Bob Glidden Passed away today

RIP Bob Glidden

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

Sorry to hear that. Bob is a legend.

Met Bob 4 or 5 years ago at Capitol Raceway when he was working with Jim Cunningham. Seemed like a nice guy. RIP Bob.

I have the utmost respect for him and his family. Godspeed Bob Glidden.

Again...just damn.

Thanks for all the memories Bob. You will be missed.

One of the best to ever race. Nice guy too, took time to talk to me like a regular fellow racer at BIR in 1987. So sad he is gone.

He had a simple formula
out work the competition
along the way he out drove them every time
a master
man we lost a good one!
Video on Bangshift of him waxing Warren Johnson--he was so at ease in the drivers seat a thing of beauty to watch

One of the best if not the best Pro Stock racers of all time. He came from a generation that did it all and as a Family. He will be missed by many. BangShift did a nice write-up on him.





https://bangshift.com/bangshift1320/bob-...story/#comments

R.I.P. ... a true icon and legend

Definitely among one of my favorites, due to the reasons mentioned. He did it all, engineered, tested, broke it, raced it, tried it, and had that true hard core old school grit we dont see anymore. May he R.I.P.

I know it comes to all of us, but it is still sad. At least he'll have good company with Landy, Sox, Jenkins, Yunick, and others.

Imagine if all the guys listed got together and started their own Pro Stock class. I’m betting it sure as heck wouldn’t have the same format as today’s class. Lol

Thanks to all that posted; definitely some good information. He was a little before my time. Seemed to be a great man who was admired by many.

I remember watching his son Billy many times up at Norwalk in his Darth Vader Mustang in the early 2000's.

I consider Bob to be the ultimate role model for anyone who aspires to be successful in drag racing. His work ethic was crazy. Always one of my favorites, regardless what he was driving.

The time he had the horrific crash in a T-Bird IIRC and then climbed out, and covered the intake with his jacket, before anyone could see, made me a fan ! RIP

Mark

His shop in Whiteland Indiana was about 5 minutes from my grandmothers. At one time there was a pile of blown up,used up motor parts behind his shop that you would need a loader and a semi truck to load. Good ol guy. Back in the late eighties they were all running for second place.
Todd

This. Being local, I saw Mr. Glidden at the track pretty often. He came out to test from time to time at our bracket events at IRP. When he was working, he was working. But between qualifying sessions at the Nationals, he was the consummate professional. He would sit at the ropes and sign hero cards for hours, take the time to write his name legibly, look at you and actually speak to you like a regular Joe.

Brought the Pentastar back to the front of the pack...

Remember it like it was yesterday...

Godspeed Mr. Glidden

Great picture right there.

I remember I was at Martin 131 drag way , Bob had just made a run and returned to the pits. He removed the hood on car and started beating the carburetors with a ball peen hammer, not tapping , hitting them pretty hard. LOL I have often have thought about that . The right way, the wrong way and Bob Gliddens way.

I was always a big fan. This is me in '94 at Sonoma next to the Probe in the staging lanes. Later he was working on it and the car was on the stands idling. He was fooling with the carbs and the idle started to falter. He quickly turned one of the idle screws and it cleaned right up and he went back to what he was doing. Cigarette dangling from his mouth. Funny the little memories that are so vivid to this day. Still a Hemi at this point. The unbelievable accomplishments are astounding. By far one of the best ever and a truly great American.

Wow, talk about a legend. Always associated his name with winning and innovation. RIP Bob.

One of the greatest, RIP, Bob.



Never knew the Arrow was his first factory ride.....

Ed

A true racer. I like the fact he was able to win with whatever he built and drove.

Dammit! Super nice guy. Whenever I saw him race, he always had time for the fans.
RIP, Bob. You were one of the best.



I was there and had just walked down to the finish line. IIRC, he was the first to run a funnycar-type cage that season and it probably saved his life.



Tim

I got out of drag racing around '67 and into dirt track sportsman cars.

During the early 80's I was running Cleveland engines and he was one of three people who would take my calls and answer my motor related questions.. the other two were Jack Roush and Bud Moore.

One trip through Indiana I stopped by his shop... must have been out testing cuz I missed him. Should have gone back another time to thank him. A missed opportunity I regret.

RIP to a great man.

I was blessed to meet him once and talk a few minutes. Like others said, super nice and down to earth.

RIP

I don't remember exactly which year it was that he exploded a dampener on one of his Fairmont Pro Stock cars at Orange County, CA testing before the NHRA World finals. That damage was bad enough to the front end of the car, including to the frame rail tubes that NHRA started the after market SFI spec. dampeners mandatory after that on all cars that ran faster than 9.99 ET in the 1/4 mile
He was a leader in all things drag racing
R.I.P. Bob Glidden

Sad to hear.RIP Bob

In case you would like to look, great series...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mr6qwGcMegM

I remember right up in a magazine about his Mopar, and he was quoted as saying the small block Mopar was a Chevy with goofy valve train.

May the Lord have mercy on him.

very good video. thanks for posting

Enjoyed it, I hadn't realized his Fairmont was undefeated after a year of racing it. ☺

I saw a tech article on the SBM back in the day. The Pro Stock people, that were running a SBM, welded in new lifter galleys (gallery?) into the block. The angles were too F'd up to work...
RIP Bob Glidden

Good write up:

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

A true legend, one of my favourite racers ever (even though most of his victories were in a Ford !!). Met him a couple of times for autographs in the eighties, when he was running both the NHRA 500inch, and IHRA mountain motors.
RIP, thanks for the entertainment!

So sorry to hear of his passing. Glidden was certainly one of drag racing's legends & I remember him running in so many events I watched over the years. I wonder what got him - 73 is pretty young. I will miss him.

I don't think I have seen anything from the family on this but I am sure it was heart problems.

I think it was in the mid to late nineties he had six way bypass surgery. I read that the doctors said he had three or four years to live after that. They did not realize how tough he was!

I saw Billy quoted that he fought to the very end to stay alive.

Bob was a heavy smoker and while he may have quit eventually I think the continued to smoke after his surgery.

Rip Mr. Glidden.