Bob Tasca III
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
SummitRacing.com NHRA Nationals
The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in Las Vegas, NevadaApril 2-5, 2009
TASCA AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE SHELBY MUSTANG TEAM ARE ‘ALL IN’ FOR LAS VEGAS NHRA RACE
Ante Up. Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang Shelby team return to the table in hopes of improving their luck after a first round exit in Houston. The Strip At Las Vegas is one of Tasca’s favorite tracks.
“We’re still riding the momentum from earlier in the season. I’m looking forward to racing in Las Vegas this weekend,” said Tasca. “We qualified third in our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang there last year, so we have high expectations to get back on track in Las Vegas this weekend. Vegas is arguably one of the top five tracks in the series. Gainesville is historic and I can’t complain about Gainesville because that’s where my first win came. I wouldn’t be disappointed to get my second win at Las Vegas. That is a win that you want to have on your resume.”
Full House. Fans help make the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing a success. The track located just north of Las Vegas’ famed strip tends to put on a world-class show for the race fans.
“Las Vegas is one of the marquee facilities with huge crowds and the stands are always packed,” said Tasca. “The Strip is a place where you can apply the power because the track is smooth, flat and it allows these cars to work their magic and put on a great show.”
Two of a Kind. In the fall of 2008, Tasca formed a technical alliance with defending Las Vegas race winner Tim Wilkerson. At the start of the 2009 season, Tasca believed the results of the alliance would prove valuable within five races of the season as they search to find a common balance between their two Mustangs.
“You’ll start to see our two Mustangs come together this weekend. We’re sharing a lot of information,” explained Tasca. “The good news about this alliance is that we’re just starting to get into the real value of it and really learning the characteristics of the two cars. Wilkerson made some tune-up changes in Houston based on some of the stuff he talked to Chris Cunningham [Tasca crew chief], about and Tim went right to the top of the pack in qualifying.”
Ace High. Las Vegas is home to Shelby Automobiles and the Shelby Corner Café. Tasca hopes his mentor and living legend Carroll Shelby brings him some Vegas luck this weekend.
“Las Vegas is the hometown for Carroll Shelby and it is only fitting that we run the Shelby Mustang,” added Tasca. “Carroll always comes to the race at least one of the days and it’s great to see him there as well as all the people from Shelby Automotive.”
Full Throttle Points Standings – Funny Car
1. Ron Capps, 294; 2. Del Worsham 265; 3. Ashley Force Hood, 261; 4. Bob Tasca III, 257; 5. Tony Pedregon, 232; 6. Jack Beckman, 231; 7. Matt Hagan, 210; 8. John Force, 200; 9t. Robert Hight, 196; 9t. Mike Neff, 196; 11. Tim Wilkerson, 189.
Las Vegas Race Notes
- Tasca qualified third during last spring’s event at Las Vegas. He defeated Melanie Troxel in the first round and lost to Ron Capps in the second round after crossing the center line.
- Tasca dropped two positions in the points standings after Houston, he sits in fourth heading into round five of the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.
Tasca Funny Car Achievements
- First round win, defeated Melanie Troxel, February 10, 2008, NHRA Winternationals, Pomona, CA
- First time in the semi-finals, April 27, 2008, NHRA Southern Nationals, Atlanta, GA
- First No. 1 qualifier, March 14, 2009, Gatornationals, Gainesville, FL
- First win, March 15, 2009, Gatornationals, Gainesville, FL
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Notes
- 2009 marks the second year Ford Customer Service Division brands Motorcraft and Quick Lane sponsor Bob Tasca III and Tasca Racing.
- Motorcraft® continues its relationship with NHRA, having sponsored Hall-of-Fame NHRA driver Bob Glidden and drag racing legend Kenny Bernstein, among others, in the late 80s and early 90s.
- Motorcraft® products strike the perfect balance of precision, quality and pricing. Manufactured to strict specifications, they install quickly and give the confidence of doing a job right the first time. Motorcraft is the preferred choice of Ford Motor Company.
