GLIDDEN HAS RICH ST. LOUIS HISTORY
“The track used to run the other way,” Glidden said, pointing towards the finish line. “We raced from the finish line to the starting line.”
Bob Glidden stopped long enough from
working on Larry Morgan’s Lucas Oil Pro Stock Dodge Stratus in order to
take in the scenery of International Raceway. The ten-time Pro
Stock driver has made as many, if not more, laps at the track located
outside of St. Louis than any of the drivers currently in competition.
“The track used to run the other way,” Glidden said, pointing towards
the finish line. “We raced from the finish line to the starting line.”
It can be argued that Glidden earned his nickname Mad Dog from racing
at the facility that was once a crown jewel of the AHRA and later the
IHRA before becoming the major racing complex that it is today.
The track was renovated in 1995 and returned to host its first NHRA national event in 1997.
Glidden won multiple times at the facility when it was called St. Louis
International Raceway during the IHRA event known as the Gateway
Nationals.
“I’ve never driven in the direction it’s going in now,” Glidden said.
“It was tough racing at this track back when I did. The race was always
in the middle of the summer and there were lots of times the
temperature went over 100 degrees. The track was really slick and
that’s when we were at our best.”
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