The "Mad Dog" Bob Glidden - Engine Builder Hall of Fame Class of 2024

In the world of drag racing, the name Bob Glidden stands as a legend, synonymous with
precision, power, and an unparalleled mastery of engines. Born on August 18, 1944, in
Whiteland, Indiana, Glidden's journey from a young enthusiast tinkering with engines to
a dominant force in professional drag racing is a testament to his skill, determination,
and relentless pursuit of speed. As an engine builder and drag racer, Glidden left an
indelible mark on the sport, securing his place in the annals of motorsports history.
Bob Glidden's love affair with racing began in the late 1950s when he was just a teenager. Growing up in Indiana, a state with a rich tradition in motorsports, Glidden was exposed to the thrill of racing at an early age. His fascination with speed and engines ignited a passion that would shape the course of his life. In the early 1960s, Glidden began racing in local events, driving a 1957 Ford that he and his brother built. These grassroots experiences laid the foundation for Glidden's future success and provided him with invaluable insights into the intricacies of drag racing.
Bob Glidden's first notable success came in the early 1970s when he campaigned a Ford Maverick in NHRA (National Hot Rod Association) competitions. His meticulous approach to engine building and tuning quickly set him apart, and Glidden's Maverick became a formidable contender in the Pro Stock class.
In 1974, Glidden secured his first NHRA Pro Stock championship, marking the beginning
of a dominant era in the class. His partnership with Ford and the development of high-performance engines solidified Glidden's reputation as a force to be reckoned with in the drag racing community.
Throughout the late 1970s through the 1990s, Bob Glidden and Ford became synonymous with
success in the Pro Stock category. His iconic Ford Fairmont and later the Thunderbird
were powered by engines meticulously crafted by Glidden himself.
At the heart of Glidden's success was his prowess as an engine builder. His
understanding of the nuances of engine performance, from camshaft profiles to
cylinder head design, allowed him to extract maximum power and reliability from his
powerplants. The engines that bore the Glidden name became known for their
consistency, a crucial factor in the highly competitive world of drag racing.
One of Glidden's notable contributions to engine building was his work on cylinder
heads. He understood the significance of airflow in achieving optimal power, and his innovations in cylinder head design contributed to the performance gains of his engines. The attention to detail and precision in engine building became hallmarks of Glidden's approach.

[@plantfeeder6677]

As a Ford fan Bob Glidden was God. "It only takes one Ford to put a hundred Chevys on the trailer." Those were magical times indeed, Bob. RIP

[@markcompson1772]

I’m a mopar person but I always cheered for Bob to take em out being’s there was one ford & 2 mopars to clean house on 13 GM products

[@EvansBrosRacing]

He did it with a Mopar too , that shows how great he really was . He knew the recipe to make hp , and would have won in a GM , or AMC also .

[@Dominator37]

Chevrolet power cant win everything , but they did win the NHRA PRO STOCK TRUCKS … and have done well in NHRA pro stock , Nascar ,trans am , Can Am ,sprint cars ect….. Yup Bob Glidden put Chevrolets and mopars on the trailer just like DALE EARNHARDT, JEFF GORDON , JIMMIE JOHNSON , MARK DONAHUE , ect sent the ford guys home in 2nd place,,,but us Chevrolet guys appreciate the competition… ! 🏁🇺🇸😎

[@plantfeeder6677]

​@@Dominator37Chevy has always done it with superior numbers. That's why being a Ford fan was and is always special and made all those victories that much sweeter. Also, go look up how sanctioning bodies like Nascar, WoO etc. treated Ford powered cars when they started to dominate their sport. Chevy(GM) buys santioning bodies the way lobbiests buy politicians.😉

[@roncoburn7771]

@@Dominator37 I have never owned anything but a chevy

[@JimmyYahteez]

As a lifelong Ford fan and a kid growing up in the 1980’s Bob Glidden was my idol. I loved watching him dominate in his Thunderbirds. See his family go crazy on the starting line when he would win was awesome! R.I.P. Bob Glidden.