- Quick Lane Tire® & Auto Centers provide the services your car or truck needs most, performed by factory-trained experts and on your schedule. You’ll never need an appointment and you’ll get service while you wait, even on evenings and weekends. We’ll take care of any make, or model using quality Motorcraft® parts. Give them a try and see why life is better in the Quick Lane®.
- Quick Lane® offers routine maintenance and light repair services, such as oil and filter changes, brake repairs and tire replacement for all makes and models.
- Quick Lane celebrated the opening of its 500th tire and auto center in 2008. Visit www.quicklane.com to find any of the four Quick Lanes in the greater Las Vegas area.
Television
Saturday, April 4 – ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 8 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, April 5 – ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute news magazine show, at 11a.m. (ET)
Sunday, April 5 – ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours of coverage starting at 4 p.m. (ET).
Satellite (Analog feed)
Friday, April 3, 10 - 10:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 1K (11720 MHz, vertical)
Saturday, April 4, 10:30 - 11p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 1K (11720 MHz, vertical)
Sunday, April 5, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 1K (11720 MHz, vertical)
Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners' interviews on Sunday.
About Motorcraft
Motorcraft® offers a complete line of original equipment-approved parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood and powertrain repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available locally and are backed nationwide by Ford Motor Company's Service Parts Limited Warranty. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.
About Quick Lane
Quick Lane® provides automotive quick services for all makes and models. Quick Lane's® nationwide network of over 500 facilities provides the convenience of an aftermarket company (no appointment necessary, service while you wait, evening and weekend hours, competitive prices) with the confidence of a major automotive manufacturer (quality parts, factory-trained technicians). Quick Lane® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.quicklane.com.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With more than 213,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s wholly owned brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com
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Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Heartbreak in Houston
Bob Tasca III
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals
Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, TexasMarch 27-29, 2009
HEARTBREAK IN HOUSTON
BOB TASCA III AND THE MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE SHELBY MUSTANG
FALL SHORT OF EXPECTATIONS IN FIRST ROUND
Baytown, Texas - March 29, 2009 – A first round loss brings an early end to the weekend for Bob Tasca III and Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang Team.
Ever changing track conditions in Houston made it a difficult weekend for Tasca and the team. In Saturday’s final sessions, Tasca took his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang on a 4.172 second run at 295.46 miles per hour en route to an 11th place qualifying position.
“We made two runs on Saturday. We were trying to balance the power to the racing surface,” said Tasca. “We struggled a little bit and with those conditions and we probably needed another run to really dial the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang in to where we wanted it to be.”
On Sunday morning, Tasca faced John Force in the first round eliminations. Tasca smoked the tires around the 330-foot mark and was defeated by the 14-time champion.
“To win against John Force, you’ve got to run really hard,” said Tasca. “We compared our run to teammate Tim Wilkerson’s run [in the first round] and there might have been a one degree difference and that one degree could have changed everything. We missed it by an eyelash.”
“It wasn’t our day, but I’m happy for my fellow Ford driver Ashley Force Hood and her win today. It’s great to see a Ford Mustang in the Winner’s Circle. Congratulations to Ashley and her entire team.”
Although Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team made an early exit from the Spring Nationals, it was an educational weekend.
“We’re taking the good with us from Houston and leaving the bad behind. We race and we want to win every time, but we know you can’t win them all. This weekend didn’t meet our expectations. I’m disappointed that we weren’t able to go through the rounds in Houston, but we’re very focused on the next race. We’re still riding the momentum from earlier in the season. I’m looking forward to racing in Las Vegas next weekend. We qualified second there last year, so we have high expectations to get back on track in Las Vegas.”
“We survived Houston,” said Tasca. “Each day I felt like I was racing on three different tracks. The track changed so much from Friday to Saturday and then from Saturday to Sunday. The conditions really played havoc on the crew chiefs and you saw it in the performance. There were some incredible runs and a lot of tire smoke from cars in either lane.”
Ashley Force Hood defeated Jack Beckman during Sunday’s final elimination. This was her second career Funny Car win.
