New Bob Glidden 85/10 Award Honors Grit & Determination

Ten-time NHRA Pro Stock champion Bob Glidden of Whiteland, Indiana, enjoyed a career spanning over 25 years. His success came from relentless effort, both at the shop and at the track. Bob was respected by his peers and by fans for was his work ethic, and many credit the grit and determination of the Glidden Family Racing team including his wife Etta, and sons Bill and Rusty, for his ability to win.

Bob never forgot his Indiana roots, and the grit and determination it took for him to succeed. — Edsel B. Ford II, Ford

Ford recently announced it will honor the iconic Ford racer with a Bob Glidden “85/10” Award that will be presented each year to a Ford racer who exhibits the same grit, determination and spirit that Bob Glidden embodied. The award will be presented by Ford Performance Parts at the Performance Racing Industry Show in Indianapolis, Indiana, starting this December.

(Photo Credit: Ford Motor Company)

“Bob Glidden represented a great era in the sport of drag racing. And that era featured hard-working racers who often had nothing but a great desire to succeed. Bob was a former Ford dealership mechanic from a small town in Indiana who, along with his wife and sons, took the family racing and through sheer determination, innovation and hard work, changed the face of Pro Stock racing,” Edsel B. Ford II, member, Ford Motor Company board of directors, said. “Even with all the wins and records, Bob never forgot his Indiana roots, and the grit and determination it took for him to succeed. He was a Ford racing legend, and we will always be grateful for the way he represented us in the sport.”

The new award will be presented by Ford Performance Parts and overseen by a distinguished panel of experts.

We’re proud to introduce this new Glidden ’85/10 Award to help honor Ford drag racers who have the same spirit, determination and grit that Bob had. — Doug White, Ford Performance Parts

Photo Credit: Evan Smith

In addition to running Pro Stock, Bob made a few appearances at World Ford Challenge events behind the wheel of his son Billy’s popular Fox Mustang. The legendary drag racer was known for a lot of things, most notably, his 85 NHRA victories, 10 NHRA championships, 122 final-round appearances, and nine U.S. Nationals titles. The “85/10” symbolizes Bob’s Pro Stock victories and championships in NHRA competition during his career.

“We’re proud to introduce this new Glidden ’85/10 Award to help honor Ford drag racers who have the same spirit, determination and grit that Bob had,” Doug White, Global Performance Parts Manager, Ford Performance, said. “There are hundreds of Ford drag racers competing every weekend all over this country and we want to help recognize their efforts, especially those who are long-time competitors like Bob was. This award will help us do that.”

A distinguished panel of experts, including Glidden’s son Bill and race series leaders, will review Ford drag racers each year, with final nominees announced at the SEMA Show in November, and an award winner selected and announced at the PRI Show in December.

About the author

Evan Smith

Evan J. Smith is an automotive enthusiast and journalist with an unrivaled passion for high-performance and racing. He is the former editor of Muscle Mustangs & Fast Fords magazine/Mustang-360.com, competes regularly in NHRA drag racing, open track road racing, and serves as a factory test driver for Ford Motor Company. He recently purchased a 2016 Shelby GT350 Ford Mustang, and still owns his original 1987 5.0 Mustang.
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