A year ago, Billy Glidden found himself battered, bruised, and a bit stunned after making his first test hit of the 2017 season. Nope, he thanked Jerry Haas, the chassis builder as he should have. Glidden retired his undefeated Fairmont in favor of a Plymouth Arrow in 1979 and lost only three times all year. Glidden won 85 NHRA National Events. Something tells us that the next time you hear a thunderstorm in the distance it may actually sound like a screaming Ford Fairmont with a skinny guy from Indiana behind the wheel, shifting the Lenco as the car hurtles down the big strip in the sky to a win light. The best that I could figure was that it probably had something to do with cylinder heads. Bob "Xman" Williams#2096 Super Streetanother SRA member"Chance Favors the Prepared Mind". Once he realized he wasn't. Not just the engine itself but the race weight he was allowed to use in competition with the Arrow. I heard it caused a lot of stress for the entire Glidden family, because of Bob's hard line on the cheating issue. Glidden went on to win the race, setting low e.t. You may not like Fords, and you certainly did not like them when Bob Glidden raced but giving anything but respect to this man is a massive, massive mistake. Hell, in anything that is impressive. "He gave the inspiration to a lot of people that if you dedicate yourself to something you're gonna be successful at it. Then in 1980, at Englishtown, New Jersey, Bob and Etta attracted a crowd around their pro stock pit area. Hell I couldn't blame him a bit. Glidden retired as the driver with the most wins in National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) history at that time a feat recently topped by 16-time Funny Car champion John Force and he was the third-most successful drag racer of the professional class drivers sixth when counting sportsman national event winners at the time of his death. Bob Glidden's Willie Rells 1988 Ford Probe. 1 five times, posted top speed eight times, and set low e.t. HOULTON -- Robert (Bob) L. Glidden Sr., 83, died following a brief illness on Feb. 16, 2010, in a Bangor Hospital. Get the best deals for bob glidden pro stock die cast at eBay.com. His domination of the Pro Stock class set the bar high for other competitors and he will go down as one of the greats in the sport of drag racing. We'll send you raw engine tech articles, news, features, and videos every week from EngineLabs. He is most closely associated with Ford cars, a manufacturer that he used throughout his career, except in 1979, winning the world championship in a Plymouth Arrow. That was one gnarly Shoebox ! Barbed wire, also known as barb wire, occasionally corrupted as bobbed wire or bob wire, is a type of steel fencing wire constructed with sharp edges or points arranged at intervals along the strands. Frosty and I are thinking of Etta and the family, lifting them in prayer, hoping for their peace, and sending our love. The was a man on an absolute mission. Either email addresses are anonymous for this group or you need the view member email addresses permission to view the original message, Don't get me wrong I admire people like Bob Glidden and I look at Drag, Bob Glidden did not get caught using nitrous oxide..One of his kids, I think that was Billy at Gainesville,driving the winnebago, what is the scoop about Scotty Cannon pressurizing the block with nitrous, You do not have permission to delete messages in this group. Bob knew Rusty was using it when Rusty ran the 6 with the Winnibago (sp) car. Bob will be missed! This did not lend it self kindly to Gliddens program at the time. With his wife, Etta, and, later in his career, sons Billy and Rusty by his side, the man known as Mad Dog for his tireless work ethic and dominated the class in the late 1970s and 1980s, winning back-to-back season championships in 1974-1975, three in a row (1978-80) and five straight (1985-89), Everyone in the NHRA community is saddened to learn the news of Bobs passing," said NHRA President Peter Clifford. He won the Summernationals, he won the Le Grandnational in Montreal, he won Indy, he won the Fallnationals, and he closed the deal out by winning the World Finals. Glidden died in Whiteland on December 17, 2017 of colorectal cancer at the age of 73. I imagine we ran bigger ports than anyone else, but I dont have a clue what the other people ran.. 1978 was a huge year for Glidden. His wife Etta and sons Billy and Rusty provided invaluable support in his driving efforts, and his will to win and tireless commitment carried him across the