Every ten years or so, a class comes along that sparks a new trend. For instance, we've recently witnessed the drag radial craze take off, as well as all of the great things happening over at the ADRL. However, in my eyes, none of these will ultimately have the same prestigious effect on their classes that the early days of Pro 5.0 brought to the sport of drag racing. Over the years, numerous individuals helped pave the way for the sport that we enjoy today. While it would be impossible to touch on all of them here and pay tribute to them for their vast contributions, we do want to call out a few people who immediately come to mind for making the unthinkable possible.
Billy Glidden 
All photos courtesy of YellowBullet
There is not much that we could say here that hasn’t already been said about Billy Glidden and his famed black hatchback. Glidden has used the small block Ford power plant with nitrous assistance for years, and still does to this day. I guess when you find a good thing you have to stick with it, and that he has.
Billy has annihilated the Pro 5.0 ranks, winning numerous events and fifteen world championships.
Steve Grebek 
Steve Grebek is another hero of the sport. Grebek was a chassis builder, as well as one hell of a talented driver. Grebek’s involvement in the sport helped propel its success, due in no small part to his innovative and cutting edge machinery and his ability to create engineering marvels.
Tragically, we lost Steve in a racing accident years before he reached his peak. Although he is gone, his legacy will continue to live on.
Jason Betwarda 
Racin’ Jason Betwarda was on his way to superstardom as he teamed up with Mike Ragusa for some of the wildest rides we have ever seen. Jason and his fox body convertible were always recognizable figures on the track, and he was hitting the pages of magazines around the country for his involvement in the racing community.
Sadly, Jason lost his life in a tragic accident that occurred while he was testing a new car. Only 28 years old at the time of his death, Betwarda will be remembered for years to come. It is hard to fathom that it has been ten years since we lost one of the greats of the sport.
Gene Deputy 
Gene Deputy was known as an innovator in heads up drag racing from the time he first became involved with the Fastest Street Car Shootout. Hailing from Texas, Deputy burst onto the scene driving the lone turbocharged car. At the time, they were quite uncommon and had been deemed unreliable, but Deputy found a way to make it work.
His futuristic looking fuel injection setup was highly noticeable and was unique for its time. With his Mustang weighing in at 3400lbs, Deputy led in low eight-second passes in ’91. He was fast enough to pick up a number four finish in the Fastest Street Car Shootout against some serious competition.
Deputy may be the reason that we see so many successful turbocharged cars today.
Brian Bossone 
Brian Bossone blasted onto the scene with his purple and yellow fox body, propelled by a small block Ford with a turbocharger. It was an unlikely combination at the time, but Brian found a way to stay with it.
Bossone faced off against the likes of Anthony Disomma at Englishtown, where so many memorable battles took place. Bossone was not partial to one series, as I can remember him coming to my home track to compete in Outlaw Pro Street. The series was dominated by nitrous at the time, but he shook the bleachers when he arrived.
Today, Brian remains involved with the sport through ELD Performance and spends time on the hit television series Pinks.
As stated previously, we could never hit on all of the great people who have paved the way. These are just a few individuals who come to mind when we think about where Pro 5.0 came from. Without all of the great competitors who pushed the envelope over the years, none of what we see today would have ever been possible.
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