Wed, 28 Feb 2018, 19:26 PM Farewell Bob Glidden

By Steve Reyes Photo copyright 2018 Steve Reyes

The king of the pro stock class has passed at age 73. Yes, that champion of champions, Bob Glidden has joined Ronnie Sox, Bill Jenkins, Don Nicholson and Dick Landy in the racing heavens. The pro stock class was only two years old when a young Greenwood, Indiana, Ford mechanic named Bob Glidden began his climb to pro stock and drag racing glory.

Unfortunately, I never got to know Glidden. I spoke to him briefly a few times but to watch him race was pure magic. The only way to describe "Hoosier" Bob was that he was dominant and tenacious when he raced. Losing was not an option for Glidden. He was there to win, period!

With his family in tow, the Glidden's; Bob, Etta, Billy and Rusty, traversed the USA raking up victory after victory and put all pro stock racers on call. Glidden was after them. Glidden won mainly with Ford pro stocks, but in 1979, he switched to a Mopar. Of course, he won with the Mopar also, but he regained his senses and returned to his Ford roots in 1980.

Now I could write about all his victories and championships in his career, but since I am not writing the great Glidden novel I will get right down to the facts. He won ten NHRA championships and collected eighty-five event wins. Glidden was the first to win fifty events and then seventy-five events. He also won nine times at the NHRA US Nationals, just down the road from his hometown of Greenwood, Indiana.

Bob qualified number one 102 times and attended 122 final rounds in pro stock. He made the Ford folks smile with 78 victories. These were spread out among his Thunderbird (30), Probe (20), Pinto (13), Fairmont (12), Mustang (2), and EXP (1). Remember he raced for Mopar in 1979 and his Plymouth Arrow won 7 events.

A drag racing icon? You bet, he was the best of the best. God speed to you Bob Glidden.

If you wish to purchase prints of the photos below or any others, they may be obtained by contacting us at breyes@reyesontour.com. Other photos for purchase may be viewed by following the links at www.reyesontour.com.

Here, unknown, Bob Glidden, blasted down the 1320 at the US Nationals in 1972.
Glidden was at the controls of his Martin Ford super stock Mustang.
Glidden finished 1972 in an ex-Gapp & Rousch Pinto pro stock.
Early in his career in the Pinto pro stock, Glidden suffered head injuries
in a wheel testing crash at Beech Bend, Kentucky. The crash tore the
Pinto in half and even pulled the helmet from Glidden's head.
Those injuries he suffered bothered him for his entire pro stock career.

Glidden purchased the former Sandy Elliott/Barry Poole Pinto from Gapp and Rousch.
This replaced the test crashed Pinto. Elliott and Poole quit pro stock because of a
serious snowmobile accident in which Poole was seriously injured. Glidden then
piloted the Pinto to thirteen national event wins.

Here Wayne Gapp sought revenge for the holeshot loss that Glidden put on him at
the US Nationals. Sure enough, Gapp achieved an 8.87 winning ET to a losing 8.86.
Then in 1973, at the US Nationals, Glidden realized his first event win.
It was the start of something big in the pro stock class.

In 1979, Glidden jumped to a Plymouth Arrow and won seven events.
Here Glidden squared off with Bill Jenkins at Ontario, California.
At the end of 1979, Glidden ended his Mopar career.
He returned to Ford in 1980 and stayed with Ford until retiring in 1997.

Bob Glidden's ever trusty Ford Fairmont was a workhorse pro stock.
He raced it in 1978, 1980 and 1981 and won thirteen national even titles.
Then in 1980, at Englishtown, New Jersey, Bob and Etta attracted a crowd
around their pro stock pit area. Yeah, Glidden had hoards of fans wherever he raced.

It was the classic Ford vs. Chevy in the early pro stock class.
Glidden vs. Lee Shepherd always drew the crowd to its feet.
These two drivers were both top notch drivers and it was
fun to watch them battle. Glidden also couldn't take
UDRA pro stock champion Joe Satmary lightly.
Satmary was a very cagey pro stock owner/driver who
loved to take down the "big guys" in pro stock.
Both these photos were shot at Martin, Michigan.

In the pits it was the Glidden family show.
Every one named Glidden worked on the car or around it.
Here Etta and Bob were busy between rounds.
Heck, when the car was loaded into the family eighteen-wheeler,
Etta would drive the rig while Bob worked on the car in the back.
Most folks have issues working in a stationary garage, but,
how about working in one moving 70-80 mph?

I guess this set would be Glidden's high's and low's.
His line of Thunderbirds scored the most victories at thirty.
But the poor EXP only scored one national event win.

Glidden showed up in coast to coast (almost anyway) winner's circles
at Indianapolis and Pomona with a whole lot more spread out on the
East Coast and Midwest. Such was the life of the Glidden family.

For me, I would say the biggest rival for Glidden was Warren Johnson.
These guys hated each other. In an interview, Glidden made the comment,
"I wouldn't give WJ the sweat off my balls!" No love lost there!

NHRA: 10 Most Recent Entries [ top ]

Nov 13- POMONA 2 - Top Sportsman Round 2 Eliminations
Nov 13- POMONA 2 - Top Dragster Round 2 Eliminations
Nov 13- POMONA 2 - Super Gas Round 3 Eliminations
Nov 13- POMONA 2 - Super Stock Round 3 Eliminations
Nov 13- POMONA 2 - Super Comp Round 3 Eliminations
Nov 13- POMONA 2 - Stock Eliminator Round 3 Eliminations
Nov 13- POMONA 2 - Championship Scenarios Bring Plenty of Excitement to Pomona
Nov 13- POMONA 2 - Friday Schedule
Nov 13- POMONA 2 - Super Gas Round 2 Winners
Nov 13- POMONA 2 - Top Dragster Round 1 Eliminations