By winning his fifth-consecutive Professional Class title, Bill Glidden is moving into some pretty select company for four-wheeled race-car drivers. Only Bob Glidden (9), Don Prudhomme (?), and Tony Schumacher (7) have won more consecutive Pro events. Bill Glidden’s current streak began in August 2008 with a win over rival Jeff Naiser at Martin, Michigan. It seems appropriate then, that his fifth win was also over Jeff Naiser.

The Memphis final rounds were  run as part of the Friday night qualifying  for Sunday’s ADRL event at Martin.  XTF 2008 Champ Bill Glidden beat Jeff Naiser using a two hundredths hole-shot .021 bulb to Naiser’s respectable .049. Naiser’s game 4.109/179.83 wasn’t even close to covering Glidden’s 4.096/174.80 lap.

Glidden gave credit for his latest triumph to Nitrous wizard Brandon Switzer of Speedtech, and said his final round lap represented the strongest pass his small-block (400+ ci), Ford-powered 2006 GTO has ever made.

“If we had the same (atmospheric) conditions we had in Memphis, that would’ve been a .03,” Glidden stated. “But that’s the end of that motor; you can see it (oil) all over my windows.”

In Extreme Pro Stock competition, Brian Gahm advanced his ’07 Mustang to the postponed semis and then beat Michigan racer Bob Bertsch to advance to the finals, setting up a classic Ford versus Chevy matchup against  John Montecalvo’s 822 cubic inch powered Cobalt.  In the final, Gahm led stripe-to-stripe over Montecalvo edging out Montecalvo’s 4.117/176.11 with a 4.10 /175.63. No reaction times were available.

The win by Gahm earned him his second-straight National Event  title and solidified his points lead in the race to see which eight Extreme Pro Stock cars will “Battle for the Belt” at the World Finals at the Motorplex in October.

Running the Memphis semis for all classes before the initial round of Summer Drags qualifying, then running all the finals together at the end of the night presented a challenge to Gahm’s team.

“We had to change (the gearing in) our transmission before the final because the weather changed a lot while we were waiting,” Gahm said. “I have to thank my guys for all their hard work and congratulate them on making the right calls tonight. This is their win.”