There Was Only One Dodger
Glenn
Several years ago it was felt that the only way to really become a proficient Top Fuel or Funny Car driver was to start out on relatively slow stock cars and then work one’s way up through the ranks to the really quick and fast machinery. Dodger Glenn of New Castle, Delaware had done just that.
An experienced driver of Modified Stock machinery on the very tough Pennsylvania short track stock car circuit, Glenn saw his first quarter mile machine make an exhibition pass down the main straightaway of a local stock car track and he was instantly “hooked”. The excitement, noise, and brutal acceleration appealed to him, and he knew that was the way he wanted his driving career to go: in a straight line!
Beginning with a lumbering ’51 six cylinder-powered Chevy, Glenn had since worked his way up through the ranks to the controls of Jim Fox and Fred Frey’s Frantic Ford Funny Car, one of the East’s finest machines.
Glenn has spent time behind the wheel of a variety of machines including several Top Fuel dragsters. In each and every effort he achieved a considerable amount of success. His first Funny Car effort was with Fox in 1974, and they had a steady and successful run.
Glenn brought more to the Frantic Ford than just the ability to get the car from one end of the track to the other. There’s a lot more to drag racing than just driving. Glenn had the ability and desire to mingle with the fans, and that attribute has helped raise the popularity of the team’s operation. While Fox was busy maintaining the race car, Dodger spent his time helping to promote drag racing.
Public appearances by the race car had become Glenn’s forte. As Dodger said, “I enjoy talking with the kids, because they’re the ones that are going to determine the final success or failure of the quarter mile sport.
Further he added, "If I can help convince one person that drag racing is a worthwhile endeavor, convince one person to start attending the races, convince one middle-aged family man that drag racers are good people, then I’ll feel that I’ve really contributed something to the sport."
Dodger was taken from
us far too early in life. During a second round match against future world champion Bruce
Larson at Maple Grove Dragway in July 1978, Dodger suffered an engine explosion and
subsequent crash which claimed his life. He was 33 years old with a wife and two young
daughters. Dodger's memory will live on in the hearts and minds of all that knew him.
This site is dedicated to the memory of Paul Roger (Dodger) Glenn.
1945-1978.
Remembering Dodger
From: dennis
To: info@franticford.com
Sent: Sunday, October 11, 2009 2:43 PM
Subject: Dodger Glenn
A small Dodger story. I grew up next to the original S&W Speedshop. Dodger was one of the racers who was there all the time, always kidding, throwing baseball etc but I got a unicycle when I was about 10 and could not ride it to save my life. All the S&W guys would crack up. Dodger took that thing got on and rode up and down Walnut Street like he did it all his life and I still can't ride the damn thing. Thanks for the website...A kid from Spring City