The legend :Bob Glidden

modelman1960 · 07-05-2016, 02:33 PM

Thanks for posting this Tom. It brings back my Bob Glidden memory.
It was at the Keystone Nationals when he won his 75th race. Can't remember the exact year, think it was 1889. I had taken 2 8x10's of him sitting in his old pinto and another of his 1970 Mustang and was standing at his pit area hoping he'd come out of the trailer(It was raining.... typical for Reading). Etta came out and came to the "rope". I asked her if she'd have Bob sign the 2 prints for me. She took them inside the trailer, and a few moments later leaned out and motioned me to come in. I ducked under that rope faster than lightning and went inside the air conditioned trailer and Bob was sitting in a directors chair just kind of chilling. He asked where I'd gotten the pictures from and I told him I took them myself at the 75 Summernationals. So 14 years had passed and he said he hadn't seen that Mustang in like forever. He then asked me if I was a big Ford fan, and in my "youthful" excitement of being in the presence of a star I said no(which was true), I was a big Bob Glidden fan. He asked me why, and I replied "cause you can make anything go fast". He was qualified 4th and W.J. was 1st, and he said he hoped he had enough for him come eliminations. Very very humble man. He signed both prints with the comment "Thanks, Bob Glidden"
When he came down the return road which went by the spectator side back then after winning the 1st round, he was waving at the crowd in the stands, but it was only me he was waving to out of the thousands that were there.That's the way I feel it was like to me. So I almost fell out of the bleachers when he went on to win his 75th victory.
A little long here, but I wanted to share. I still have those pictures too
27 years later.
Walt

henrys57wagon · 07-05-2016, 02:40 PM

Thanks for the memories. Walt, are you able to post the pictures?

SSDA Hemi · 07-05-2016, 09:21 PM

Mad Dog is Bada$$!!! Videos like this is the reason I no longer watch TV. Love the part about the nitrous and just how candid he is. Thanks for posting

And while I didnt root for them at the time because of Glidden...

Lee Shepherd with Reher/Morrison simply showed team work and BadA$$ driving will conquer one mans hard work. I could listen to stories about Lee all night long. Focus and dedication. RIP Lee....

Rich Biebel · 07-05-2016, 09:57 PM

I was at Etown when Bob won his last race in Pro Stock. He was not the fastest car that race and won when Yates did not make a good run. The track really was what won the race for Bob. We were all down below the tower and Bob was with Rusty Wallace. Glidden was beyond happy and gracious and friendly to everyone. He never expected to win so it was a surprise. The place went wild when he did win. Obviously the crowd loved it. I used to see him and his family working as hard as anyone sometimes very early in the day. No other Pro guys even there yet and they were. Working in any conditions. Dirt, grass whatever. He always said things little guys could identify with. He was really just one of us like many of the early Pro Stock racers. Nobody worked harder than people like Bob and Frank Iaconio among others. Lee Shepard was a great driver and his head porting skills were also as good as it got back then. It's a shame Pro Stock has faded so badly from what it once was.....

Paul Precht · 07-05-2016, 10:47 PM

I had a nice chat with Bob at the Gators in the early 80s after seeing he had the same Ford CL9000 as I did, it was like hanging out with an old friend even though we never spoke before, nice guy for sure.

bill dedman · 07-06-2016, 02:41 AM

Sometimes it gets lost in all the verbiage, but the significant fact is, Bob Glidden did all this (85 National Event wins) with a FORD, outnumbered by G,M, entries 10-to 1 and usually more (except for the one year he ran a Mopar 340-powered racer that nobody else ever won even ONE RACE (event) with... won the World Championship that year, too,,,)

And yet, he is so self-effacing and humble, he acts like it was all just luck....

NOBODY has luck like that... nobody.

It's for a very good reason that they called him "Mad Dog." LOL!

modelman1960 · 07-06-2016, 06:07 AM

Henry's 57 Wagon: I will try to post them. It will take some time as they are old and I think they are both "stuck" to the glass of the picture frames.
I'll do what I can and also try to find the original prints. Stand by Sir.
Walt