Full Throttle Standings – Funny Car
1. Ron Capps, 294; 2. Del Worsham 265; 3. Ashley Force Hood, 261; 4. Bob Tasca III, 257; 5. Tony Pedregon, 232; 6. Jack Beckman, 231; 7. Matt Hagan, 210; 8. John Force, 200; 9t. Robert Hight, 196; 9t. Mike Neff, 196; 11. Tim Wilkerson, 189.
# # # #
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals
Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, TexasMarch 27-29, 2009
HEARTBREAK IN HOUSTON
BOB TASCA III AND THE MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE SHELBY MUSTANG
FALL SHORT OF EXPECTATIONS IN FIRST ROUND
Baytown, Texas - March 29, 2009 – A first round loss brings an early end to the weekend for Bob Tasca III and Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang Team.
Ever changing track conditions in Houston made it a difficult weekend for Tasca and the team. In Saturday’s final sessions, Tasca took his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang on a 4.172 second run at 295.46 miles per hour en route to an 11th place qualifying position.
“We made two runs on Saturday. We were trying to balance the power to the racing surface,” said Tasca. “We struggled a little bit and with those conditions and we probably needed another run to really dial the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang in to where we wanted it to be.”
On Sunday morning, Tasca faced John Force in the first round eliminations. Tasca smoked the tires around the 330-foot mark and was defeated by the 14-time champion.
“To win against John Force, you’ve got to run really hard,” said Tasca. “We compared our run to teammate Tim Wilkerson’s run [in the first round] and there might have been a one degree difference and that one degree could have changed everything. We missed it by an eyelash.”
“It wasn’t our day, but I’m happy for my fellow Ford driver Ashley Force Hood and her win today. It’s great to see a Ford Mustang in the Winner’s Circle. Congratulations to Ashley and her entire team.”
Although Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team made an early exit from the Spring Nationals, it was an educational weekend.
“We’re taking the good with us from Houston and leaving the bad behind. We race and we want to win every time, but we know you can’t win them all. This weekend didn’t meet our expectations. I’m disappointed that we weren’t able to go through the rounds in Houston, but we’re very focused on the next race. We’re still riding the momentum from earlier in the season. I’m looking forward to racing in Las Vegas next weekend. We qualified second there last year, so we have high expectations to get back on track in Las Vegas.”
“We survived Houston,” said Tasca. “Each day I felt like I was racing on three different tracks. The track changed so much from Friday to Saturday and then from Saturday to Sunday. The conditions really played havoc on the crew chiefs and you saw it in the performance. There were some incredible runs and a lot of tire smoke from cars in either lane.”
Ashley Force Hood defeated Jack Beckman during Sunday’s final elimination. This was her second career Funny Car win.
Full Throttle Standings – Funny Car
1. Ron Capps, 294; 2. Del Worsham 265; 3. Ashley Force Hood, 261; 4. Bob Tasca III, 257; 5. Tony Pedregon, 232; 6. Jack Beckman, 231; 7. Matt Hagan, 210; 8. John Force, 200; 9t. Robert Hight, 196; 9t. Mike Neff, 196; 11. Tim Wilkerson, 189.
# # # #
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
“HOUSTON, WE HAVE A CHAMPIONSHIP CONTENDER”
BOB TASCA III AND THE MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE SHELBY MUSTANG
NITRO FUNNY CAR TAKE FLIGHT IN HOUSTON
Start the countdown:
“3” – In November 2007, Bob Tasca III secured a three-year sponsorship with Ford Customer Service Division’s brands Motorcraft and Quick Lane. On that fateful winter day in Michigan, he promised them a victory. In the third race of the 2009 season, Tasca III in the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang delivered on that promise:
“I was thrilled to be able to deliver this victory to Motorcraft and Quick Lane. My sponsors have raced a long time and never got a Wally [NHRA trophy]. I’m honored to represent Motorcraft and Quick Lane and bring them a Gatornationals win. I knew we could win, so hopefully this is the first of many to come. We, the entire Motorcraft/Quick Lane team, are determined and focused to win a championship. For me, I keep it in perspective. It was only one win but it was a great win.”
