BILLY GLIDDEN - A PROMISING START
‘It’s pretty exciting but once qualifying is over, you have to focus on eliminations,” Glidden said. “You can’t lay on that too long. I’m used to going and winning rounds. This is a different deal.” Qualifying in Pomona is just scratching the surface
‘It’s pretty exciting but once qualifying is over, you have to focus on eliminations,” Glidden said. “You can’t lay on that too long. I’m used to going and winning rounds. This is a different deal.”
Glidden is running the first five races of the 2008 tour as part of a tire development program with Mickey Thompson Tires. He’s utilizing Richard Maskin horsepower.
Glidden saw promise in the first run on Thursday and things just
gradually improved. He admitted the car craved more and more clutch as
the weekend progressed.
“It was too smooth to be a fast run,” Glidden spoke of his first
qualifying attempt. “I wasn’t exactly sure how we ran. I knew that we
could do a little better and I made some changes. There were some
glitches here and there. With that said, we gave up a little here and
there.
THE SILVER LINING
Glidden knew bringing himself up to speed in 500-inch racing was going
to be a complex challenge. He was also prepared with the reality of
developing a new “big” tire with the folks at Mickey Thompson Tires
would be an equally tough objective.
Let the record reflect prior to Friday’s lone qualifying session, the
son of Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden saw the silver lining of a dark
cloud.
“As bad as everything was on Thursday, it was encouraging,” Glidden
said. “Where everything is on this car, I don't know if it was run like
this or not, we've just been using an incredible amount of clutch. It
just seems like we never get enough in it. We've made several changes
between the end of Vegas and coming here.
“We really didn't know where to start but it was a lot different. The
carburetion is different, clutch linkage, clutch setup and we just kind
of started on the low edge of everything that we've been trying. We've
been going by a let's call it a basic or OEM setup for just about
everyone out here, we should've been way over clutched and as you saw
we were.”
Glidden and the engineers at Mickey Thompson have been burning the
midnight oil developing many different combinations of tire for
introduction to Pro Stock as well as several other quick doorslammer
venues.
“Our plan was to run in Vegas but it was so cold and then we were
fighting other issues,” Glidden said. “We just didn't want to risk
going out and tearing up new equipment like the test tires plus cold
conditions.
Glidden mentioned that his team will be testing in Valdosta, Georgia
during the traditional Eastern Spring Test Nationals event. They’re
bringing a full compliment of experimental tires as well.
“We've got different everything- different compounds, different
construction, different molds,” Glidden added. “By the time we come to
Valdosta we'll have 15 to 18 totally different specs to try.”
Glidden pointed out the dedication to bring this project to fruition is something that impresses him.
“If we don't make it, it won't be because lack of effort it'll just be
lack of knowing what to do,” said Glidden. “We are bound and determined
to make it work, I promise.”
“I was tuning this car like I tuned my black [Outlaw 10.5 tire] car. I’m tuning by feel instead of the computer.”
Glidden could easily view the 2008 opportunity to show value and eliminate as many heavy-hitters as he can in his limited time.
“We’ll just go as far as the qualifying money will take us,” Glidden said.
