With a performance like that, one would assume that Ford would do anything in its power to keep Glidden happy, but when the then three-time champion approached Ford for additional sponsorship money, the automaker balked. Plymouth wasted no time in stepping up to the plate, and for the 1979 season Glidden found himself behind the wheel of a Pro Stock Plymouth Arrow. Despite his inexperience with the car and its drivetrain, Glidden lost just three national events over the entire season, posting seven national event wins for the second season in a row. The performance was more than good enough to earn Glidden his fourth title, and he returned with his Plymouth Arrow in 1980.
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John Force and Bob Glidden in 2005. Autostock photo, courtesy of Ford Motor Company.
Unlike the previous season, where Glidden had dominated the field in Pro Stock, 1980 was anything but a walk in the park. Heading into the Winston Finals in October, Glidden trailed points leader Lee Shepherd by two rounds, and likely would have lost the title had Shepherd's transmission not failed in the second round. Though the margin of victory wasn't what Glidden had grown accustomed to, it was still enough to produce his fifth championship
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