“2” – Now in his second full season of NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Funny Car competition, Tasca sits in lofty territory - second in the point standings. Tasca reflects on his series ranking and his sophomore year:
“We’re very early into the season and being No. 2 in the points, going into Houston is a good place to be. You’ve got to be in the top 10 to run for the championship and that’s really our focus right now. I think the biggest difference for me from last year to this year is to know the unknown. From last year to this year, everything happens slower in the car. I’m more relaxed because I have a pretty good feel for what’s going to happen when I hit the gas.”
“1” – One race at a time. As the top qualifier in Gainesville, Tasca credits the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team led by crew chief Chris Cunningham with the set-up for success.
“I give all the credit to my guys, Chris, Marc Denner and the team that we’ve assembled. They’re methodical with how they approach everything. You’ve seen the consistency in our Shelby Mustang. You saw it in Pomona and in Phoenix and Gainesville. To win this championship, it starts all over again in Houston. We’re going to take one round at time, one race at time and keep getting this Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang Shelby in the winner’s circle.”
“I just can’t wait to get back into our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang Funny Car. Having a week off has been great to reflect on and appreciate Gainesville, but I can assure you, Friday morning, Gainesville is over and Houston begins. I’m looking forward to keeping this momentum and building on what we have established early in the season. I’m ready for Houston,” said Tasca.
“LAUNCH” – On March 13, Ford Customer Service Division launched the ‘Race Hot to a Mustang Sweepstakes.’ One grand prize winner will drive away in an all-new 2010 Ford Mustang GT equipped with a Ford Racing Performance Parts package and upgrades courtesy of Ford Custom Accessories. Enter online until November 23, 2009, at www.motorcraft.com, www.quicklane.com, and www.bobtasca.com. The Race Hot Sweepstakes is open to all licensed U.S. citizens over the age of 18.
Full Throttle Points Standings – Funny Car
1. Ron Capps, 263; 2. Bob Tasca III, 225; 3. Del Worsham, 184; Robert Hight, 164; 5. Mike Neff, 163; 6. Tony Pedregon, 160; 7. Matt Hagan, 157; 8. Jim Head, 155; 9. John Force, 146; 10. Ashley Force Hood, 145; 11. Jack Beckman, 137; 12. Tim Wilkerson, 134; 13. Jerry Toliver, 115; 14. Gary Densham, 104; 15t. Jeff Arend and Cruz Pedregon, 94.
Houston Race Notes
- Tasca claimed his first No. 1 qualifying position at Gainesville
- Tasca earned his first NHRA Funny Car win at Gainesville
- Tasca’s No. 1 qualifying effort at Gainesville marks the sixth time he has claimed a top-five spot in qualifying. His first round win marked the 10th time he had advanced past the opening round in the Nitro Ladder.
- Tasca moved up four positions in the points standings, he sits in second heading into round four of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Notes
- 2009 marks the second year Ford Customer Service Division brands Motorcraft and Quick Lane sponsor Bob Tasca III and Tasca Racing.
- Motorcraft® continues its relationship with NHRA, having sponsored Hall-of-Fame NHRA driver Bob Glidden and drag racing legend Kenny Bernstein, among others, in the late 80s and early 90s.
- Motorcraft® products strike the perfect balance of precision, quality and pricing. Manufactured to strict specifications, they install quickly and give the confidence of doing a job right the first time. Motorcraft is the preferred choice of Ford Motor Company.
- Quick Lane Tire® & Auto Centers provide the services your car or truck needs most, performed by factory-trained experts and on your schedule. You’ll never need an appointment and you’ll get service while you wait, even on evenings and weekends. We’ll take care of any make, or model using quality Motorcraft® parts. Give them a try and see why life is better in the Quick Lane®.
- Quick Lane® offers routine maintenance and light repair services, such as oil and filter changes, brake repairs and tire replacement for all makes and models.
- Quick Lane celebrated the opening of its 500th tire and auto center in 2008. Visit www.quicklane.com to find any of the 17 Quick Lanes in the greater Houston area.
