Bob Glidden Returns to NHRA Competition

one of the things I really enjoy about my job is talking to legends in various sports and I am sitting beside one of those ten time Pro Stock champion one time when five in a row won nine straight one-time NHRA races fifty eliminate her pounds in a row Bob Glidden you're back at a race car it's so exciting for me I can't even explain to you what it meant to me to make the first run here at Indy you've been retired since what 1997 it's been a long time you know I don't think a lot about it but it's been a good while was it Jim Cunningham giving you a call are you calling him to get into the pro stock car well I had been talking to Jim just he's when he qualified in Seattle I called him Saturday night to can congratulate even we've been talking really not about racing or me racing and here about a week ago he said why don't you drive this car and I said I don't know about that Jim he said what we're going to test before into yasuo I'll tell you water I'll go to the test and I'll make a run and I said I'll probably come back and tell you no I don't want to do it I've made a run and it was so exciting that I came back and told him rights all right guys I mean it was so exciting for me to give back in one of these cars is it like riding a bicycle just does it feel the same no these cars are so much different but you know Jimmy's guys Jimmy and Dean on my car and Marcus they they kind of babysit me to make sure her tried to get me to do the right things so they've made it pretty easy for me now one of the things I heard was when you went to the test they had to adjust the clutch because I believe the driver that was in the car weighs a lot more than you someone told me you weigh 140 pounds soaking wet and you had to change the pressure on the clutch a little bit I was too weak to hold the clutch and that's the truth and like I said these guys have worked really hard to to make me fit into the car gosh I can't think about that you sound like a kid in a candy store right now is that the feeling you're having Bob that's exactly right I can't tell you how I felt the excitement I felt getting back in the car I look at the fans here at the US Nationals and it's amazing it is really amazing seeing them their reaction to you when you're out there in the car they know what you did you I mean you put Pro Stock on the map with with what you did no I just came along at the right time and we over the years have spent a lot of time with our vans and they never forget it I love others and for me to come down the return road and get a standing ovation you know by the time I'm to the end I'm crying well the fans love it I know you love it but most importantly there's a reason for all this not just being in the race car Jim Cunningham's needed help they've got the new Cobra jet engine the new 2010 Ford Mustang body they've struggled this year there's no question about that you were actually in there kind of as a driver test driver giving them a lot of information and just on this weekend we could see the progress looking at the timesheets that the team's been making well I've been in driver's ed so you know don't give me any credit like I said these guys here worked so hard to make that car fit me again I'll say I can't thank him enough and and this is all thanks to Jim Cunningham and the folks at Ford you know Moe's Nolan has been here for a hundred years I've been in you know I'm known most I guess 40 years and they've made it happen with the parks we've got some incredible Ford parts and we're going to get to work from the engine program Jimmy's got the guys to do it and and we're going to get move we'll be fine what's it like being back at the Cobra Jet you brought that out the 428 Cobra jet back in 1968 you're right Mo's Nolan was around with Moses was around the original Moses but he knows engines he knows how to build winning race engines you and him you've talked about it have at the relationship Kenda peering at you of him and Jim Cunningham bring this car back to where it was back in the glory days well most has already done his part you know we've got incredible Ford parts to put these pro stock cars together now Jim Cunningham is responsible for this whole ordeal you know with him and his financial support and the guys he has working for us we will get there when you get in this car all the time because I watch the smile on your face I've seen almost the tears come up you think maybe I want to do this more than just Indianapolis that maybe I can do this for a while and and see how it progresses I my plans are right now when the race is finished we're I'm going back to Maryland to try to to give his guys a different opinion about some things and I'll say that in four or five weeks we'll have two good qualifiers and then through the winter we're going to have to work hard to get another step up near the front any plans of being the driver in the race card does that continue according to how this weekend goes at the US national no this weekend has been fine I do plan on driving the car yes well I think the fans are going to enjoy that what was it first rent like going down the drag strip did did you have trouble keeping it out of your mind I'm back at are in a race car because you've got a focus for that six plus second no it's still in my mind I mean I'm so excited when I pull the straps down that I mean it is incredible do you have flashbacks to those days I mean you used to have some great competition but you were you were so dominant at times is it hard to explain how you missed the sport how it becomes part of your life it has always been my life but no I don't think back you know the first 2 or 3 runs I made in the car it's so much different because of the engine speed the engine RPMs the cars moved so much harder and I'm just trying to focus on what these guys are telling me to do so not only are they working on the car but you is Bob Glade and they're working on the driver they're working on Bob Goodman trying to strain me out what types of things do you have to do you have to now personally do maybe differently than you did the last time you were in a pro stock car in 1997 I'm just listening to Marcus and Jim and Brandon and they're given me all the help in the world well it's obviously paying off as I said just looking at the sheet you keep improving and that's what this is all about improving Jim Cunningham who's been in the sports since the mid 60s and before a race track with a team I mean this is his life to is to get him back to where he's competitive with with the big names the big budget team you know Jim Cunningham is wife they're very nice people they this is their life like I said it takes him and his financial support and with me his mental support for me to make this happen I think we should have a I don't want to call it a senior division of bracing out here but I take a look at you John forces is 61 and he's still racing I talked to Shirley Muldowney a couple of weeks ago we were having lunch together out of function she's 70 she came out and told me I'm 70 I want to get back at a race car I've got unfinished business and it kind of shows what it all is but do you think the sport I think the sport needs people like you back around because today I was walking around I heard somebody tell me I remember when Big Daddy Don Garlits I remember this I remember that it you are the history and pampering of the NHRA in drag racing well let me tell you something about John Force he is the backbone of our deal right now hee hee maybe 61 but he races like he's 40 I mean this this year has been so impressive I've been impressed by John and how he's gone about being competitive in races this year so and garlotte's we were talking about it up on the starting line just a while ago he could get you know these crew guys are so good today Don could get in the car and be competitive the first run well maybe we'll be talking about Bob Glidden kind of the same way as John Force being having one of those years on down the road I think there's some good things coming for this team and for you if you continue driving this car all the way through Pomona I'm excited about it it's going to take us a while like I said to get me in the car and the setups and the engine program the way it needs to be but we we will get there let me say this welcome back thank you so much I appreciate

Channel: PitPassUSA

Views: 15,318

Rating: 4.9749999 out of 5

Keywords: NHRA, Drag, Racing, Bob, Glidden, Ford, Cobra, Jet.U.S., Nationals

Id: WFkmIoDkO34

Length: 9min 46sec (586 seconds)

Published: Sun Sep 05 2010