finish line in first countless times. By compare odysseus emotions with telemachus when they are reunitedcompare odysseus emotions with telemachus when they are reunited After a transmission failure in round two of the finals caused Shepherd to withdraw from competition, Glidden went on to win the championship yet again. After early-round losses at the Winternationals and Gatornationals, Glidden was dealt a devastating blow at the Southern Nationals when a gust of wind caught his parachute and sent his Thunderbird into a tailspin following a semifinal victory over Butch Leal. About Bob Glidden. Watch; S p o n s o r e d. NHRA 1995 Bob Glidden Quality Care Ford Probe Pro Stock DRacing Track Handout. Share this: It's determined by the amount of wor. While many people would have thought he was crazy, Glidden raced to feed his family and while he was switching brands, he would not switch off the competitive spirit that he used to dominate so hard in Fords. In pro stock. It was the Glidden and Shepherd show through the entire 1980 season. John Force, left, celebrates Bob Glidden's induction into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame. Billy Meyer did that.The photo you are talking about was,in fact,a fuel returnline that never got completely torqued up! May you rest in peace Mr. Glidden, and I call you Mr. because of the respect I have for you. Yeah, Glidden had hoards of fans wherever he raced. I liked after the Atlanta crashdid he thank an imaginary higher power for his walking away from this horrendous wreck? He turned me on to Pro Stock as a teen. In 74 Gliddens very first full season in Pro Stock he won three major events and the Winston championship. He was a very nice guy, He will be missed. In a star-studded career that spanned more than 25 years in the class, Glidden won 85 events and 10 season championships. Surely will be missed by all who follow the sport. He was in 10 of 14 finals and won the last five races of the year for his 8th title. Unlike his 1979 championship season, Glidden won his third straight and fifth title in 1980 in dramatic fashion. Kurt Johnson 5/20/94 Englishtown, N.J. 6.988 Darrell Alderman 8/5/94 Kent, Wash. 6.994 Warren Johnson 3/10/95 Houston, Texas 6.981, Bill Glidden 3/12/95 Houston, Texas 6.999, Scott Geoffrion 4/2/95 Gainesville, Fla. 6.985 Jim Yates 9/16/95 Reading, Pa. 6.999 Rickie Smith 5/18/96 Englishtown, N.J. 6.999 Jerry Eckman 8/3/96 Kent, Wash. 6.997 Mark Pawuk 10/26/96 Pomona, Calif. 6.993 Mike Edwards 10/27/96 Pomona, Calif. 6.995 Troy Coughlin 2/1/97 Pomona, Calif. 6.972 Steve Schmidt 3/7/97 Gainesville, Fla. 6.962 Bruce Allen 3/7/97 Gainesville, Fla. 6.978 Ray Franks 3/8/97 Gainesville, Fla. 6.997 George Marnell 3/8/97 Gainesville, Fla. 6.999 Mike Thomas 4/11/97 Commerce, Ga. 6.988, NITRO498 wrote in message. American drag racing legend Bob Glidden has died at age 73. Time left 12h 35m left. Glidden's Pinto carried him to a come-from-behind victory over rivals Wally Booth and Gapp. Mike Magda is a veteran automotive writer with credits in publications such as Racecar Engineering, Hot Rod, Engine Technology International, Motor Trend, Automobile, Automotive Testing Technology and Professional Motorsport World. Additionally, Glidden drove three different cars in 1975 while winning this title including the old Pinto that he used to kick ass at the end of the year. BOBBY G. Prayers and condolences to Etta, Rusty and Billy. 1974 would be the first of his 10 NHRA championships. In 2001, the NHRA honored him with the No. Enter Ford who immediately signed him to a factory sponsorship in fear that Glidden would take his talents under the GM umbrella. His final win was at the Mopar Parts Nationals in 1995. Your personal data will be used to support your experience throughout this website, to manage access to your account, and for other purposes described in our privacy policy. He began driving in Stock and Super Stock races during the late 60s, and went professional in 1972, just a year before his first NHRA national event victory at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. He also qualified No. Bob Glidden's ever trusty Ford Fairmont was a workhorse pro stock. NEVER HAPPENEDway back when he was running IHRA,Glidden refused to a teardown.Instead of justpumping a couple of cylinders,They wanted a complete teardown.Bob packed it upand left.He never raced IHRA after that >Unrelated to ProStock, but still Nitrous, Dale Armstrong was caught playing>around with it on Kenny's Funny cartalk about simplicityhe used one of>the two firebottles