[@xozindustries7451]

Me and my brothers met Bob and his family at Englishtown Raceway Park. We were standing next to his pits when he came back in after a run so we moved the rope so they could get in. We put the rope back up and started to walk away, he says, come in in guys, we stood there while they serviced the motor, like no one got to see what they used to do. They got it back together, took a couple pictures with the kids and left. I’ll never forget that.

[@deansapp4635]

I met Bob as well at Englishtown when he was racing his EXP. Watched him change the clutch in that EXP

[@75Airhead]

I met Bob at the Mile High Nationals several times. He would always take time to talk to the fans. As a Ford fan he was a god! RIP Bob Glidden

[@supercuda1950]

Bob Glidden made us Ford and Mopar lovers proud. I followed him in his Fords, even though I loved Mopars. When he switched, all was good. RIP Bob, the world is better for your having been here.

[@joshjones3408]

All I can say is..... simply just one hell of man 👍👍👍👍👌👌👌

[@dalewarriorofthesea3998]

Absolute Legendary Determination

[@EngineBuilderHallofFame]

Truth!

[@georgetown2057]

Great video guys, I met Bob at the 1992 keystone nationals what a great down to earth man took time to talk with me

[@happydays8171]

Words can't describe meeting Bob Glidden. I'd read about him in magazines, thought I knew him, but I'd did a watercolor picture of him and his car, was standing outside his ropes, early 90's, between time trials, US Nationals. Bob looked over at me, said hi, I asked him if he would sign my drawing, he said, "Did you do this?" I said I did. Bob's now meticulously wiping his hands to get them clean, then took my pen and signed it. While signing, I said I'd driven thru Whiteland 2 weeks ago, he lit up, said, "You did?" And asked me where I was from, said 150 miles north of him. Both of us being hoosiers, we talked for about 15 minutes, like we were next door neighbors. One of the highlights of my life. Reading some of these comments from people who met him, it was exactly the same for me. A great man, greatly missed.

[@njseashorechas2698]

Wow, great stories! I grew up near Englishtown and stopped going to national events after Bob retired. NHRA turned Prostock into a GM clone bubble car class!

[@davescbradiorepair8195]

I loved watching Bob rack up the wins against the others one by one. Him and his fords drove the competition crazy he knew what equipment to use.

[@gregsidel3557]

I was fortunate enough to meet the man twice. He was always very personand I know that he was very busy, but he took the time out to say hello, and shake your hand I expressed to him How much I appreciated what he was doing in his sport. And he acknowledged with thank you very much. His wife was a very, very kind wonderful person. I wish I could have got to know both of more personal. she was just as gracious as he was. They were both very busy at the time. BOB GIIDDEN A Champion. Thank you.

[@EngineBuilderHallofFame]

Thanks for sharing!

[@terraboundmisfit]

The first VVT, no wonder he is my greatest automotive hero, a true pioneer, genius!

[@NeilLB7]

I was a 17 year old Ford fan driving a 79 Mustang 5.0 in 1991. I drove myself to the Nationals that year and saw Glidden in the 1991 Probe. I also got to see him in the pits when the Fuel cars were running so the pits were pretty empty. We spoke and I told him I was a big Ford fan. We chatted for a minute and that was that. I bought his shirt with the Probe car on it. Still have it. Never wore it.

[@adambergendorff2702]

This was 20 minutes of great background about Bob Glidden, it was the golden era of drag racing, innovation not computers and truck loads of money!

[@GeneSund]

I am and always have been a GM guy, but Bob Glidden was one of the most standup guys in racing. I ran M/P and would often be pitting right next to him. While most Pro class racers were snobs, Bob always had time to nod or shake your hand. If he saw you struggling with the tune up or a chassis setting, he would often throw you a tip. Bob and Etta Glidden were class people and I miss them very much!

