Ford fans attending the Mac Tools Nationals as well as Blue Oval enthusiasts all over the country were thrilled to hear that Bob Glidden drove Jim Cunningham’s Pro Stock Mustang at Indy and has also agreed to help out with his engine program.

But few were more excited than Erica Enders, the driver of Cunningham’s other Ford factory hot rod entry. “I’m actually star struck,” said Enders. “It’s an honor to work with Bob and I love talking with him. He’s forgotten more about Pro Stock than I’ll ever know, and I am positive that he will really help our in-house engine development.”

Glidden, who hasn’t raced since the 2003 NHRA Finals, failed to make the field, but is hopeful that he can help the team will find more horsepower and has tentative plans to drive Cunningham’s Mustang at additional NHRA national events.
 

I gotta hand it to fellow ND staffer Brad Littlefield. The kid is wise beyond his years. He lives the life of a typical 20-something race junkie. He hangs with his friends, samples the occasional barley and hops mixture, and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty installing a clutch or torquing a set of connecting rods. He’s also got an internal data base of drag racing knowledge that rivals google and he’s pretty funny to boot. For proof of the latter, simply check out his series of NHRA.com staff blogs featuring quotes from famous movies such as The Hangover and Tombstone.
 
I know a good idea when I see (steal) one so as a tribute to young Bradley, I’ll now present my 2010 Indy highlights, not using movie quotes, but rather the tunes made famous by rock and blues pioneer Robert Johnson. If you aren’t familiar with Robert Johnson’s work, shame on you. You should be. The man was an absolute genius and influenced every significant musician from the last 50 years including Eric Clapton, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Research the history of rock and roll, and you’ll understand that Robert Johnson is ground zero.

Sweet Home Chicago
He was only third quickest in Top Fuel qualifying, behind Cory McClenathan and Larry Dixon, but would any rational human bet against Chicago’s own Tony Schumacher tomorrow. “Big Daddy” Don Garlits and Ed “the Ace” McCulloch are synonymous with success at Indy and so is Schumacher. He’s won eight Mac Tools U.S. Nationals in the last ten years and he seems destined to break the record he currently shares with Garlits. Top Fuel low qualifiers have traditionally struggled at Indy so the No. 3 spot seems like a good place to strike from.

When you’ve got a good friend
Redell Harris matched his career best in Pro Stock Motorcycle qualifying with a 6.99 in the final session to make the field with his Buell V-twin. Prior to that, Harris was struggling. The difference? Fellow competitor Junior Pippin offered to loan Harris and engine and even offered tuning assistance. The affable Pippin isn’t even too upset that Harris made the field and he didn’t. That IS a good friend.

I’m a steady rollin’ man
Mike Edwards hasn’t won a race in more than a month but did anyone really think he wouldn’t put his best foot forward at Indy. Okay, so he doesn’t have a huge advantage against the field, but Edwards did set the pace with a 6.579 and he figures to be one of the favorites tomorrow. As the Countdown leader, Edwards enters Indy with a 30 point lead and I’m thinking that he has a good chance to pad that lead tomorrow.

Hellhound on my Trail
It was Matt Hagan, not Robert Hight as many had expected, that claimed the top spot in Funny Car qualifying with Saturday’s strong 4.039 performance in his Die Hard Charger. Hagan might have become the first Funny Car driver in the threes had he not shut off early on that run. Hagan has been solid all weekend but he’s also smart enough not to get over confident as Hight, the reigning world champ, is lurking close behind with a 4.055. Hagan, and the rest of the Funny Car field for that matter, would be wise not to discount Hight’s teammate, John Force, who certainly knows how to win Indy. Force desperately wants a 15th championship and he knows an Indy win would do wonders to help him get there.

Cross Road blues
If you go by the amount of fans following along on the internet, sportsman star Dan Fletcher is as popular as many of today’s nitro and Pro Stock drivers. Fletcher, whose road to glory is often paved with misery, has had a very interesting U.S. Nationals. First off, Dan finished qualifying as the 129 ranked driver in the 128 car field with his K&N Filters Camaro. Knowing that he’d likely get in as an alternate, “Fletchburg” did what any rational racer would do; he loaded up his race car and headed for Muncie Dragway to do a little testing. Dan apparently found the source of his problems as he is still alive after three rounds of Stock eliminations. He also put forth a solid effort behind the wheel of his friend Billy Leber’s Corvette before falling to Dave Connolly.

