Charlie Glotzbach holds 30-year record at Bristol

By Tim Packman, Turner Sports Interactive
March 23, 2001
12:39 PM EST (1739 GMT)

BRISTOL, Tenn. - It's often been said that records were meant to be broken. But, it looks like there is one that is going to sit in the Bristol Motor Speedway's record books for quite awhile.

Charlie Glotzbach

The 1971 Volunteer 500 was won by Charlie Glotzbach. Since that event 30 years ago, very few have come close to cracking the record race pace of 101.074 mph (two hours, 38 minutes) at the .533-mile track.

Two things stick out from that race:

• There was not a single caution in the event.

• 1971 was the year Chevrolet returned to NASCAR racing.

A quick glance of the Bristol books shows Glotzbach was the first Chevrolet driver to win an event at the half-mile hell-raiser. It was the first of seven consecutive wins by Chevy.

Glotzbach won four times in 123 starts.

Glotzbach won four races and 12 poles during his 123-race career and accumulated $317,467 in prize money. For his 1971 Bristol victory, he sat outside the front row and was one of 12 drivers to win from that position.

"Because we didn't have any cautions, the race went by quickly," he said. "The cars had bigger motors back then and we, as drivers, were better drivers than they are today. So, there weren't as many wrecks back then."

Fast forward to 2001. You'll find the Indiana native running a truck sales business, appropriately called, "Charlie's Truck Sales" in Louisville, Ky. He last competed in Winston Cup racing in 1992.

Glotzbach (left) with Junior Johnson at Charlotte.

"I drove 12 races for Junie Donlavey that year," he said. "I was running ARCA races at the time on superspeedways, and he let me run a few NASCAR races for him. But, that win at Bristol in '71 really meant a lot to me. To be driving for Junior (Johnson), and be a part of helping bring back Chevrolet, that was great. It gave me a lot of confidence to win at Bristol."

The closest anyone has come to topping his record race time at Bristol was Cale Yarborough, also in a Junior Johnson-owned Chevrolet, with a mark of 100.989 mph in 1977.

Speaking of age-old records that are still standing after 30 years: Glotzbach has his own view on age.

When asked his age, he quipped: "I'm 49. Ok. 62.

"And I am still lookin' for a ride."