[@JC-gw3yo]

Being around Ford engineers back then, it is easy to see why Bob chose Ford. Their is a pride and dedication that goes beyond

[@Dominator37]

I believe you , i think the Ford engineer’s do most of the math and $$ when it comes to Ford racing and development… I’m a CHEVROLET guy but appreciate Gliddens crazy hard work for sure . But i always say most of the development with Chevrolet Racing comes from the small guys and the racing side is left to guys like Smokey Yunick, Johnson , Bill Jenkins , otherwise people like Penske and others would not have left GM for Ford ..! I always wonder what he could have done with Chevrolet or Chrysler power..? I’ve read so many times that Chevrolet bean counters that are not in racing but have never heard that from ford die yards ..! We were involved. With sprint cars and street racing years ago and never got beat buy a ford ever …! But times have changed because of technology anything is possible…! Thanks for the great story of BOB GLIDDEN …🏁❤

[@chadkent1241]

​@@Dominator37 no inline GM head would EVER flow what a 4V Cleveland can. He'd make anything fast, but the 351C was the most handicapped engine in PS racing for a reason. It was the best.

[@mikedonzero2692]

Very well done. Thank you.

[@scoobydoo4312]

Me and wife made Cajun Nationals a few years in late 80's and early 90's. Bob became one of our favorite drivers, because he was so approachable and friendly. I remember standing at his pit area . He saw us and came over and talked a few minutes. Man was a great driver and a even better person.

[@bruno-cd5cq]

i also saw Bob at cajuns. he was laying on the back of his farmont asleep with his shoes off

[@brianwaskow5910]

Meet Bob a few times at the Winternationals away from the pits when he was having a smoke. We talked about my 67 Mustang with a 289, real down to earth guy to talk to.

[@edsmachine93]

I really enjoyed this video so much. Bob Glidden was the real deal. Probably no one worked harder than Bob Glidden did. I can remember one year at to Goodys Mid South Nationals I went by the pits like other people did to get and autograph from Bob, and Bob was busy and Etta came over and signed all of our cards. Bob was checking valve springs and adjusting valves. The Glidden's were truly a racing family. Much respect to them and theirs memories. Thanks everyone that contributed to this video.👍

[@Fatboyee]

I’ll always remember Bob getting out of the car after a victory and saying “these ARE the good old days”and boy was he right.

[@shaneswayze6228]

I met Glidden at Memphis Motorsports Park back in the 90s he was such a nice man..the G.O.A.T

[@terrygrover6440]

What a great video , I met Bob Glidden a couple times at atco raceway he took the time to talk with us while he was working on his car at the same time , him and his family were the nicest courteous family I met in drag racing and the coolest thing was they offered to sell me the exp car , these are some of the best memories I've had over the years , so thank you Bob Glidden for all you gave us in the racing world he was my racing hero then and still is today

[@carlosguzman443]

A pure competitor. I was inspired to drag race though your great career. Hat's off

[@bigunone]

I remember seeing the incident of Bob throwing his jacket over the intake, then the interviewer asking him if he was ok and had someone told Eda that he was okay Bob looked kind of stunned and said I hope so, about that time Eda came flying in. As a Ford guy he was my hero

[@BlownSkillet]

That crash was at the Atlanta Dragway.

[@bigunone]

I remember watching praying that he would be alive, let alone crawl out on his own then have the presence's of mind to throw his jacket over his intake

[@BlownSkillet]

@@bigunone that was a nasty crash, freak accident, where the chutes threw his car upside down.

[@bryanmulligan5319]

He was every Ford guys hero. Still is.

[@chadkent1241]

Hiding his secrets.

[@Motor-City-Mike]

Simply the best of the best - Others might near his accomplishments, but only because he's moved on. RIP Bob

[@davidbowles4457]

I only lived about 30 min. from Bob place in Whiteland IN. As a kid we could here him testing the engines in the test cell. A lot of the property has been sold off and split up. Big Ford Fan growing up. His shop was just up the road from Gene Rayburn's race car shop. Good times My Stepdad Worked a Ford Dealer in those days.

