be one of the very first PDRA Champions. Hopefully we can put this Competition Products dragster in the winner’s circle this season and make a chase for the Championship.”

Photo Credit: Gary Rowe / RaceWorks.com / PDRA66.com