Television
Saturday, March 28 – ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise one hour of qualifying highlights at 8 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, March 29 – ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute news magazine show, at 11a.m. (ET).
Sunday, March 29 – ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise three hours and thirty minutes of coverage starting at 4:30 p.m. (ET).
Satellite (Analog feed)
Friday, March 27, 9 - 9:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 1K (11720 MHz, vertical).
Saturday, March 28, 8 - 8:30p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 1K (11720 MHz, vertical). Sunday, March 29, 8 - 8:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 1K (11720 MHz, vertical) Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners' interviews on Sunday.
About Motorcraft
Motorcraft® offers a complete line of original equipment-approved parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood and powertrain repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available locally and are backed nationwide by Ford Motor Company's Service Parts Limited Warranty. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.
About Quick Lane
Quick Lane® provides automotive quick services for all makes and models. Quick Lane's® nationwide network of over 500 facilities provides the convenience of an aftermarket company (no appointment necessary, service while you wait, evening and weekend hours, competitive prices) with the confidence of a major automotive manufacturer (quality parts, factory-trained technicians). Quick Lane® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit www.quicklane.com.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With more than 213,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s wholly owned brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com
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Wednesday, March 18, 2009
BOB TASCA III, DRIVER OF THE MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE FORD SHELBY MUSTANG NITRO FUNNY CAR TELECONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT
BOB TASCA III, DRIVER OF THE MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE FORD SHELBY MUSTANG, WON SUNDAY’S 40TH ANNUAL NHRA GATORNATIONALS FUNNY CAR RACE. HE PARTICIPATED IN A TELECONFERENCE ON WEDNESDAY TO DISCUSS HIS FIRST CAREER WIN.
BOB TASCA III – MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE FORD SHELBY MUSTANG NITRO FUNNY CAR – WELCOME TO TODAY’S TELECONFERENCE AND CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR VICTORY. “Thank you very much. It’s great to be on. What a win for our program and Ford Motor Company. It certainly was a day that I’ll never forget.”
NOW THAT YOU’VE HAD A FEW DAYS TO THINK ABOUT IT, WHAT IS IT THAT STANDS OUT IN YOUR MIND ABOUT THE FIRST WIN? “I think it’s funny, going into the race, there was a reporter that asked me a question. He said, ‘Okay, script your first win.’ And I kind of looked at the guys and said, ‘Well, truthfully, I can’t script it. I’ll let you know after it happens.’ I guess if I could have scripted it, I couldn’t have scripted it any better. To qualify No. 1, on the pole, at one of the biggest races of the year, Gainesville being one of those really big marquee races that you circle on your calendar in the off season. National TV, ESPN, you beat Tim Wilkerson, my teammate, in the second round, which was big for us. We never had a team car, so it was new to pull up next to him, knowing that he wants to beat me as much as I want to beat him. But at the end of the day, we’re both sharing information. Then to beat the 14-time world champion, John Force, who has really been a mentor of mine and certainly is a big reason why I’m driving one of these cars here today. Then to pull into the finals with Tony Pedregon, my best friend, heck, he’s in Disney with me right now. Just to win the way that we did and how we did it and who we beat, just makes it that much more special.”
