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Racer Profile: Chargin' Charlie Glotzbach

Posted on May 18, 2006

By Allen Madding

 

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Born on June 19, 1938 in Edwardsville, Indiana, "Chargin Charlie"

Glotzbach began his racing career on the short tracks around Jeffersonville, Indiana, including the high-banked Salem Speedway. In 1960 Glotzbach made his debut in big time racing, the NASCAR Grand National Division, driving Red Hollingsworth’s #34 Chevrolet in the National 400 at Charlotte and then in the Atlanta 500. Unfortunately, he suffered suspension failures in both events.

In 1961, "Chargin Charlie" returned to the Grand National scene driving Melvin Black’s #65 Pontiac and Chevrolet in the Daytona 500 finishing 15th, at Piedmont Interstate Fairgrounds in Spartanburg, South Carolina finishing 15th, and in the Atlanta 500.

Glotzbach faded from the NASCAR scene until reemerging in 1967 when he accepted an offer to drive Nord Krauskopf’s #37 and #72 K&K Insurance Dodge in 8 events. That year, Glotzbach scored 3 – 4th place finishes – the Atlanta 500, the Southern 500, and the National 500 at Charlotte. In 1968, Glotzbach entered 22 of the NASCAR Grand National Division’s 49 races driving Tom Friedkin’s #40 and #15 Plymouth in Macon and at Daytona, Cotton Owens’ #6 Dodge in 20 events, and Ervin Pruitt’s #57 Dodge at Nashville. "Chargin Charlie" qualified on the pole for the Firecracker 400 at Daytona, the Southern 500 at Darlington, and for the National 500 at Charlotte which he won. In 22 starts in 1968, Glotzbach had 3 poles, 1 win, 10 top-5s and 12 top-10s.

Glotzbach started 1969 driving Owen’s #6 finishing 2nd in the Daytona 500 and then qualified on the pole for the Atlanta 500. He finished 5th at Michigan and then the two parted ways after 5 races together. He drove Ray Fox’s #3 Dodge in the Firecracker 400 at Daytona but lost an engine early in the event. Smokey Yunick put him behind the wheel of his #13 Ford for the Dixie 500 at Atlanta where "Chargin Charlie" finished 4th after starting 40th. Ray Nichels put him in his #88 and #99 Dodges for 4 events and Glotzbach finished 6th in the Southern 500 and 4th in the National 500. He qualified on the pole for the American 500 at Rockingham, but lost an engine halfway through the event.

Glotzbach teamed up with Nichels for 17 races in 1970 to drive the #99 Nichels-Goldsmith Dodge. He won his 125 Qualifier race at Daytona and finished 4th in the Daytona 500. He finished 4th in the summer’s Firecracker 400 at Daytona, 3rd in the Schaefer 300 at Trenton, sat on the pole and then won the Yankee 400 at Michigan, finished 3rd in the Talladega 500 and in the Mason-Dixon 300 at Dover, and sat on the pole for the National 500 at Charlotte, and for the American 500 at Rockingham. He drove Don Robertson’s #23 and #2 Plymouth in 2 events finishing 2nd in the Kingsport 100 at the .337-mile Kingsport Speedway, Kingsport, Tennessee.

In his 19 starts in 1970, he had recorded 4 poles, 1 win, 7 top-5s, and 8 top-10s.

Gloztbach made 20 starts in the newly renamed NASCAR Winston Cup Series in 1971. He drove John McCarthy’s #38 Dodge in 4 events, Junior Fields #91 Chevrolet in 2, and then Richard Howard’s #3 and #98 Chevrolet in 14 events. Behind the wheel of Howard’s Chevrolet, Glotzbach sat on the pole for the World 600 at Charlotte, won the Volunteer 500 at Bristol, and grabbed poles for the National 500 at Charlotte, the American 500 at Rockingham, and for the Wilkes 400 at North Wilkesboro. He recorded 4th place finishes at Atlanta, Martinsville, and Richmond, and 2nd place finishes at Dover and North Wilkesboro. All told he had accumulated 4 poles, 1 win, 7 top-5s, and 10 top-10s.

In 1972, he only made 3 starts in the Cup Series driving Cotton Owens’ #6 Dodge and Plymouth. He finished 2nd in the Daytona 500 and 3rd in the World 600. He made 5 starts in 1973, finishing 8th in the American 500 at Rockingham driving Junie Donlavey’s #90 Mercury. Glotzbach made 14 starts in 1974 finishing 4th at Rockingham driving Hoss Ellington’s Chevrolet, 4th in the Winston 500 at Talladega, 4th in the Volunteer 500 at Bristol, and 4th in the Capital City 500 at Richmond. Despite 7 engine failures and issues with the windshield at Daytona, "Chargin Charlie" scored 4 top-5s, and 5 top-10s for the year.

In 1975, Glotzbach made only 2 starts in the Winston Cup Series finishing 6th in the World 600 driving Hoss Ellington’s #28 Gilmore Enterprises Chevrolet. In 1976, He drove H. B. Cunningham’s #14 Chevrolet in the World 600 at Charlotte but lost an engine early in the event.

Glotzback did not return to Winston Cup competition until 1981 when he drove Bob Bahre’s #23 Oxford Speedway Buick in the National 500 at Charlotte. He was absent from the Cup Series until 1990, when he returned to competition at the age of 52 to drive in 3 events. He made his final appearance on the Winston Cup circuit in 1992 driving Junie Donlavey’s #90 SplitFire Ford in 7 events.

During 15 seasons of competition in NASCAR's top series, Charlie Glotzbach accquired 12 poles, 4 wins, 38 top-5s, and 50 top-10s in 124 events.

 

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