VOLUME XIX,  NUMBER 12 - DECEMBER  2017

Bob Glidden dead at 73

Legendary Pro Stock racer Bob Glidden died Sunday, Dec. 17, at age 73. The Whiteland, Indiana, native, nicknamed “Mad Dog,” was an early icon of the class in which he competed for more than 25 years.

 

Glidden, who turned pro in 1972, dominated the Pro Stock class in the late 1970s and ‘80s, almost always driving a Ford. He won 85 events and 10 season championships. He was No. 4 on the list of the Top 50 Drivers in NHRA’s first 50 years. He was inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1994 and into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2005.

 

Glidden retired from drag racing in February 1997 to concentrate on engine development for some of Ford’s NASCAR Winston Cup teams. He came out of retirement to drive occasionally through the 2010 season, but never won another race.

 

Glidden leaves his wife, Etta, and sons Billy and Rusty.

 

See our 2008 InnerView with Bob Glidden at here. Among many other subjects, he explains how his team hid a nitrous system in their Pro Stocker.  (Jeff Burk photo)  [12/18/17]

Nitro Outlaw Drag Racing Association formed

A new drag racing association finalized its formation during this year’s PRI show in Indianapolis. The new association, known as the Nitro Outlaw Drag Racing Association, has plans to host a limited number of events during 2018.

 

The association will run match-racing events for both Top Fuel and Funny Cars. Former driver Cory McClenathan will head up the Nitro Outlaw’s drivers committee, while Jack Wyatt oversees the owners committee. Crew chief Tony Shortall has been named Director of Safety and Competition.

 

Instead of a traditional qualifying format, teams will be given a single test run at the start of the event. Racer then will challenge an opponent for first-round pairing. In a unique twist, the fans will get to choose the lane for each driver via text or website voting. The show will be streamed live on NitroTV.org.

 

Both Top Fuel and Funny Car categories will be run. Races will be to 1,000 feet when possible. Nitro fuel is limited to 80% max, with a maximum manifold pressure of 60 lbs. psi.

 

The “Nitro Outlaw” races will be held at the following National Hot Rod Diesel Association events in 2018 with more ADRL races pending:

 

March 17 - Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park, Phoenix, AZ

April 28 - Texas Motorplex, Dallas, TX

June 9 - Bandimere Speedway, Denver, CO

October 13 - Texas Motorplex, Dallas, TX   [12/18/17]

‘Classic’ Funny Car class added to March Meet

​The final judge for inclusion into the Classic Funny Car Class is Lou Hart's Drag Racing Funny Cars book.The Classic Nitro Funny Car class at the 2018 Good Vibrations March Meet is for classic-looking funny cars with all necessary NHRA Heritage rules enforced for safety and no long front overhang. It will be a 5.90 Index class, not a B-field. Racers must pick the class to race in prior to entering Auto Club Famoso Raceway and, ultimately will be subject to re-assignment if the management so decides. Points mag or MSD 12 amp.

 

The event payout is $5,000 to win the 8-car field and Stith Printing/Legends of Nitro will pay $500 to the #1 qualifier.

 

The Good Vibrations March Meet is scheduled for March 1-5 at Auto Club Famoso Raceway in Bakersfield, CA.  [12/18/17]

Diesel association announces 2018 schedule

The National Hot Rod Diesel Racing Association has announced their schedule for next season.

 

Mar. 16-17: Desert Diesel Nationals, Phoenix, AZ

Apr. 13-14: NorCal Diesel Nationals, Sacramento, CA

Apr. 27-28: Texas Diesel Nationals, Dallas, TX

May 18-19: Oklahoma Diesel Nationals, Tulsa, OK

June 9: Diesels on the Mountain, Denver, CO

June 22-23: Bluegrass Truckin’ Nationals, Clay City, KY

Aug. 11: Canadian Diesel Shootout, Nisku, Alberta

Aug. 24-25: Big Sky Truck Fest, Acton, MT

Oct. 12-13: NHDRA World Finals, Dallas, TX   [12/18/17]

Summit Motorsports Park to be all-concrete

A $1.6M track reconstruction project is in the works at Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OH.

 

The staging lanes will be new asphalt and the head of the staging lanes through 100 feet past the finish line will be concrete with new asphalt from that point to the sand trap at the end of the track.

 

Armed with input from car owner Jim Head, who is a concrete paver, track president Bill Bader Jr. and the track’s project manager, Matt Welsh, chose to work with Miller Brothers Construction.

 

Reconstruction is scheduled to begin next February and will be completed in time for the 37th Annual Spring Warm-Up on April 28-29.  [12/18/17]

New Product of the Day

 

DiamondFIRE Racing Spark Plug Wire Sets

E3 now offers DiamondFIRE Racing Spark Plug Wire Sets designed to specifically work in concert with DiamondFIRE Racing Spark Plugs by maximizing the power of E3’s proprietary DiamondFIRE technology.

 

The E3 DiamondFIRE Racing Wire Sets sport a class F40 spiral conductor and are rated at just 40 ohms per foot. Impregnated with Ferrite, an iron alloy that improves magnetism, it allows for RFI suppression on a wire with low ohms of 40-50 per ft. The 8.5mm 100% silicone outer jacket encases a 100% silicone inner jacket with stainless steel locking terminals. E3 DiamondFIRE Racing Wires feature a rock-solid braided Aramid base core, Carblex outer core which make up part of the DiamondFIRE Tri-Core, and nickel copper alloy conductors for exceptional spark energy transfer - a design unique to E3.

 

Pre-terminated sets feature a high temperature micro-woven fiberglass, silicone-cased sleeve rated with 4,000 extra volts of protection and capable of withstanding in excess of 600º F. The heat shield sleeves on the E3 DiamondFIRE Racing Wires have the highest percentage of silicone compared to sleeved race wires currently on the market delivering unparalleled heat and abrasion resistance capability.

 

The spark plug boot ends are manufactured with high temperature silicone to withstand the same 600ºF temp as the wire sleeve, while the distributor end boots are EPDM, which delivers exceptional dielectric strength. Made for durability in the harshest race environments, E3 DiamondFIRE Racing Wires offer excellent protection from heat, abrasions and chemical contaminants.

 

Also available are universal build-your-own sets that come complete with all the necessary components to make your own wires. The distributor end comes unassembled, but includes Male/HEI and Female/HEI terminals for specific applications. These non-sleeved sets are available in either straight or 90º boot configurations.  [12/18/17]

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