IN REFERENCE TO THIS COMING ALONG, DID YOU EVER CONSIDER, BECAUSE OF THESE RESULTS, GOING FROM HUNTING FOR POINTS AND WINS TO NOW BEING HUNTED FOR POINTS? “Right from the very beginning of this program, people asked me, ‘What are your goals?’ I said, ‘Our goals are real simple. We want to win two championships. That’s one on the race track and one off the race track.’ Our program, if you really pull back the onion, and look at what we’ve done, it’s win on Sunday, sell on Monday. Right out of the gate last year we had an off-the-track program that was championship quality from how we targeted the consumers, how we launched our B-to-B side of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane program. But the championship on the race track was really the ball in my court. To build that program, it isn’t instant pudding. It takes time to get the right players in place, and parts and people. But certainly, I give all the credit in the world to Chris Cunningham and my group. The first strategic move that I did was hire Chris Cunningham. The guy has been out in the sport a long time, has won championships on other teams and is a seasoned Top Fuel Funny Car veteran. The second move we made that was very, very significant is Tim Wilkerson. During last season, I realized pretty early on that to win a championship without another car to share information or to work with is pretty difficult. Wilkerson almost did it last year, which was storybook in and of itself. But when you really look at the Pedregon program, again, I’m very close to Tony. Two separate teams but yet, two brothers are very much in alliance when it comes to performance and it’s hard to argue. The last two years the Pedregons have won the championship. For me, it was about finding that right fit because chemistry is everything in this sport. And Tim, both a family man and our family really, really meshed really well together. We decided to take this leap last year and certainly the performance of our race car right now. People don’t realize we ran the wheels off this thing after Pomona last year. We left Pomona, we spent four days in Vegas, went to Palm Beach in the off-season, went to Phoenix. We had a quarter-season of runs before we ever rolled into Phoenix. Am I surprised where we are? I wouldn’t say surprised. I think the expectation level that we hold ourselves to, me and the team and the guys, is to win. To win a championship doesn’t mean you got to win every race, you’ve got rounds. For us, to get the monkey, as you say, off our back and take the pole, take the win, beat the guys that we beat, I think we certainly put a stake in the ground that we’re the real deal. We’re here to race, not to get a sunburn. I think one of the reporters found that funny. They said, ‘Gee, you got the pole,’ and basically that was it. I said, ‘Well, fellas, we didn’t come here to get sunburned, we came here to win. The pole was great, that was yesterday.’ We’re determined to win and I’m just thrilled to be able to deliver this victory to Motorcraft and Quick Lane on our 27th race. These guys have raced an awful long time and never got a Wally, so to deliver this win to the sponsors that believed in me when I had nothing. To number two in the points, to your point, is probably more important right now. You have to be in the top-10 to run for the championship and that’s what we fully expect to do.”
YOU SAID JOHN FORCE IS YOUR MENTOR. DO YOU SEE TRAITS THAT HE HAS THAT YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAVE THAT WILL MAKE YOU A CHAMPION? “I asked my grandfather, ‘Pop, how do you come to be so successful in the auto industry and know so much about the auto racing?’ He said, ‘It’s a simple philosophy: I’ve asked the right people the right questions and remembered the answers.’ That’s kind of what I’ve done. To be with John from ’97 until today, particularly in the ’90s and early 2000s, really being immersed in his program, just be around a guy like that, his intensity level, his desire, and then again, Tony branching off from his program and going out and winning a championship on his own, those are character traits and personalities that I’ve been blessed to be around. I think I do share some of the stuff that John has. It’s the fire. I think at the end of the day, you’ve got to wake up in the morning and this is all you’ve got to think about. People ask me, ‘What do you think when you’re in the car right before you hit the throttle?’ And I say, ‘I don’t think about living, I don’t think about dying, all I think about is winning. That’s what we do. We get out on this circuit, we chase the trophies, we finish the championship and it really consumes you to a big degree, but I think if you don’t let it consume you, if you don’t really immerse yourself in it, you don’t get that opportunity to win championships, and those are things that John has done over the years, and hopefully that’s rubbed off on me.”
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SURPRISED ABOUT YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH WILKERSON THAT HAS BORN THIS KIND OF FRUIT SO EARLY IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP? “To a lot of people, they say, ‘That was brilliant. You partnered with Wilkerson and now you’re a winner.’ It’s a very interesting chemistry because we’re so early in our association that we really don’t have a baseline on our two cars. It’s almost comical to a point. Wilkerson kind of chuckles a little bit. He said, ‘Tasca, they think I waved the magic wand.’ The truth is, he’s helped us tremendously in the clutch department. Our motor programs are totally separate right now. We run different heads, different camshafts. What I feel great about, Chris Cunningham and Tim and Marc Denner were able to get together, come together with somewhat of a game plan to come out of the box. Truth be told, until we get a couple more races under our belt, to know the characteristics of the two cars, the tuning information that we’re sharing hasn’t really come to fruition yet, which is a good thing because we’re running this well without having 10 races under our belt to compare notes to. I think it will continue to show improvements both on our car and Tim’s car as the season unfolds.”