[@EngineBuilderHallofFame]

Thanks for sharing!

[@extramile150]

Scooter Brothers a class individual.

[@waltmeddings682]

My meeting with bob was 1978 at etown we were leaving with everybody else we’re in the parking lot and bob and his family pulled up beside us my dad said say hi to him I did and he asked if had a good time with a smile on his face it made me happy I was 12. Second time at maple grove he was with Larry Morgan they broke a engine me and nephew who was probably 12 waited at the pit till they got back I was to the crew guys they it be a while so I waited finally Bob came over and said crew guys said you waiting a long time how long you waiting on me I pulled out a fan card of his t-bird and he said you been waiting a long time he was super nice signed my stuff took a picture with me I’m life long fan of Bob’s he made 2 of the good times in my life by giving some of his time

[@stealthbomber2127]

I met Bob too, and he was really great to talk to. A true gentleman.

[@kev4fun12]

Awesome Series. I had the pleasure of sitting with Scooter in the stands in LV years ago. rip BG

[@EngineBuilderHallofFame]

Very cool!

[@toddbob55]

He was the best

[@JamesWicker-ps4gq]

I'm a Glidden & ford fan I watched him run for years at Atlanta dragway

[@erikalston4496]

This is the Best video about Bob Glidden I've ever seen. Thankyou

[@philippogue6941]

My favorite Ford Guy ever, got lucky to see him race in the 70's at Southland Drag way in LA, and Laplace LA, a great racer and very nice guy

[@georgemartin7717]

Two MAJOR forms of racing during this time period. NHRA Pro-Stock and NASCAR Winston Cup. You had Earnhardt, Johnson, Elliott, Glidden, Wallace, Anderson and these lists go on. This was A VERY,VERY EXCITING time period for racing in general. I'm currently 58 years old and I THANK GOD I was of age to experience all of this excitement in both NHRA and NASCAR during this time period! This was when you saw SS 454, SS 396 and SS 350 Chevelle's,Camero's and a VERY RARE 427 Yenko Nova roaming the streets around St.Charles and St.louis,Mo. Along with Hemi Cuda's, 440 6-Pack AAR Cuda's, a Boss 9 Mustang, Boss 302 Mustang's, Goats and Trans Am's of various years and engine combo's just prowling the streets looking for the next worthy opponents/ victim. While I wasn't manufacturer dedicated during this time, I was dedicated to THE FIGHT...THE RAW BATTLE of DRIVER'S! So, I wained between Gliddon, Johnson, Geffrion and Anderson If it wasn't for these 4 Pro-Stock pilots, especially Gliddon and WJ, then Pro-Stock would have sucked to watched and, I BELIEVE, the street scene would have suffered tremendously !...." Win on Sunday and sell on Monday! ". To bad we have nothing really left to " Sell on Monday " anymore! Electric is BORING, WORTHLESS and only gets exciting if you get shocked!.....yee haw and woo woo. Imagine going to your local RACE TRACK on RACE DAY and having a QUIET DAY when " race cars " are flying past you a few feet away and you never hear them. F..K T..T! That shit is what PARKS,skating rinks and RETIREMENT COMMUNITIES are made for!

[@teddysgunshop2318]

Met Bob numerous times at englishtown and maple grove , Bob and his family were a class act love them always will.

[@saleen367]

As a Ford fan growing up in the 60's and 70's, Bob was literally all we had to cheer for in the industry. The Shelby American and The Holman and Moody crowd was there, sure, but in the Midwest we never heard news of road racing. Bob got the attention of any Ford fan and gave us a reason to cheer loudly. I had the honor of meeting him at a Mustang drag meet once when he and Billy were there with the black fox body. I don't think he realized how many lives he touched before his passing.

