Dallas Glenn won his first-ever Wally last weekend at the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. (RacinToday photo by Deb Williams)

CONCORD, N.C. – Winning at KB Racing as a crew member was nothing unusual for Dallas Glenn, but when it came to reaching victory lane as a NHRA Pro Stock driver, the North Carolinian discovered the task was more difficult.

“Standing from the outside (with the crew), you can always see all the little things,” Glenn explained. “These cars are so fun, but they are so hard to drive.”

Yet, in just Glenn’s fourth event, the rookie became the 69th different Pro Stock winner in Sunday’s NGK NTK NHRA Four-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway. It was an accomplishment that left his teary-eyed father telling him, “We’ve been waiting 19 years for this.” He knew driving a Pro Stock car had been his son’s goal for quite some time. 

“It hasn’t totally hit me yet,” Glenn said. “I’m trying to just soak everything up. I’ve been on KB Racing for a bunch of them (wins) and we’ve had a lot of success, but this is a whole new perspective for me.” 

The final round also provided a new perspective on Pro Stock’s future as all of the drivers in the final quad were seeking their first victory. Point leader and KB Racing’s Greg Anderson was eliminated in the semifinal round, while four-time Pro Stock champion Erica Enders exited the event in the first round. That left the final round to Glenn, Troy Coughlin Jr., Fernando Cuadra Jr. and Mason McGaha. Cuadra fouled with a red light. Then when the other three finished their run the win light didn’t flash. For a few suspenseful minutes, no one was sure who had won. Finally, Glenn was declared the winner with his pass of 6.540 seconds, 209.88 mph.

“I’m just trying to soak everything up and enjoy everything I can,” said Glenn, whose wife Sadie handles his PR and is a Sportsman drag racer. “I’ve never got to experience this side of winning. It was definitely pretty wild.”

Glenn initially joined KB Racing several years ago as a crew member. A Pro Stock fan and competitor in the Sportsman ranks, Glenn was attending the 2012 finals in Pomona, Calif., when he expressed an interest in joining a team to a KB Racing employee. The timing was perfect. Glenn was told the organization needed replacements for three employees that were coming off the road. After talking with several people, Glenn was told to report for duty in January 2013. Glenn is now one of those witnessing a resurgence of a class that many thought a few years ago might become extinct. 

“I think Pro Stock right now is extremely healthy,” Glenn said. “Every race we’re getting at least 18 racers. Pretty much half of the field is under the age of 35. A lot of young guns are driving right now and it’s absolutely brutal. Anybody in the top 16 can go out there and win a race, anything can happen right now. It’s about as tough as it’s ever been right now, especially because everyone is running within a couple hundredths.” 

Glenn heads to Houston Raceway Park for the May 21-23 event seventh in the Pro Stock standings. Anderson leads the standings, possessing a 106-point advantage over Enders.