for the nitrous. Glidden showed up at the 1976 US Nationals in a Monza, much to the amazement of everyone. Gliddens reaction is understandable, given the state of affairs in Pro Stock at the time. Miraculously, Glidden was not hurt, and he returned to competition a month later at the Cajun Nationals with a new Thunderbird, but his first win would not come until the Mile-High Nationals in July. A Ford campaigner from the beginning, Glidden's success in Pro Stock stemmed from his apprenticeship in Stock and Super Stock. LOL. He was born Feb. 7, 1927 in Dover, N.H., the son of Cecil and Ina (Littlefield) Glidden. He went on to work with Ford, developing engines for their NASCAR Winston Cup program. He was 73. I am 70 years old and remember the Golden Age of Pro Stock!!! Glidden, who left his job at Ed Martin Ford to concentrate on racing full time, runner-upped to Bill Jenkins at the season-ending Supernationals in his Pro Stock debut. Bob Glidden, drag racing legend and 10-time NHRA Pro Stock champion, died Dec. 17. He would be out on the flow bench or out in the garage right after dinner on Christmas Day. We will safeguard your e-mail and only send content you request. This was a man who was doing exactly what he was put on this Earth to do. Glidden also had a 42 round win streak, you now, because thats what the guy did. Glidden died in Whiteland on December 17, 2017 of colorectal cancer at the age of 73. I shot a pic of that car at Rockingham in '95 andit was a Probe. 1983 was another successful season and frankly a dream season for anyone but Bob Glidden. I remember the tale of them stripping and sandblasting a Pinto unibody, then leaving it outside to rust. Glidden, who left his job at Ed Martin Ford to concentrate on racing full time, runner-upped to Bill Jenkins at the season-ending Supernationals in his Pro Stock debut. A vengeance ride of a season the sport has never seen before or since. By Jerry Bonkowski Dec 18, 2017, 6:03 PM EST. Our thoughts and prayers continue to go out to the Glidden family. He was one of my Heros back in the 80s and made me a fan of pro stock for years to come. In our lives some people pass through, but others are permanent. A self-taught mechanic who overhauled a broken family tractor at age 12 because he was the only person not working in the fields, he went onto a career as a Ford mechanic where he not only excelled in the garage but also in sportsman racing promoting the very dealership he worked for, Ed Martin Ford. Nothing was taken for granted. Bob Glidden leaves behind one of the most decorated legacies in NHRA and motorsports history. Got a tour of hos trailer and everything. He crawled out, staggered once, noticed the hood was gone, took off his jacket and covered his home made intake manifold. He was 73-years-old. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); The Pep Boys NHRA Top Fuel All-Star Callout Returns for 2023, [Gallery] Upstairs at the 70th Annual Detroit Autorama, Fourth World Series of Pro Mod Takes Place this Weekend at Bradenton, FL, Fueling the Fire Bracket Race & Street-Strip Fuel Delivery Systems Part 2. Right out of the gate, he came out guns blazing with five of seven wins. RIP Bob Glidden.You\ve been my favorite since the first time I ever saw you! Thanks for the Memories,Bob. The first generation of Pro Stock cars were governed by the weight-per-cubic-inch benchmark, which evolved in a spiders web of weight breaks often decided by inside politics. Were losing the great ones in the sport :^(. Bob was a genuine hero to me. I\ve missed him since he retired. In 90 I and a friend were taveling north through Indiana . Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. Well that blows. He was the man to beat in pro stock in the late 80s. He was dominating with five number one qualifiers, he set low ET a half dozen times during the season and all the while, NHRA rules makers were adding weight to his combo, moving weight from others, and basically playing musical chairs to keep things in balance. Bob Glidden was so angry that he could have chewed an engine block in half. He lived next door to CJ Rayburn a dirt racer and an ex drag racer. Other than a pressure cooling, I was wondering about this "pressurized block" thing too You want, I don't know, thats why I was asking you guys , sounded kinda stupid to me, what i think he mean's is the nitros was plumbed through the block to hide it, >what i think he mean's is the nitros was plumbed through the block to hide it, The Wayne County team did indeed get caught with NOS in their carsIt was, On Sat, 14 Jul 2001 09:01:49 -0700, "Ron Zeppin", << He got caught when one of the photo's of the car, Might be BSLike I said, I got it second hand, but the guy I got it from. During this time in NHRA history, racers ran both divisional and national events to gain points. If before reading this you weren't familiar with Bob Glidden, you've probably seen his epic crash in 1986 in at least one Top 10 crash montages. Check the 6 second club.Billy Glidden made the club using laughing gas! He will be missed. 