YOU’VE COME OUT AS THE BEST SPOKESMAN FOR ANY OF THE CAR MANUFACTURERS, PARTICULARLY SUNDAY. TALK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN SEE WORKING WITH FORD TO HELP AUTO SALES AND HOW YOU CAN HELP OTHER TEAMS HELP THE MANUFACTURERS MARKET THEIR CARS THAT WIN ON SUNDAY AND SELL ON MONDAY. “A reporter asked me going into the season, ‘It’s a recession, why is Ford racing? Why are they spending money in racing?’ Then I asked the reporter, ‘Why do you think we race?’ The reporter said, ‘Well, I guess to win.’ I said, ‘Let me tell you why we race. The reason why we race is to sell Ford, sell Motorcraft parts and to sell Quick Lane service. The moment that we can’t do that, there’s not point of racing.’ The way that we built this program, to my grandfather’s point back in the ’60s, was win on Sunday, sell on Monday. That’s the only reason why we race. If we can’t sell on Monday, there’s no reason to win races, there is no reason to be out there with a 300-mile-per-hour billboard. When you look at our program, we have three distinct facets to it -- one, is our B-to-B element. This goes to the Motorcraft and Quick Lane point, where it’s through contests, awards-based contests. It’s not hospitality. I call it relationship marketing. Where we go out to these distributors, dealers and customers and we create programs that drive business back into their local market. Then the more business that they create, it gives them a chance to come to the race track and experience the race. So, that’s one facet. The other facet is the B-to-C side, that’s where we engage the consumers with the Midway and it’s very dynamic. We gather consumer information in a very interactive way through a holeshot contest to a Quick Lane pit crew challenge and we use that information to market back to the customers on Monday. That’s a very important statistic. One of things we look at is how many names and addresses and hand-raisers do we have leaving a venue. The last element, obviously, is the performance of the car on the race track, and through winning and being competitive you get airtime. How I fit into the dynamic, Al Giombetti, one of the executives at Ford, kind of chuckled, he said, ‘It’s our unfair competitive advantage.’ I am Ford. In Atlanta I said, ‘I’m an all-Ford kid driving an all-Ford hot rod,’ and no truer words have been spoken. My family has represented Ford in Rhode Island and Massachusetts exclusively. We’ve never sold any other car but a Ford Motor Company product since 1965. As a kid coming up, the brands that are on the hot rod are brands that I grew up with, Motorcraft and Ford and Quick Lane. To be able to speak both to their dealers, to their vendors and to the fans, the customers, the credibility factor you can see it. I don’t fake it. It’s what I love. I said something along the lines of, ‘I drive ’em, I sell ’em, I race ’em. I love Ford.’ And that’s the truth, I think, at the end of the day, the win on Sunday, sell on Monday in our program, it’s cars, it’s trucks, it’s service. We took all facets of Ford and all you have to do is look at our race car. I think one of the brand decisions right out of the gate is that Ford could have said that they want half the car. You can go and sell the other half of the car. That’s not what they wanted to do, they said, ‘We want to own this car. We want it to go down the race track. We want people to see it on TV and we want people to know that this is Ford Motor Company on this race car and nobody else.’ That was decided early on and we’ve executed both off the track extremely well and I’m very happy to be executing on the track. I think you’ll see Ford leverage the asset and the asset is our program in a multitude of ways because, one, we proved we can win; two, we’ve proved that we’ve put a championship-caliber program together in a short period of time and people love associating with winner.”
