Bob Glidden

[1] Glidden retired as the driver with the most wins in National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) history at that time — a feat recently topped by 16-time Funny Car champion John Force — and he was the third-most successful drag racer of the professional class drivers — sixth when counting sportsman national event winners — at the time of his death.

Glidden's ten Pro Stock championships included five in a row beginning in 1985.

However, a Top Sportsman car driven by Bill Kuhlmann ran 202 miles per hour later that evening.

[3] In the late 2000s, Justin Humphreys added Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden to his RaceRedi Motorsports/Knoll-Gas Energy Pontiac GTO team.

He is most closely associated with Ford cars, a manufacturer that he used throughout his career, except in 1979, winning the world championship in a Plymouth Arrow.

In his first Pro race, he finished second to Bill Jenkins at the final Supernationals of the 1972 season.

His 9.03 second pass, at a national record 152.54 mph (245.49 km/h), was #1 qualifying time in the fastest Pro Stock field.

and the highest speed (8.83 seconds and 154.90 mph (249.29 km/h), respectively) at a Division 3 event at Bowling Green, Kentucky.

His seven events wins (including the Winternationals, World Finals, Gatornationals, and Fallnationals) helped propel him to his second straight Winston title.

[7] The end of the season was in his Ford Fairmont, which took event wins at races including the Summernationals.

[7] Glidden chased Lee Shepherd for the 1980 Winston title all season, leading the points standing only after the final race.

and top speed in his final round win to earn the maximum points and the season championship.

He was having chassis builder Don Hardy build a new EXP for the season and was planning on running a 351 Cleveland, in the car.

Glidden received a new Thunderbird in the middle of the 1984 season, and it quickly became the dominant car on the Pro Stock circuit.

[7] Glidden led the 1985 points standings from start to finish, winning five national events.

[7] After winning the semifinals of the Southern Nationals in April, his parachute was caught by a gust of wind.

[7] He reached the finals ten times that season, winning a record 42 rounds of competition.

After struggling early in the season, he won five of the last seven races en route to his fourth straight title.

[7] He retired his Thunderbird after 19 national victories in favor of a Ford Probe at the Supernationals.

He returned to the driver's seat for Steve Schmidt's team at the 1998 U.S. Nationals, but he failed to qualify for the event that he had won nine times previously.

[4] In 2001, a panel ranked him fourth in the National Hot Rod Association Top 50 Drivers, 1951-2000.

[3] Members of the family have made numerous appearances on the Car Craft Magazine All-Star Drag Racing Team.

In the late 2000’s Pro stock legend Bob Glidden joined Justin Humphreys racing team.