{"id":125707,"date":"2021-01-26T08:57:52","date_gmt":"2021-01-26T13:57:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/velocetoday.com\/?p=125707"},"modified":"2022-01-24T21:15:07","modified_gmt":"2022-01-25T02:15:07","slug":"glen-glendenning-photogapher","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/velocetoday.com\/glen-glendenning-photogapher\/","title":{"rendered":"Glen Glendenning, Photographer"},"content":{"rendered":"

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We begin our series below with a biography of Glen Glendenning and a selection of his photographs.<\/span><\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

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Glen Glendenning, left, with D Jag racer Don Skogmo. Photographer unknown.<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

By Pete Vack<\/strong><\/p>\n

In 2012, Dennis Shoff and Dave Rex found a 1952 road race special named the \u201cComet\u201d in the back of a race shop at Virginia International Raceway, and purchased it from fellow vintage racer Larry Narcus, who had restored the car and gathered some of the car\u2019s history including contact information for the car\u2019s ex-owner and driver, Glen Glendenning.<\/p>\n

Dennis and Dave made contact with Glendenning, who at the time was living in Florida. This began a long relationship with Glendenning, who was able to not only share information on the Comet but many interesting stories of sportscar racing in the 50s. In addition, it was learned that Glenn had been an excellent photographer and owned a PR firm with a film lab, and produced 26 films for the Schlitz brewery.<\/p>\n

Just prior to his passing in 2014, Glendenning called Dave and said he had a large box of pictures from races and other car events that he had taken in the 1950s. Glendenning said \u201cI\u2019m not even going to open the box, I\u2019ll just tape it up and send it to you because I know you will take proper care of them.\u201d
\nThe box consisted of dozens of loose scrapbook pages. Most of the photos, as might be expected, were of above snapshot quality, well framed, in focus and taken with a 35 mm SLR with a good lens. That in itself was unusual in an era of brownie cameras and furthermore, Glen Glendenning knew most everyone in the budding sport, and had access to pits, corners and people. The box of photos teemed with promise.<\/p>\n

Glen was known by many people, but few knew him well and many have departed the scene. The following is what we\u2019ve learned about Glen from a few of his friends and acquaintances.<\/p>\n

He was born on August 20, 1926 in Evanston Illinois, where his father ran a Cadillac dealership. He once told Dave Rex that his uncle Raymond was a sports commentator for the BBC. In a recorded interview with Dennis Shoff in 2013, Glendenning said that he got into sports cars when he bought a Healey Silverstone, then bought an MGTC, perhaps with the help of his friend Larry Whiting, also a prominent Wisconsin enthusiast who was very much involved in early Road America as a racer and also track Public Address Announcer. According to Bob Birmingham, Glen was \u201ca promoter, an interesting sort who could regale listeners with tales of his world travels, and experiences that were almost beyond belief.\u201d<\/p>\n

In traveling to events, he used a Ford (or Chevy) Woody station wagon that served many purposes, as a tow car, and filled with spare race tires and tools. It was reported that inside the Woody he carried a parachute and water skis, an empty holster and a ham radio he loudly used to converse with others on a variety of topics while waiting at lights.<\/p>\n

Although he ventured to Indianapolis, Sebring, and Bridgehampton NY, he stayed close to home most of the time, attending, photographing and sometimes racing at the many venues close to Milwaukee, including Road America and the Milwaukee State Fairground. His last set of photos as found in his album were taken at Meadowdale, Illinois, September 14, 1958. It is said that at the end of the decade he went to the Bahamas and operated a marine shipping company.<\/p>\n

Glen told Rex that he had the 4th Austin Healy that came into the U.S. and met Donald Healy at Sebring. He sold an Allard when the Healey arrived. \u201cGlen also said he drove at Sebring in Larry Whiting\u2019s Morris Minor and Rod Carveth\u2019s Aston Martin (car didn\u2019t do well).\u201d Larry Whiting and Karl Brocken, both from the Milwaukee area, did race a Morris Minor at Sebring in 1950, placing 14th overall, and while Glen may have helped along the way, he is not listed in the official results.<\/p>\n

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Augie Pabst in the Comet which he shared with Glen Glendenning at the Road America 500 in 1957.<\/p><\/div><\/p>\n

In 1954 Glendenning purchased the Comet, a homebuilt special with a MGTD chassis with a Glaspar body and a Ford Flathead engine. The body was shortened 7 inches by cutting a section from the cockpit. Glen bought the car and began entering it in SCCA races, hill climbs and other Milwaukee area events. Says Rex, \u201cIn 1957 Augie Pabst co\u2014drove the car with Glen in a 500-mile race at Road America. Augie told Rex that the car\u2019s brakes were the worst he had ever experienced! In 1956 after blowing up a few flatheads, Glenn was given a Chevrolet 283 engine and transmission by a well-connected friend at Chevrolet. Instructions were included that if any problems occurred, to refer them to Chevrolet engineering. Glen took the car to Granatelli in Chicago and had 3 carbs installed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Road America historian Tom Schultz has Glendenning\u2019s race record as:
\n8-15-54 Milwaukee Regional, 9 OA
\n9-11-55 Road America National, 18 OA
\n5-20-56 Milwaukee Regional, 11 OA
\n7-01-56 Milwaukee MG Car Club race, 2 OA
\n9-08-57 Road America 500, 32 OA
\nWrites Shultz: \u201cGlen was far more involved in the social aspects of sports cars than the racing. He did have the Comet special, but did not race it much at all.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more about the Comet:<\/p>\n

Connections: Augie Pabst<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n