1974 was his second season in the Pro Stock field and the first of a two-in-a-row championship win. Countless hours of development and experimentation, but the payoff was huge. We did everything in-house, says Glidden, who won five straight Pro Stock titles from 1985 to 1989. Star of 70s TV series On the Buses Bob Grant has been found dead at his home, after apparently committing suicide. It was a harbinger of things to come. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. They had a major falling out over themess as well, as Bob admitted both that they did it, and how they did it. By NHRA.com (Whiteland, IN) -- Pro Stock icon Bob Glidden, one of the most dominant forces in the history of NHRA Drag Racing, died on Sunday. He talked about that short little Ford in ill-terms from 1982 forward. Bob. Glidden was the number one qualifier AT EVERY RACE. All rights reserved. Robert Bob Glidden, 78, of Clear Lake, Iowa, died Wednesday, July 20, 2016 at St. Mary's Hospital, Rochester, MN. The number 1 pro stock driver of all time. Glidden came back in '85, led the points race all season, and won five national events. Glidden was a dag racer who I seen sometimes when I was racing on dirt. Bob was a force to be reckoned with in his Pinto & Fairmont. Ford Motor Company Director Edsel B. Ford II said of Glidden for me, Bob represented what drag racing was all about during his era. In 1974, in just his second full season in Pro Stock, Glidden won three major events, including the Springnationals and U.S. Nationals, and set both ends of the national record en route to his first Winston championship. They would have seen the size and shape of the ports and the angles of the plenum, says Glidden. In fact it was one of Bob's old Probes, thatnever got close to running a 6 with Bob's legal horsepower under thehood. In a star-studded career that spanned more than 25 years in the class,. Further on hidden nitrous, the Wayne County guys were supposed to have had adummy battery and cables which concealed their system. When we started hiring outside people, it was really our downfall, admits Glidden. For those who raced with him on local streets many decades ago, when he and his friends put every spare dollar they. I was never a Ford guy growing up, but the only Ford i cheered for was the one that had Bob Glidden on the window. We didn't want to get out.". The best of all times. In a star-studded career that spanned more than 25 years in the class, Glidden won 85 events and 10 season championships and was voted No. We are always looking for good bang shifty stories, projects, photos & videos. 1970s Drag Racing-Bob Glidden-1972 Ford Pinto-Pro Stock-1977 NHRA US Nationals. In the summer of 1978, Glidden embarked on one of the sport's legendary winning streaks that included nine straight national event victories and stretched a complete calendar year. Pro Stock drag racing is one of the most secretive motorsport disciplines, at least in pit ritual. +C $15.65 shipping. His last real competitive pass came in 2003, and he did return to the track in 2010 to consult with another team. With that success he managed a second place finish in the standings behind the one and only Dyno Don Nicholson. >Also, Bob Glidden HIMSELF DID get caught with NOS on board also. On Sunday, December 17, Glidden died at age 73, after being admitted to an Indianapolis hospital for an undisclosed illness on December 5. His potent and competitive Ford combination had been hit yet another time by the pounds-per-cubic inch parity regulators. And Bob made Rusty own up to it, or stay away from the family. However, this time they'd gone too far and Glidden was prepared to point that out. In a situation that would become all to familiar to him during his pro stock career, Glidden became such a focus of rules makers and fellow competitors that his car was torn down at every available opportunity. in nine national events with his Ford Fairmont in 1978, so it was shocking that. It was Billy Glidden that ran the Winnebago PROBE ! His wife, Etta