Bob Glidden

[Bill Mitchell]

This afternoon I was listening to audiocast & they were talking to Bob and he was back at the track.

[troublemaker427]

Originally Posted by Bill Mitchell

This afternoon I was listening to audiocast & they were talking to Bob and he was back at the track.

Thats good to hear. You can't keep a racer from the race track!!

[rayfin]

I hope he is OK.

[bill dedman]

He has astounded and amazed me multiple times in my life, but to ME the most amazing thing he ever did was to win the NHRA Pro Stock World Chamionship with a small block Mopar at a time when guys like Dick Landy, Butch Leal, Billy the Kid Step, and, the Rod shop (not positive about that one) were all building copycat cars and not ONE of them ever won a single National event with that motor (to my knowledge), and the following year, he returned to Ford and won the National Championship, again! That may be the year when he went a whole year without getting outrun. I think he redlighted at Denver, and that's the only race he lost. But, nobody actually outran him...


At least, that's the way my so-called brain remembers it.

It's not for nothing, that they call him "Mad Dog!!!"

If any or all of this is wrong, I apologize; my memory is not the best, these days... please correct my errors.

[Geerhead55]

Bill,,,,No need to apologize,,I've got more gaps in my memory than in my teeth, so I know what you mean. For the record,,,1977, the last year for Glidden's Pinto,,"78 the first Fairmont appears, and goes on that incredible win streak,,'79 the switch to Mopar and he runs the Arrow to another championship,,followed, in '80, by the second Fairmont, that lost the championship to Lee Shepherd.
I've got a great upper end shot of these two cars near the finish line at Seattle that year that is one of my favorite photos that I've taken. That was one of the great rivalries in racing thats mostly forgotten about nowadays. Take care.
Danny Durham

[Geerhead55]

Bill,,, Of course,,after I hit the send button, I decide to "check my memory" and on the NHRA stats column, it clearly shows that Bob Glidden did indeed win the "80 championship, and Lee Shepherd started his streak in '81. I knew he won 4 of them before his death in '85,,but my math was off,,at least thats my story and i'm sticking to it!
Sorry for the goof fellas,,,,,Danny Durham

[Gallinero Racing]

He did Ford and Dodge and no much luck with GM but who cares, he got the championship for so many years. He could take a bicycle and make it fly!!!

[bill dedman]

Thanks, Danny!!! He's a phenomenon, all right!!!

I once heard that he built his engines ON THE FLOOR, so as not to have the cylinders subjected to the streesses of an engine stand (no egg-shaped cylinders). I wonder if that's true?

[Dinsdale]

Originally Posted by bill dedman

Thanks, Danny!!! He's a phenomenon, all right!!!

I once heard that he built his engines ON THE FLOOR, so as not to have the cylinders subjected to the streesses of an engine stand (no egg-shaped cylinders). I wonder if that's true?

Not sure if that's true (could be) but I saw him put a motor together on the ground in Seattle once. Hurt the good motor in the car and needed a backup. Certainly a one of a kind guy.. Best there ever was or will be with the fans as well.

[X-TECH MAN]

Originally Posted by bill dedman

Thanks, Danny!!! He's a phenomenon, all right!!!

I once heard that he built his engines ON THE FLOOR, so as not to have the cylinders subjected to the streesses of an engine stand (no egg-shaped cylinders). I wonder if that's true?

Its very true.