OnAllCylinders Podcast (Ep. 4): Special Guest Dallas Glenn

KB Racing’s Dallas Glenn on His Pro Stock Debut and First Win in NHRA Pro Stock

We are happy to report that newly-minted KB Racing Pro Stock driver Dallas Glenn earned his first event win at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, North Carolina this past April. Glenn piloted the RAD Torque Systems and Silver State Refrigeration-sponsored Chevrolet Camaro on a 6.540-second, 209.88 MPH pass that was good enough to take the win over Mason McGaha, Fernando Cuadra Jr., and Troy Coughlin Jr. in the final round.

Glenn has spent the last several years handling back-end duties for Jason Line’s Pro Stock team. With Line’s retirement from driving duties at the end of the 2020 season, Glenn saw his opportunity to get a Pro Stock ride. He’ll be competing in four NHRA national events this year.

Jason Line is sure proud of his former crew member.

“I just want to say, ‘I told you so,’ he said with a chuckle. “Dallas is a great guy and a great driver, and I’m super excited for him as he gets further into his Pro Stock career. He worked hard for me, and he’ll continue to work hard and make the most of the opportunity.”  
 
We sat down with Glenn to talk about his new dream job and the journey he’s taken to get there.

It’s probably a big understatement to say winning your first Pro Stock race is a big deal?
Dallas Glenn: It’s a huge deal! I’ve been wanting to race Pro Stock since I was 11 years old, and to get this opportunity is a dream come true. I knew from the beginning that the car is more than capable of winning races, and winning in Charlotte shows I have the ability to put it all together.

How did your shot at Pro Stock racing come about?
DG: It was through Shane Thompson, who is co-owner of Silver State Refrigeration. I’ve driven a lot of his cars over the years and we’ve been friends for a long time. I was talking to him at Vegas last year and I halfway-jokingly asked, ‘You know how much it takes to sponsor one of these?’ Shane said, ‘If you’re driving, I’ll throw some money out there.’ That’s when I started pushing real hard for other sponsors. I got in touch with Dan Provost, owner of RAD Torque Systems, and he was on board right from the start. Without those two guys I wouldn’t be able to do this.

How did Jason Line’s decision to retire from driving in 2020 help pave the way for you?
DG: Having both Jason and Bo Butner step out of Pro Stock meant there were race cars available. When cars are sitting around, the KB Racing team is always looking to rent them out. It opened up the opportunity for me to drive and created that little extra push to say, ‘Let’s do it.’

Is your car the same Camaro Jason would be driving this year if he hadn’t retired?
DG: No, I have the car Kyle Koretsky was driving last year. It’s the Camaro that Jason drove when he won the 2016 Pro Stock championship. Kyle got the car Jason drove last year since he’s racing full time and I’m on a part-time schedule. Both are very good cars that have championship potential.

You’ve made a name for yourself at the sportsman level. What are some of your career highlights?
DG: One of the biggest highlights was in 2011 when I won Super Gas at the national event in Las Vegas. I’d been in a final once before in Stock, but to finally seal the deal was a whole ‘nother experience!

Last year, I doubled up at the IHRA Summit Sportsman Spectacular. Those were the first Ironmen I ever won, so that was kind of cool. I won a lot out West, but to win one in the East brings a whole new level of confidence that I can do this.

One that stands out for me is you winning your division in the 2008 NHRA Race of Champions. If you were a little older you would have been in the finals.
DG: Yeah, I won Sportsman in Division 6 when I was 17. That was the first year for the ‘You have to be 18 to race in a national event’ rule. If I had been born 43 days earlier—I blame my parents for that one—I would’ve been able to go to Pomona and race for the world championship.

When the officials told me I couldn’t go I was like, ‘Well, who are you gonna send?’ They said, ‘The winner from Sunday.’ So I said, ‘Okay, I’ll go win Sunday.’ I got close but ran out of luck in the semis.

I heard you went to another race on the way home from that event and won it?
DG: Yeah, it was a big money bracket race in Yakima, Washington on the way home, and I ended up winning that one. The funny story is that track is where I first met Shane Thompson. I think I beat him in some race, and he was like, ‘Why don’t you come and race one of my cars in Top Sportsman down in Vegas?’ So that’s how that all started.

Do your bracket racing skills help you in Pro Stock?
DG: I can pretty much apply my bracket racing experience to heads-up racing. The main difference is in Pro Stock, I don’t really need to pay attention to the other guy after we leave the starting line. I still have to cut the best light I can. I still need to keep the car in the groove and hit my shifts exactly the same.

One thing that bracket racing taught me is consistency, consistency, consistency. If you do everything exactly the same, you can throw out variables that could affect your performance the race. Anything can happen to throw a wrench in your normal routine. So if I go up there and the car dies right before I pre-stage or something, I’ve raced enough to not get panicked or flustered.

Do you feel like your time working at KB Racing has helped you too?
DG: Oh yeah, absolutely. Working on the car has been invaluable. When you’re driving and you hear something then you know, ‘Oh, I might have a weight that fell off a wheel.’ I know exactly what that sound was or what something feels like. Knowing how each thing works on the car just gives you a better understanding of how it acts when you’re driving it.

Do you prefer to drive or work on the race car?
DG: Driving has its appeal. Not really the glory as much, but trying to do the best you can. But working on a car is great, too, especially what you can learn and the skills you acquire. I look at normal jobs that people have and I don’t know if I could do that anymore. This job’s kind of ruined me for that. There’s nothing better than getting up in the morning and working on race cars all day.

Do you feel like your time working at KB Racing has helped you too?
DG: Oh yeah, absolutely. Not only have I been driving the burnout car for the last few years—which has a 700-horsepower motor in it with the Liberty [transmission] and everything, so that’s direct driving experience there—just working on the car is invaluable. When you’re driving and you hear something then you know, ‘Oh, I might have a weight that fell off a wheel.’ I know exactly what that sound was or what something feels like. Knowing how each thing works on the car just gives you a better understanding of how it acts when you’re driving it.

What will you consider a successful first Pro Stock season to look like?
DG: What I’d consider successful is doing my job in a way I feel is up to the level I need to be at. I stage shallow the way that I need to, I have good lights, I keep it in the groove and hit the shifts. If I do all of that correctly I know the wins will come eventually. One of the things I love the most about drag racing is your destiny is pretty much under your control—when you shut the car door it’s just you and the track.

What will you be doing when you’re not driving?
DG:  I’ll probably be working on Kyle Koretsky’s car. I’ll take over the car chief duties and make sure that car is 100 percent ready to go when we go up to the lanes.

Will you go bracket racing in any free time you might get?
DG: Any chance I get an off-weekend—if we’re not testing, or working somewhere or racing somewhere—and there’s a bracket race nearby, you can pretty much bet I’m gonna be there.

With guys like Jason and Bo stepping away from Pro and young guys like you and Kyle Koretsky taking their place, do you feel ready to grab the reigns?
DG: I feel Pro Stock is as tough as it’s ever been. There’s still a lot of good drivers in like Erica [Enders], [Deric] Kramer, and [Matt] Hartford. Troy Coughlin Jr.’s good, too.

In past years, there were usually a couple cars running away from the pack. Pretty much everyone in the class now has the potential to win on any given day. We’re on the same level. I’m excited and I’m hungry to get out there and really throw everything I have at it. We’ll see where it gets me.