[@TJ-qz6hr]

I grew up in the 70s and 80s. I was a Ford guy and my best friend was a Chevy guy. We would bet money on these races. After about 10 times of him losing he stopped betting me. I can remember him saying, Glidden wins every damn time!!?? He ended up being a Glidden fan and owns Fords to this day.

[@bobleenko512]

Unfortunately, there will never be another Bob Glidden. Times are different now, as us technology. Im so glad that I got to watch it all happen. As a Ford guy, it got no better than him. Thanks Glidden family. Made us all so very proud , every dam week.

[@Dominator37]

Yes Bob i feel the same way watching the great DALE EARNHARDT put that BOWTIE in the winners circle year after year ! He let the others go for 2nd place…! If it wasn’t DALE it was JEFF GORDON , JIMMIE JOHNSON, TONT STEWART ….EVERY DANG YEAR…!!! 🏁🏁🏁 Just sayin …..

[@76629online]

Great story. Thanks for capturing it.

[@EngineBuilderHallofFame]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@artbennett7321]

Great interview. As a crew member on various ProStock teams in the 80s and 90s I saw first hand the hard work by Bob and great support provided by Scooter and Comp Cams

[@dennislaws5187]

I met Bob at Atlanta Dragway, saw him at several others and he and Etta were always friendly treated me like a friend, made me truly Love the Gliddens I was and still am A dedicated FORD man, knowing he was too, just made him feel more like a family member.

[@EngineBuilderHallofFame]

Thanks for sharing!

[@williamking6306]

I’ve always been a Chevy and Pontiac racer and fan. But could not help but stand in awe watching Bob and Etta accomplish the things they did. Big motor, little motor, whatever combination fit the rules package, he made it work. And work better than everyone else. If he were in nascar Big Bill France would have accused him of stinking up the show. I disagreed with that point of view. The point of racing is to go out there and win every race you enter. And he did that by working harder and smarter than the rest, Bob was a hell of an engine builder, and Driver. He earned every win he got. I just wish he’d chosen a Pontiac. lol. It was a hell of a show to watch.

[@dannycalley7777]

DL ............I'm surprised he didn't put you to work ?????............had a personal friend of mine ........who worked the weekend for Bob and Etta { FORD GUY ) and took a rear chunk out , and still talks about almost 50 years later !!!!!

[@THROTTLEPOWER]

Great vid, sure miss Bob Glidden 👍👍

[@BlownSkillet]

Never knew Bob raced at Union Hill. I would love to know the years. That track was 6 miles from my house. I was born in 1965, and spent many weekends at the swimming pool, as a kid, and racing at the drag strip in the 80’s, as a teenager.

[@bobbybishop5662]

Excellent content

[@BobbyTucker]

I'll never forget when I first became aware of Bob Glidden, he "Starred" in a Ford Commercial being the driver of a Ford Probe, first in the 'Pro Stock' Probe, then in the stock street driven Ford Probe. Bob Glidden appeared to be some type of a "desk worker", the way he was dressed, I've followed him ever since, Great Mechanic with 'Clean Hands'. lol.

[@robertwheatley2471]

3:03 ... Glidden also raced a '79 Plymouth Arrow with a 340 and nobody else did and he beat everyone to win the championship.......... 3:53 WJ basically didn't like anybody and was a very "difficult individual" to put it nicely..

[@stealthbomber2127]

Even after Bob's passing he would not say anything good about Bob except that he had winning ways. Warren never had rules only applied to just him either. There will never be anyone greater in my mind.

[@craigjones2878]

Great channel, I love hearing the back stories about these guys. I don’t know if my suggestions fit your criteria but maybe Keith Black, Stu Hilborn, Zora Arkus Duntov, Ed Winfield. In fact I’m interested in the stories behind almost anyone that had their name on speed equipment.

[@ThomasELeClair]

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,agree,,,,,well said........amen......

