Racing is just in the blood for the Glenns of Covington
Published 8:57 am Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Driving is a family thing for Steve Glenn.
Steve Glenn, who lives in Covington, has three sons who are all involved in racing one way or another.
But this weekend, Glenn will be able to kick back and relax while his two older boys race, and enjoy the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways near Covington.
His middle son, Dallas, won his first Wally in Las Vegas in April. A Wally is the trophy in the image of the founder of the National Hot Rod Association, Wally Parks, and this year it is special because the NHRA is celebrating its 60th anniversary. So, Dallas Glenn’s first Wally is pewter instead of gold.
Oh, and he won in a car he’d never driven.
But, Steve Glenn is having a pretty good season himself in the 1955 Chevy Handyman wagon he inherited after his father died.
As of July 29, he was in a three way tie for the Pawn X-Change Series championship with Tim Schmitt and Al Chin, with just 12 points separating them from the rest of the field in the super pro category.
“Oh my God are we in a position now,” Steve Glenn said in a phone interview on Friday.
Meanwhile, Dallas has been racing in a number of different classes and races since he last spoke to the Reporter in April, including a win at the track in Mission, B.C.
And then the oldest of the Glenn boys, Dana, took the Handyman wagon out on the track in a national open event in Bremerton.
“He jumped into the car the very first time this year,” Steve Glenn said. “He’s been itching to drive it. This national open was the first one that was real close to us and we wanted to grab a point early. We showed up late. We only had one pass and he won the race.”
And in the span of just a few months, two of Steve Glenn’s sons picked up their first Wally, while he doesn’t have one. Yet.
His shop, Steve Glenn Enterprises, is packed with trophies and they’ve had to make room for more recently.
At the national open in Bremerton, between Dana and Dallas, the boys drove 42 rounds and Steve went through almost an entire drum of fuel.
“They pulled a thousand bucks at the track and I didn’t get a dime,” the elder Glenn said with a laugh.
“It’s been a very good year for us.”
Steve and Dallas went to Yakima to bracket race over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
On Friday night Steve won the trophy bracket, which he described as a test and tune race, then on Sunday morning Dallas won the super pro race.
“I hadn’t ever won there before,” Steve Glenn said. “But, Dallas has, he’s won everywhere.”
This weekend at the Northwest Nationals Dallas will be racing two cars and trying to pick up some more trophies for the Glenn family collection.
Dallas will drive the Dr. Injector Corvette as well as a Baretta in super gas, which Steve described as “an absolutely beautiful car,” for Glenn Payne of Puyallup.
And his older son, Dana, will be racing the wagon and it’s possible there could be some sibling rivalry since Dallas will be racing one of the cars in the same category as the Handyman.
It comes as no surprise the boys love to race. Steve said his youngest son, Jayce, who is now 16 was just four days old the first time he was out at the track with the family while Dallas was a few months old when he was initiated into the racing life.
Steve Glenn gets to be a dad during the national event and watch his sons race. He also gets to be a fan.
“It’s incredible,” Steve said. “The race itself has always been special ever since I was a little kid. It’s funny car, it’s top fuelers, it’s pro stock. It’s what people pay money to go see. The whole circus is coming to town. It’s just wild to see the whole deal unfold. I run into people at the race I haven’t seen in a long time. I get to be social and I get to have fun.”
And maybe he’ll see one of his boys pick up another Wally.
“They are stout,” he said of his sons. “When we pull up (to the starting line) people know they better bring their A game.”
Because racing is a family thing for Steve Glenn. And it’s something his family does quite well.
