Bob Glidden Passes

[Krooser]

Pro Stock drag racing legend Bob Glidden has died. RIP.

[HoosierDirtFan]

Pro Stock drag racing legend Bob Glidden has died. RIP.

Just seen that as well. Age 73. He was the reason I ever started watching NHRA Drag Racing on TV. Lived in the Indianapolis area. The NHRA Pro Stock division wouldn't be where it's at today with out Bob Glidden and Warren Johnson. For the longest time Bob led the NHRA in Career National Event wins at 85 until John Force passed him about 10 - 15 years ago. R.I.P. Bob Glidden.

[billetbirdcage]

You sure? There was some confusion over a FB post by some family members the other day that lead to people thinking Bob died. Bob has been in bad health for a while.

[Cardirt0]

You sure? There was some confusion over a FB post by some family members the other day that lead to people thinking Bob died. Bob has been in bad health for a while.
https://www.nhra.com/nhra first story

[billetbirdcage]

OK, it was a false alarm yesterday but he did pass today.

https://www.nhra.com/news/2017/hall-fame-nhra-pro-stock-driver-bob-glidden-passes-away

For those of you that don't know, Bob lived next door to CJ Rayburn and was the inspiration for putting a 4-link on a Late model.

[nuff said]

I saw him flip at the Gatornationals and the nose was tore of the car.After a pretty hard rollover he jumped out of the car and took off his fire suit jacket and covered his carbs so no one could see them.

[CIRF]

That is a fact, Bob Glidden was an integral part of the development of what we all know as the modern generic dirt late model. Glidden, CJ and I believe Carl Kinser might have been in on that deal, as well.


RIP Mr. Glidden.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

OK, it was a false alarm yesterday but he did pass today.

https://www.nhra.com/news/2017/hall-fame-nhra-pro-stock-driver-bob-glidden-passes-away

For those of you that don't know, Bob lived next door to CJ Rayburn and was the inspiration for putting a 4-link on a Late model.

Then CJ decided they were not any good. LOL. I wonder if CJ will get his dog back now?

[Chris Thomason]

For those of you that don't know, Bob lived next door to CJ Rayburn and was the inspiration for putting a 4-link on a Late model.

I had no idea, but that's pretty dam cool. That's why I read 4m...no matter how stupid it gets at times, still some smart folks here. Thanks for the history

[fastford]

can any one remember the fairmont and pinto days , ole bob tore there azz up in that clevland powered pinto back in the day . I was at Atlanta in the late 80s when he lost control of that T-bird on the big end and tore it all to he!! , first thing he said when they got it back to the trailer was, " wellp , its back to the drawing board" . One thing about Bob was he would not cheat in any way , I remember when billy tried to get him to run nitros because billy said the rest were doing it and bob said hell no , if he had to cheat he would quit , soon after , he did. Well, thats a little bit of my Bob Glidden story , RIP Mr. Glidden , in your day , you were the best...........

[nuff said]

It was a Fairmont he rolled at Gainesville. Glidden vs Reher/Morrison was big back then.

[CIRF]

It's been a long time ago and I don't remember all that well but didn't Glidden have open heart bypass surgery late in his driving career? It seems that might have hastened his retirement. But then again I might be way off base.

[Cardirt0]

I can remember back when I was on a UDRA Funny Car team.. Drag racing was fun back then..We were running a 1200HP car , Now they 8000HP the 1970s were Fun....Meet him more then once...at the tracks...

[Illtsate32]

I had no idea, but that's pretty dam cool. That's why I read 4m...no matter how stupid it gets at times, still some smart folks here. Thanks for the historyIronic if he started the 4 link setup but mostly still runs the swing arm style...

[Krooser]

I stopped by Glidden's shop years ago but no one was around... CJ's joint was empty, too.

[formercrewguy]

I saw him flip at the Gatornationals and the nose was tore of the car.After a pretty hard rollover he jumped out of the car and took off his fire suit jacket and covered his carbs so no one could see them.