They’re red hot
If you follow the NHRA Lucas Oil Series, or wandered through the pit area at O’Reilly Raceway Park, you’ve probably noticed the large amount of DragPak Dodge Challengers and Cobra Jet Ford Mustangs entered in Stock and Super Stock. The modern muscle cars not only look cool, but they’ve basically taken over Stock Eliminator, winning every class championship from A through E/SA. Earlier today, Don Fezell also made the sport’s quickest Stock run with an other-worldly 9.39 from his Daddy Warbucks Mustang.
The dominant of the Challengers and Cobra Jets have also stirred up a firestorm of controversy due to the fact that they are significantly quicker than the more traditional vintage muscle cars that they race against. Stock eliminator uses an automatic system to adjust horsepower and most of the engine combinations for the Challengers and Cobra Jets will receive an automatic horsepower adjustment immediately after the Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, but the question is, will it be enough?

Stones in my passway
I’ll save this one for myself.  It’s Sunday at Indy and this is my first attempt at a Staff Blog. How come? For one, the NHRA Interactive live blog has taken off like wild fire, exceeding even out most optimistic expectations. I’ve also got a kidney stone the size of a wrist pin floating around in me somewhere and in case you didn’t know, they’re no fun. Incredibly, the only other time I’ve had a kidney stone was at the 1993 U.S. Nationals. I guess if I have to endure a little pain every 17 years in order to make it to Indy, that’s a price I’m willing to pay.
 

Mike Edwards, who was No. 1 after Friday evening’s Pro Stock qualifying with a 6.596, only to be eclipsed by Jeg Coughlin’s 6.580 on Saturday night, came back to reclaim the top spot with a 6.579 on Saturday morning, edging out the trio of 6.580’s by Allen Johnson, Jason Line, and Coughlin.

Making Edwards’ feat even more impressive is the fact that he did it in the less favored right lane, where such renowned racers as Greg Anderson was not able to make it down the track on two passes.

“The right lane is trickier, no doubt,” said Edwards. “You just have to be very careful where you line your car up when you stage. Fortunately for us, my crew has done an excellent job in that department, and they played a big role in helping us move back to No. 1 this morning.”
 

Tharp then ...

... and now

We had a surprise guest yesterday in the pressroom, former U.S. Nationals champ "King Richard" Tharp, who stopped by to chat with me about the ongoing ramp truck thread in my DRAGSTER Insider column here on NHRA.com.

Tharp was looking for a copy of the photo that "Beserko Bob" Doerrer had contributed of Funny Car rigs parked in the lot of the famed Marco Polo motel in Anaheim, including his then ride, the Harry Schmidt-owned Blue Max Mustang.

He saddled up here for the long run to watch Funny Car qualifying with the DRAGSTER staff, wearing his trademark white cowboy hat and looking every bit as fit and trim as he did in his driving days. He's currently in the wholesale car business and doing quite well, but keeps tabs on the sport on a regular basis. He's a close neighbor and still good friend with the later owner of the Blue Max heritage, Raymond Beadle, who he says is recovering well from a near-fatal heart attack earlier this year.

Tharp's memory is sharp as a tack, which became obvious as I peppered him with questions about the old days. As we chatted, he was looking over a list of final Pro Stock qualifiers and noted that it wasn't too long ago that nitro Funny Cars were running 6.50s at 210 mph … needing blowers and nitro to do what today's gas and carbs machines do.

He recalled how the Max and the Pat Foster-driven Barry Setzer Vega were the top performers of the 1972 season, and that both cars had been built by the late, great Lil John Buttera and both had Ed Pink power.

(Above) The 1971 Blue Max/ (Below) Tharp, far lane, winning Indy in 1976.

He recalled wistfully the days when the Max would run as many as seven match race dates in six days and about the fun of traveling the country with guys like "Jungle Jim" Liberman.

DRAGSTER Senior Editor Kevin McKenna worked up the nerve to ask him about a long-rumored story from those wild and crazy days, that Tharp, on a bet – and if you're squeamish, please skip this next part … seriously – had swallowed a live bird. He confirmed that the deed, but not that he was the guy who actually claimed the $900 up for grabs. I guess when you're on the road for extended periods, you'll do anything to pass the time.

Although Tharp did the lion's share of his winning in Top Fuel – he won Indy in 1976, defeating John Wiebe in the final and was runner-up the next year, and was world champ in 1976 in the candies & Hughes dragster to upstart Dennis Baca – he said he loved driving the Funny Cars more.

Tharp finished his career in Funny Cars, ironically in the Blue Max, and, unfortunately, in a car that was underfunded and trouble-plagued, and not a fitting end to "King Richard's reign, but he's still a hero and legend in our sport. He promised to stay in touch and share more stories with me in the future, and I'm truly looking forward to it.