Glidden, was his crew chief with both of their sons by her side. The first major chapters in the Glidden book may be done but the family story still continues to add chapters. When Bob Glidden was inducted as number four on the NHRA's Top 50 Drivers list, panelist Bob Frey said of Glidden's talent, "There never was, and probably never will be, a more dominant driver in our sport." He was 74 years old. "Everyone in the NHRA community is saddened to learn the news of Bob's passing," NHRA President Peter Clifford said. RIP Bob you were the greatest. It was restored by Bruce Weiss back in '1991. Billy, continue carrying the banner! See more ideas about bob glidden, drag racing cars, glidden. This performance was called total domination. Between the truck, the trailer, the car, and a spare engine with parts they had $18,000 invested in what they hoped would be their future. News, Racing In 1968 because of his burgeoning success, Martin put his prodigy racer in the hottest thing Ford had to offer for sportsman racing, a 428 Cobra Jet Mustang stocker. His career accomplishments are nearly superhuman with one of the most incredible stats being that the man appeared in the finals of the US Nationals 13 times IN A ROW. However, this time theyd gone too far and Glidden was prepared to point that out. He was voted #4 all time on NHRAs Top 50 list during the 50th anniversary season of the organizations existence. I was a big Bob Glidden fan back in the Pinto days. Danny at work aked me if i had heard the news and the answer was yes, my next words right or wrong was that really sux. Mr. Glidden. record at the Supernationals, locking in the season victory. Mar 11, 2011. nvrdun said: I thought Cragar did make Bob Glidden wheels for a couple years??? Glidden believes strongly that when . Go Gliddens! Bob went on to indirectly accuse KurtJohnson of it, but had no proof. RIP Bob. 68 TorinoGT Fastback, 1982 Mercury Capri RS (bought new) 1975 Bronco. Glidden's 1988 Winston championship, his ninth, followed a similar script. Glidden spent much of his racing career in Ford cars, but he spent some time in a Plymouth Arrow and after retiring as a driver, he served as the crew chief for a few different teams, including the Mopar Pro Stock camp in the mid-2000s. ETTA TALKED ABOUT WRENCHING ON BOBS CAR.SHE GAVE A LIFE SIZE POSTER OF BOB.SHE IMPRESSED MY DAUGHTER SUSAN SO MUCH SHE GOT A MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEGREE AND NOW IS A GM ENGINEER . Forward to 2011 and I see him in pits in Phoenix again. Glidden earned the nickname 'Mad Dog' due to his intense work ethic. There were wins but no title. 2023 Power Automedia. What was the big secret? what did bob glidden die from. From the start of his career, racing was always a family affair. 1976 was a down year for Glidden and one where he actually raced a Chevroletfor one race. The time, effort and engineering required to compete and win in the manner the Glidden Family has is phenomenal and unmatched. He was a self-made man who left his job as a mechanic at a Ford dealership to go racing full-time with a dream, a tireless work ethic and a winning determination.. Market data provided by Factset. Always, always admired Mr. Glidden. 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Legendary NHRA drag racer Bob Glidden died Dec. 17 at the age of 73. Your email address will not be published. 1987 was more ridiculous domination. My deepest condolences go out to Etta and the Glidden family. Glidden died in Whiteland on December 17, 2017 of colorectal cancer at the age of 73. I watched Bob spend his life becoming the Legend, by simply doing what he loved to do. Glidden won his first championship in 1974 in just his third year as a pro driver. Bob Glidden (August 18, 1944 December 17, 2017) was an American drag racer. 1970 Ford Boss 429 Mustang - Calypso Coral (Highway 61) 1/18. It pulled the back of the car hard right and sent it head-on into the opposite guardrail. After coming close in 1980, Shepherd succeeded in stripping Glidden of his title in 1981. Glidden entered the season finale in Ontario, Calif., trailing Shepherd by two rounds and caught a huge break when Shepherd's transmission broke in the second round. He was a legend because of the way he approached the sport, because of the fact he never took success for granted, and because of the fact that a sharecroppers son from Indiana who started off in life as a self taught mechanic making a living in a Ford dealership became one of the most vaunted racers in American motorsports history.