[@jims2286]

I used to help Wrench on my friends Top Fuel car and Blown Alcohol Cars, in the northwest when I had time I used to walk the pits used to see Bob Glidden working on his car He always to me seemed real Hi strung always thrashing on the car and chain smoking Cigarettes Bob was A amazing Competitor All the times at the track when I would see him Was in the top Qualifying few cars of the event!!!

[@tonybuck5252]

Very smart man.

[@IowaBudgetRCBashers]

Even though I’m a Chevy guy, I’ve always loved Bob. The futura and the 1st T bird will always be 2 of my favorite pro stocks ever

[@gunwrencher1566]

Great info about my favorite.

[@TJ-qz6hr]

I grew up in the 70s and 80s. I was a Ford guy and my best friend was a Chevy guy. We would bet money on these races. After about 10 times of him losing he stopped betting me. I can remember him saying, Glidden wins every GD time!!?? He ended up being a Glidden fan and owns Fords to this day.

[@velvetjones1856]

Bob and Earl Wade (Dyno Don's engine guru) were sure the top Ford engine builders in this era.

[@stealthbomber2127]

16.49 The reason Bob was suddenly behind the gm cars. gm made new modern engine designs and could not beat him so, pull a nascar and change the rules.

[@user-ni8wl2sg4v]

Oh my I'm 64 but our family being ford only he was dad and my hero

[@mossycreektennessee6528]

the low lifes accused him of cheating and everything else, Bob understood the Ford engine and how to make it faster

[@extramile150]

number one pro stock racer EVER.

[@raginroadrunner]

Money was part of this somewhere.

[@paulbianchi7877]

Heads above the rest.

[@lancejohnson5748]

It was magical years I started in 1986 running ford big blocks but about that time corporate America and Ford got involved in a big way and your average Joe who is a mechanic and a smart guy really didn’t matter because there’s was so 19:44 much money involved now you got to have the funds . No one works that hard anymore they buy it .

[@joelcampbell1491]

Grew up with him Prudhomme Snake etc

[@markcompson1772]

Watch early nascar from 59-75 & Chevy only win a handful of races. Why do u think rules r in place. Can u say outlawed ford & mopar because we can’t beat them. How come every time a ford or mopar does win they r cheating. Every time. Look @ 2012 Allen Johnson pro stock dominating season. 2013 jegs dominating season. Outlawed mopar intakes. U r a typical GM guy that we can’t waste time arguing with because he’s always right. Have a great day

[@rossbritton4008]

Bob was a Chain Smoker..So SAD..

[@raginroadrunner]

spit it out...Chevrolet reigns supreme in pro stock as well as many other classes, and has for many years. Ford looks like the idiot in the room. What happened??? How did things go downhill for Ford like they have, Is it bad management of just a total lack of giving a crap? Ford has not one good engine I would buy today. Chain slingers and poorly engineered motors no one wants.

[@user-to1ve2de2h]

Ford pulled out of most forms of racing, that's what hurt those who were still racing Fords. If Obama motors would have paid back we the people, Chevy would not have billions to spend on auto racing. Oh by the way,we saw what Ford did to Ferrari and Chevy is no Ferrari

[@nolanjohnson2124]

Also, GM bribed the NHRA and Mr France from Nascar owned GMC stock, makes for really fair rules

[@kcav5374]

While working at Booth- Arons Inc. (1984-89) Wally and Dick were arguing about who had won a Pro Stock race & finally Dick Arons said, "I know how to settle this." He opened up a well worn phone book, looked up a phone number and dialed the phone. Then I heard him say, "Etta? Etta Glidden? This is Dick Asshole!" i- i-is Bob around?!" LOL Bob DID come to the phone and he and Arons chatted about who had won that race!" 😅

[@XBootlicker]

I remember meeting Bob and how his fire suit was so dirty and grease not at all the visual the people saw on television.