07-05-2016, 02:33 PM	#1
modelman1960 Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Central N.Y. Posts: 230 Likes: 2 Liked 55 Times in 22 Posts	Re: The legend :Bob Glidden Thanks for posting this Tom. It brings back my Bob Glidden memory. It was at the Keystone Nationals when he won his 75th race. Can't remember the exact year, think it was 1889. I had taken 2 8x10's of him sitting in his old pinto and another of his 1970 Mustang and was standing at his pit area hoping he'd come out of the trailer(It was raining.... typical for Reading). Etta came out and came to the "rope". I asked her if she'd have Bob sign the 2 prints for me. She took them inside the trailer, and a few moments later leaned out and motioned me to come in. I ducked under that rope faster than lightning and went inside the air conditioned trailer and Bob was sitting in a directors chair just kind of chilling. He asked where I'd gotten the pictures from and I told him I took them myself at the 75 Summernationals. So 14 years had passed and he said he hadn't seen that Mustang in like forever. He then asked me if I was a big Ford fan, and in my "youthful" excitement of being in the presence of a star I said no(which was true), I was a big Bob Glidden fan. He asked me why, and I replied "cause you can make anything go fast". He was qualified 4th and W.J. was 1st, and he said he hoped he had enough for him come eliminations. Very very humble man. He signed both prints with the comment "Thanks, Bob Glidden" When he came down the return road which went by the spectator side back then after winning the 1st round, he was waving at the crowd in the stands, but it was only me he was waving to out of the thousands that were there.That's the way I feel it was like to me. So I almost fell out of the bleachers when he went on to win his 75th victory. A little long here, but I wanted to share. I still have those pictures too 27 years later. Walt

07-05-2016, 02:40 PM	#2
henrys57wagon Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Carleton Place, On. Canada Posts: 107 Likes: 5 Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: The legend :Bob Glidden Thanks for the memories. Walt, are you able to post the pictures? __________________ old 1608 stock racer

07-05-2016, 09:21 PM	#3
SSDA Hemi Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: NJ Posts: 503 Likes: 130 Liked 451 Times in 77 Posts	Re: The legend :Bob Glidden Mad Dog is Bada$$!!! Videos like this is the reason I no longer watch TV. Love the part about the nitrous and just how candid he is. Thanks for posting And while I didnt root for them at the time because of Glidden... Lee Shepherd with Reher/Morrison simply showed team work and BadA$$ driving will conquer one mans hard work. I could listen to stories about Lee all night long. Focus and dedication. RIP Lee....

07-05-2016, 09:57 PM	#4
Rich Biebel VIP Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern New Jersey suburbs Posts: 2,315 Likes: 25 Liked 544 Times in 213 Posts	Re: The legend :Bob Glidden I was at Etown when Bob won his last race in Pro Stock. He was not the fastest car that race and won when Yates did not make a good run. The track really was what won the race for Bob. We were all down below the tower and Bob was with Rusty Wallace. Glidden was beyond happy and gracious and friendly to everyone. He never expected to win so it was a surprise. The place went wild when he did win. Obviously the crowd loved it. I used to see him and his family working as hard as anyone sometimes very early in the day. No other Pro guys even there yet and they were. Working in any conditions. Dirt, grass whatever. He always said things little guys could identify with. He was really just one of us like many of the early Pro Stock racers. Nobody worked harder than people like Bob and Frank Iaconio among others. Lee Shepard was a great driver and his head porting skills were also as good as it got back then. It's a shame Pro Stock has faded so badly from what it once was..... __________________ Rich Biebel S/C 1479 Stock 147R

07-05-2016, 10:47 PM	#5
Paul Precht Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Elysburg, Pa Posts: 733 Likes: 361 Liked 327 Times in 121 Posts	Re: The legend :Bob Glidden I had a nice chat with Bob at the Gators in the early 80s after seeing he had the same Ford CL9000 as I did, it was like hanging out with an old friend even though we never spoke before, nice guy for sure.

07-06-2016, 02:41 AM	#6
bill dedman VIP Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Conway, AR Posts: 1,739 Likes: 0 Liked 6 Times in 4 Posts	Re: The legend :Bob Glidden Sometimes it gets lost in all the verbiage, but the significant fact is, Bob Glidden did all this (85 National Event wins) with a FORD, outnumbered by G,M, entries 10-to 1 and usually more (except for the one year he ran a Mopar 340-powered racer that nobody else ever won even ONE RACE (event) with... won the World Championship that year, too,,,) And yet, he is so self-effacing and humble, he acts like it was all just luck.... NOBODY has luck like that... nobody. It's for a very good reason that they called him "Mad Dog." LOL! __________________ Bill

07-06-2016, 06:07 AM	#7
modelman1960 Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Location: Central N.Y. Posts: 230 Likes: 2 Liked 55 Times in 22 Posts	Re: The legend :Bob Glidden Henry's 57 Wagon: I will try to post them. It will take some time as they are old and I think they are both "stuck" to the glass of the picture frames. I'll do what I can and also try to find the original prints. Stand by Sir. Walt