Actually he was covering the intake manifold. He pioneered the "sheet metal" (alum.) manifolds. Today, Tim Hogan is the guru on those.

[fastford]

Actually he was covering the intake manifold. He pioneered the "sheet metal" (alum.) manifolds. Today, Tim Hogan is the guru on those.

thats the first thing he did when he crashed the Tbird in atlanta , took his jacket off and covered the intake......

[HoosierDirtFan]

Here is a great way to remember Bob Glidden
http://i68.tinypic.com/2cz26ph.jpg

[nuff said]

Actually he was covering the intake manifold. He pioneered the "sheet metal" (alum.) manifolds. Today, Tim Hogan is the guru on those.

You are correct.

[HoosierDirtFan]

Here is the nasty wreck from the 1986 Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway in Atlanta, Georgia.
Bob Glidden in the far lane with the blue & white Ford and Butch Leo in the I believe white Pontiac in the near lane.
https://www.facebook.com/RedLineShirtClub/videos/499247486824057/?fref=mentions

[fastford]

thank you for finding that video HDF , i never new it existed , I was on the pit side just before the finish line , I usually was at the starting line but for some reason i went down to the finish line , I have a picture some where with the jacket over the intake , also that was a good picture of the red and white motorcraft car , i think that was 87 or 88........

[Late_Model_Mark]

My 2 favs of racing are the Drags and DLM's. I got to live the golden age in So-Cal in the 60s' and 70s' when the drags ruled the roost. I was at Ontario Motor Speedway for the Supernationals in 72 when Bob barely lost to Grumpy Jenkins in the final. The rest is no doubt awesome history. Saw him win from Pomona to Indy to Englishtown. A real family man, a crazy work-a-holic, and a ultra real racer. His Fairmont and Arrow were double bad ass. Those duels with Lee Shepherd, Warren Johnson, Frank Iaconio, the Grump, and Gapp and Roush were awesome. Rest in peace to a great racer and a super family man.



Late Model Mark

[keith94elliott]

I recall many moons ago being at rayburns shop and hearing glidden stretchin the wings of those fords on the dyno

[HoosierDirtFan]

thank you for finding that video HDF , i never new it existed , I was on the pit side just before the finish line , I usually was at the starting line but for some reason i went down to the finish line , I have a picture some where with the jacket over the intake , also that was a good picture of the red and white motorcraft car , i think that was 87 or 88........

I have a set of VHS crash videos called "And They Walked Away" the 1st of the 5 videos has that wreck at the very end of the video so I knew a video clip of it existed some where. Still watch them from time to time. Wrecks are from about 1986 - 1992 and include every thing from IMSA, NHRA, Bull Riding, NASCAR, SCCA Trans-Am, Sprint Cars, NHRA, Swamp Buggy, AMA Moto Cross, Quads, & more.

[billetbirdcage]

It's been enough years now my memory might be off, but not only the intake but I believe up to that wreck no one had seen the split dominator carbs he was using. This was the reason you hear about him covering the carbs it wasn't until later bob revealed the other things he didn't want seen at the time.

[a25rjr]

Don't forget, he built some powerful Fords for Geoff Bodine in Nascar!

[93Nelson]

I have a set of VHS crash videos called "And They Walked Away" the 1st of the 5 videos has that wreck at the very end of the video so I knew a video clip of it existed some where. Still watch them from time to time. Wrecks are from about 1986 - 1992 and include every thing from IMSA, NHRA, Bull Riding, NASCAR, SCCA Trans-Am, Sprint Cars, NHRA, Swamp Buggy, AMA Moto Cross, Quads, & more.

I have those tapes too. One has the wreck and a interview. Then shows him with a plaque for his 75th win

[TheJet-09]

Wasn't there also a story that from the corner to his mailbox was exactly 1/4 mile, or something along those lines? I knew his name from drag racing long before the likes of John Force. A true pioneer!

