Billy Glidden is free to return to drag racing once he has a race car.

Glidden was cleared from his physician last Friday to return to competition following an accident while testing which left him with five broken ribs and bruised lungs. 

"It’s good that I’ve been cleared, but the celebration is short-lived since I don't have anything to race with," Glidden said. "So we’re still stuck in the same place."

Glidden doesn't have a timetable when he returns. The replacement car, a chassis formerly owned by Dan Stevenson, is in Jerry Haas' shop being prepared and reskinned as a Mustang. 

"I’d rather him take a little extra time and do everything the way that he thinks it needs to be done rather than rush it along and skip a lot of parts," Glidden said.

The new car will be the first purpose-built Pro Modified car Glidden has had since making the jump from NHRA Pro Stock to Pro Modified in 2008. 

Glidden remains patient in his will to return, carefully testing the boundaries of his physical limitations. 

"I don’t take any pain medication," Glidden said. "In fact, I’m not even taking any Advil or Aleve or anything like that. So, obviously yes it’s still telling me [the injury is still] there. And I’m not going to go out and play football or basketball or run any marathons. But Shannon and I walk and we go to work every day. And we’re helping one of our local farmers work on a vehicle. Most everything I feel like I can do. 

"The only thing I would be nervous about doing right now is actually getting inside the car, and bend over like that, and handing out a transmission. I feel like that could be miserable. Other than that, about everything else we’re already doing. 

"We’ve got lots of things we can do, lots of things that you don’t do and you put off. I’m trying to not do anything that’s going to set me back with my healing process and trying not to get in a hurry and do something that I shouldn’t. You know, making decisions, doing something else. So we’re just taking our time and trying to make good decisions."