# Tim Bender

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tim_Bender
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Tim_Bender.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Bender
> Source revision: 1351261982
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

**Tim Bender** (born August 19, 1957) is an American former snowmobile and [NASCAR Busch Series](/source/NASCAR_O'Reilly_Auto_Parts_Series) race car driver from [Colden, New York](/source/Colden,_New_York).[1] He raced snowmobiles in the 1970s to 1990s and was inducted in the Snowmobile Hall of Fame. He had spot starts in the Busch Series from 1990 to 1996. He joined the tour full-time in 1997 before suffering a career-ending injury after the eighth race.

## Snowmobile racing

### Career

Bender began racing snowmobiles in 1974.[2] He raced on ovals and [snocross](/source/Snocross), peaking in the modified classes at United States Snowmobile Association (USSA) and Ontario Snowmobile Racing Federation (OSRF) events.[2] Some of Bender's big wins were a championship at the Kawartha Cup in 1985 and two Formula I wins at the Adirondack Cup racing in 1990-91.[2] He swept the Formula III division at the [World Championship Snowmobile Derby](/source/World_Championship_Snowmobile_Derby) at Eagle River from 1985 to 1988.[2] In 1999 he was inducted into the Snowmobile Hall of Fame.[2] During his snowmobile racing career, Bender was known for his association with [Yamaha](/source/Yamaha_Motor_Company);[2] he won a total of eleven snowmobiling championships.[3] In the 1980s, he designed several limited-production racing sleds that he used in competition.[2]

### Other snowmobile activities

Bender formed and ran Bender Racing, a snowmobile performance parts company. He sold the company in 1997 to go NASCAR racing and the company continues to carry his name.[4] As of 2011, he was the Team Manager for the Hentges Racing Polaris team.[4] As of 2014, Bender is on the Board of Directors for the Snowmobile Hill Climb Racing Association (SHCRA).[5]

## Stock car racing

Bender raced selected events on the [Busch North Series](/source/ARCA_Menards_Series_East) tour between 1988 and 1991 with one top-ten finish.[1] He raced in selected [NASCAR Sportsman Division](/source/NASCAR_Sportsman_Division_(1989%E2%80%931995)) events from 1990 until 1996.[1] He began racing full-time for the newly retired [Robbie Reiser](/source/Robbie_Reiser) in 1997.[6] Bender won his only career NASCAR pole position of 179.835 miles per hour (289.416 km/h) at the [Stihl Outdoor Power Tools 300](/source/NASCAR_O'Reilly_Auto_Parts_Series_at_Atlanta_Motor_Speedway) ([Atlanta Motor Speedway](/source/Atlanta_Motor_Speedway)).[3] He suffered a career-ending neck injury in qualifying for the season's ninth race at [Bristol Motor Speedway](/source/Bristol_Motor_Speedway).[1][4][7] Reiser selected [Matt Kenseth](/source/Matt_Kenseth) to replace Bender,[8] and the team would go on to finish second in the following season's Busch Series championship.

## References

1. ["Career statistics"](http://www.racing-reference.info/driver/Tim_Bender). *Racing Reference*. Retrieved August 9, 2014.

1. ["Snowmobile Hall of Fame induction"](http://www.snowmobilehalloffame.com/bender.htm). Snowmobile Hall of Fame. Retrieved August 9, 2014.

1. ["Snowmobile veteran captures Busch pole"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1876&dat=19970306&id=ZrceAAAAIBAJ&sjid=hM8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5353,1498799). *[Spartanburg Herald-Journal](/source/Spartanburg_Herald-Journal)*. March 7, 1997. p. B2. Retrieved 2014-08-12.

1. Staff writer; no by-line. (December 14, 2011). ["Tim Bender Interview, Part II"](http://www.snowgoer.com/snowmobile-news/tim-bender-interview-part-ii/1214/). SnowGoer magazine. Retrieved August 9, 2014.

1. ["SHCRA - Snowmobile Hill Climb Racing Association"](https://web.archive.org/web/20131208111055/http://shcra.com/about_shcra.php). Archived from [the original](http://www.shcra.com/about_shcra.php) on December 8, 2013. Retrieved 2014-08-09. Snowmobile Hill Climb Racing Association

1. Kallmann, Dave (February 13, 1997). ["NASCAR doesn't pass up shot at parity"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1683&dat=19970213&id=66QaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zS4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=5350,7895470). *[Milwaukee Journal Sentinel](/source/Milwaukee_Journal_Sentinel)*. p. 4C. Retrieved 2014-08-12.

1. Ott, Larry (May 15, 1997). ["Poor finishes, bad luck conspired against Bender"](https://buffalonews.com/news/poor-finishes-bad-luck-conspired-against-bender/article_bcd3f405-fbe1-5a3f-8467-9082efc492c3.html). *Buffalo News*. Retrieved 16 December 2025.

1. Kallmann, Dave (April 28, 1997). ["Kenseth to stay with Reiser team"](https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1683&dat=19970428&id=46caAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CS8EAAAAIBAJ&pg=6295,7846443). *Milwaukee Journal Sentinel*. p. 8C. Retrieved 2014-08-12.

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Tim Bender](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Bender) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Bender?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.