acegear
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Joined: 22 Oct 2004
Posts: 973
Location: Enumclaw, WA
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 Posted: Thu Nov 04, 2004 4:10 pm Post subject: Classic Driver: Edward Glenn "Fireball" Roberts |
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Edward Glenn “Fireball” Roberts started racing on the dirt tracks around Daytona Beach, Florida. Driving in the Modifieds class, he gained his first win at North Wilkesboro, NC in March of 1947 at the age of 18. He started his first NASCAR race that same year on the famed beaches of Daytona, but wrecked out on the 9th lap.
Glenn never actually liked the nickname “Fireball”. While most might think the name was a result of his driving, it actually stemmed from his time as a pitcher for the Zellwood Mud Hens of Apopka, FL. Knowing he didn’t like the name, most friends usually would call him by his middle name Glenn. Other drivers would simply call him “Balls” because of his hard charging driving style.
Glenn won his first NASCAR modified race the next year in a 150 mile beach race, and won his first NASCAR stock car race in 1950 at the young age of 21, and in only his third NASCAR start. That year Glenn went on to finish second in the points in his rookie season. Glenn only ran a limited schedule from 1951 through 1956 in order to spend more time with his new family, and to race the faster dirt modifieds he loved to race.
“Fireball” came back to NASCAR in 1956 with a Ford factory team in which he had sixteen top-five finishes, and five wins in 33 starts. Glenn was named the Professional Athlete of the Year in 1958 after becoming the first driver to win two 500 mile races in the same year. The late 50’s and early 60’s saw Glenn make an incredible run at racing, winning an amazing $66,152.00 in 1962 alone, which at that time was a princely sum.
1963 saw “Fireball” switch to the metallic lavender Ford Galaxie owned by the Holman & Moody race team of which he drove to four victories including his second win at the Southern 500. However the one race that still eluded him was the World 600 that was held in Charlotte, NC. With retirement first rumored, then confirmed for the end of 1965, Glenn prepared himself for his biggest challenge, the 1964 World 600.
During the 1964 May 24th World 600, Glenn was upbeat as he did his usual joking and kidding with all the drivers. With an uncharacteristic mediocre qualifying position in 11th place, Glenn's plan was to lay back and let the cars spread out and then make a charge to the front, knowing it was a long race. True to his style, he was most comfortable out front. On lap number 7, something went terribly wrong. Ned Jarrett's and Junior Johnson's cars collided between turns one and two and began spinning. “Fireball” spun off turn two trying to avoid the accident and his Lavender colored Holman-Moody # 22 Ford slammed backwards into an opening on the inside retaining wall, exploded, flipped over and burst into flames. There were no fuel cells or fire retardant suits in those racing days and they only had a fire resistant solution they could dip their driving uniforms into. It was thought “Fireball” was allergic to the chemicals in the solution, but he very privately suffered from an asthmatic condition and the chemicals affected his breathing. Jarrett's car spun to a stop near Fireball's car that was engulfed in flames. Jarrett rushed to and pulled Glenn from his car as “Fireball” was screaming, "My God, Ned, help me! I'm on fire!" With just a tee shirt for protection Glenn had received second and third degree burns over 80 percent of his body. He was airlifted to Charlotte Memorial Hospital in extremely critical condition. Good friends Jarrett & Johnson were most shaken by the incident and it's said to have hastened the end to their driving careers a short time later.
Glenn miraculously made it through the first few days. Then he made it a week, then a couple more. It looked like the crew cut, always smiling driver was going to beat all odds and pull through this horrifying ordeal. It was only his athletic regime of staying in shape that helped him sustain. But 36 days later, on Tuesday, June 30th, Glenn began to fade fast. He contracted pneumonia, sepsis (blood poisoning), and a fever shot his body temperature up to 104 degrees and he slipped into a coma Wednesday night. Then, just 12 hours after things started turning bad, at 7:13am in room 3305 at Charlotte Memorial Hospital on Thursday, July 2, 1964, Glenn Fireball Roberts’ six week struggle for life came to an end at the premature age of 35 years old.
Glenn “Fireball” Roberts would set enough records in his shortened career to place him in the Top 50 NASCAR Drivers of All Time. Of over 400 records, Glenn placed in the top-5 93 times, which is 45% of the races he entered. He led a total of 5,790 laps, and won over $325,000.00!
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A win is a win, and second place is never good enough |
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