Greg Anderson remembers Pro Stock legend Bob Glidden

The drag racing world lost another legend when NHRA Pro Stock race Bob Glidden passed away on Dec. 17 at the age of 73. He was an 85-time national event winner and 10-time Pro Stock national champion.

Over the course of a career that spanned 25+ years, Glidden and KB Racing's Greg Anderson crossed paths many times. In 2017, Anderson achieved a monumental accomplishment when he surpassed Glidden's 85 career victories in the class.

Anderson reflected on what it was like to watch—and compete against—the driver nicknamed “Mad Dog.”

"I didn't just get to watch Bob Glidden race, I got to race against him when I worked for Warren Johnson as a crew chief,” Anderson explained. “Watching from the sidelines, Bob was about the most impressive thing you ever saw. When I got to race against him with Warren, he was absolutely the toughest racer there's ever been.

"There were times Warren could run as well as him—and Bob was winning 80% or more of the races—but Bob would do something on the starting line. I would consider it unfair and get so mad, but now I understand that Bob was the complete racer. If he couldn't gain an advantage on the race track, he would do it psychologically. He knew how to win, whether he had you covered in ET or not, and he did not like to lose. He really was a 'Mad Dog.'

"By the time I finally got the chance to drive a car, I had learned by watching Bob Glidden, and of course Warren Johnson,” Anderson continued. “I learned there is more to it than making your car go fast. It's the people you surround yourself with, the way you race, and being able to have a take-no-prisoners attitude.

"Just as you do in any sport, you watch the guy who is the best and try to learn from that. Bob taught us all a few lessons about how to get it done, and he's been a great inspiration to me from before I got to drive and all the way through my career."

Summit Racing and KB Racing extend heartfelt condolences to the Glidden family.