Bob Glidden 1997 preview (PRO/STOCK)

From: NHRA Communications

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: NHRA Communications (818) 914-4761

FUTURE REMAINS UNCERTAIN FOR PRO STOCK LEGEND BOB GLIDDEN

TOPEKA, Kan. -- He is such a fixture of NHRA Winston Drag Racing that it's almost impossible to imagine the sport without Bob Glidden.

Ten-time NHRA Winston Pro Stock champion Glidden is as synonymous with the sport as the Christmas Tree starting-line system. Nothing has changed with Glidden since his debut in 1972: his common-man appeal, his willingness to spend extra time with fans and his 80- hour work weeks fueled by his desire to squeeze more power and victories from his cars.

But there may be a big change after this season.

Glidden, from Whiteland, Ind., is searching for a sponsor after longtime backer Ford announced in July that it would end its association with him after this season. Glidden has won an NHRA-record 85 races and finished in the top five in the NHRA Winston points standings 18 of the last 22 years, but he knows that the end might be near.

"If I don't have a sponsor in '97, I can't race," Glidden said.; "It's that simple. A lot of racers are wealthy businessmen. I'm not. I'm just fortunate that I haven't lost everything."

Glidden will continue to search for his first victory of the season and a sponsor at the eighth annual, $1,473,750 Sears Craftsman Nationals, Sept. 26-29 at Heartland Park Topeka. The race is the 17th of 19 events in the $27-million NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series in 1996.

While Glidden is ninth in the NHRA Winston point standings, the competitive fire rages on. He won the DuPont Challenge special event in May and has posted the top Pro Stock speed at four races this year in the Ford Quality Care Ford Probe, the best horsepower barometer in the category.

"I'm not going to complain," Glidden said. "If this is the way it ends, OK. I'm not going to second- guess anything. Most of the years I've had have been like a storybook." -30-

Jack Durbin indy500@freenet.tlh.fl.us Motorsport News International jackd@motorsport.com (Moderators for "rec.autos.sport.info") Homepage http://www.freenet.tlh.fl.us/users/indy500/index.html