My condolences to his family and friends.

[dirtdobber45]

R.I.P. Bob. Thoughts and prayers to his family. Always liked him

[AllenK]

RIP Bob! Lee Shepherd vs Bob was always awesome to watch! Bob was a true pioneer. One of the last of his kind.

I've always loved Chevrolets,but I loved to watch Glidden race when I was a kid. My Dad owned a Pinto,and it amazed me that Bob was racing one. This was a big deal to under ten years old me! Thankfully that Pinto never exploded and killed us. I rode around all over creation with my parents in it,and I usually sat on top of the folded down rear seats with my feet on the trans tunnel. I sat right in between the front two buckets also,and no seat belt of course. Straight shot to the windhield if we would've ever wrecked.

My dad's sister and her family lived in Baton Rouge,La in the Seventies for about 5 years. State Captiol Dragway was and is nearby,and they hosted the Cajun Nationals NHRA event. We always tried to time a visit when they were having the event,and I remember one time sitting by a particulary colorful bunch of full blooded Cajuns. One old boy said "I been back there watchin' Glidden put his sh%t together,and he's gonna be bad man." Speaking of Cajuns and that track,Eldora,Fairbury,or wherever has nothing on the stuff that went on there,and that was in the broad daylight. That was a wild time in history,and that's even with me being too young to really appreciate some of what was going on.

[AllenK]

Oh,and I remember the big crash in that video. Pre-internet,it was weeks and even months before you might get all the news from racing. You would hear about it first in print media,and then weeks or months later it might be televised. I saw it on a crash compilation tape first. The National Dragster would usually lag a week behind the previous week's action. It was a LONG time after Lee Shepherd got killed that we got the news though.

[Slideways]

R.I.P. to a legend.

[Krooser]

Love the Sparkomatic decal on Leal's Poncho.....

[Krooser]

https://bangshift.com/bangshift1320/bob-glidden-died-73-one-singularly-dominant-drag-racers-history/

[minthess]

Andy Durham Ford type domination till everyone else started cheating.... Christ's peace to the greatest family in drag racing. Clevelands, Winsdors or Boss hemis.... it didn't matter... Glidden ruled. The GV2 windsor head that Ford claims to be trying to improve for Tony Stewart's dirt cars starts with G because of Glidden. So thankful Luna, Glidden, George Elliott etc didn't just talk about going faster and had rule books that allowed for true greatness. Also thankful for dlm racing allowing Andy to be truly great as well.

[MasterSbilt_Racer]

Andy Durham Ford type domination till everyone else started cheating.... Christ's peace to the greatest family in drag racing. Clevelands, Winsdors or Boss hemis.... it didn't matter... Glidden ruled. The GV2 windsor head that Ford claims to be trying to improve for Tony Stewart's dirt cars starts with G because of Glidden. So thankful Luna, Glidden, George Elliott etc didn't just talk about going faster and had rule books that allowed for true greatness. Also thankful for dlm racing allowing Andy to be truly great as well.

How big is the Ford tattoo on your bottom?

[AllenK]

Love the Sparkomatic decal on Leal's Poncho.....

Most people associate Sparkomatic with crappy car audio,but they also made shifters! Guy I knew did a three on the tree conversion,and the shifter was a Sparkomatic. I actually have a pair of their speakers in my beater in the rear doors. Factory ones quite working,and I just happened to be in the right place at the right time when my cousin was about to throw those speakers away.

[Krooser]

First two floor shifts I had were Fenton and Sparkomatic... Now I have Fu Man Chu and Wong Hung Lo...

[minthess]

No tattoo. I bet Smoke has a bowtie on his though:)

[Krooser]

No tattoo. I bet Smoke has a bowtie on his though:)

But I hear Smoke's sprint cars have Ford motors...

[fastford]

How big is the Ford tattoo on your bottom?

I bet it aint big as mine...LOL....

[old17ford]

I bet it aint big as mine...LOL....

Or mine !!