WHAT WAS IT LIKE WHEN YOU CALLED ‘POP’ [GRANDFATHER, BOB TASCA, SR.] AND WERE ABLE TO TELL HIM ABOUT IT? “It was just incredible. My grandfather is just an amazing man. I’m just fortunate to have someone like that in my life. If someone asks how much has John Force rubbed off on you, the person that has the biggest impact on my life has been my grandfather. The man is so determined. He’s so focused. It’s almost scary. He’s 83 years old now. My first season was just brutal coming home because he didn’t care it was my first season. He doesn’t care I’m a rookie. Why isn’t the car running better? Why didn’t you win? Why did you red light? He’s hard-core, because for him, it’s winning. That’s why he raced. There was no other reason for being there. I kept telling him, ‘Pop, we’re working on it. We’re getting better.’ And I know he wanted me to win so bad. As he’s getting older in his age, I wanted to deliver that trophy to him. I haven’t seen him yet. I can’t wait to give him a hug. He was ecstatic. My grandfather, he even couldn’t hardly talk to me on the phone. It was just real neat knowing that he was watching it. We won the race they way that we wanted it with John and Tony obviously in the fold. I know he’s ecstatic. Needless to say, he’ll have some good things for me this trip home.”
YOU BEAT JOHN FORCE ON SUNDAY. DID YOU TALK TO JOHN FORCE AFTER THE WIN? “John was one of the first people down at the end of the track when I beat Tony and came up and gave me a hug. He just told me, ‘Kid, it’s a great day, you have no idea what you’ve accomplished in such a short period of time.’ He said, ‘I’m blown away, I’m so happy for you and for Ford.’ I think he called my grandfather before he even saw it on TV, he was so excited. It’s a special relationship, but at the end of the day, John wants to win as bad as I want to win, but, heck, if I can’t win I want to see him win and he feels the same. If he can’t win, he wants to see this Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang win, so it’s a neat relationship.”
WHEN FORCE STARTED, HE HAD THE ONLY FOUR MUSTANGS IN THE SERIES. DO YOU THINK THIS IS A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME? WILL WE SEE MORE MUSTANGS IN THE SERIES? “Well, obviously, John has four Mustangs, and obviously for years that was pretty much how it was. When our program came down the pike, John could only have four, the NHRA doesn’t allow any more. I think it’s a great thing, at the end of the day teams go out and look for sponsors and not all of them are manufacturers, some of them are Brand X, they want to run a Ford, then they can run a Ford. There have been other Mustangs before John, but he kind of had the market cornered with Ford for a while for no particular reason. I know John is thrilled to have more cars out there. At the end of the day the more Mustangs out there, the more chances, and more exposure out there for Ford Motor Company.”
A YEAR AGO THANKSGIVING, YOU DIDN’T HAVE ANYTHING. WHAT DOES THIS WIN SAY FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION. “I said to one of the reporters in the press box, this is a national event from scratch. November 1st, I remember the phone call in my pajamas in the bathroom on the phone with Chris Cunningham saying, ‘Hey Chris, I want you to come work for me,’ and he said ‘Why? You don’t have any parts, you don’t have any race cars you don’t have any employees and we got to be in Pomona in two months. You’re crazy.’ ‘Well, I might be a little crazy,’ I said. ‘I’ve heard a lot of good things about you and if you give me a chance I can drive one of these cars.’ And he said, ‘You don’t even have the license to drive one,’ but he believed in me. NHRA put that no testing ban in last year, which really hindered a lot of what we wanted to do in that first year. It just makes it that much sweeter because at the end of the day we really worked for everything we have. Ford believed in me when I had nothing and I told them, I promised them, I said, ‘Fellas, I promise you I can win just give me a chance.’ I think I ended that interview by stating, ‘Motorcraft and Quick Lane, I think we can win.’ I knew we could win, so hopefully this is the first of many to come. I can assure you of one thing, I am determined and focused to win a championship. Whether it’s this year, or next year or the year after, we’re focused on going rounds, and thrilled to have this first win behind us, believe me. We will celebrate right up until Friday at Houston, but at the end of the day it’s going rounds, it’s staying in this top 10 and giving us a chance to run at this championship at the end of this year. I think we got as good a chance as anyone out there right now.”
NOW THAT YOU’VE HAD A FEW DAYS TO THINK ABOUT IT, WHAT IS IT THAT STANDS OUT IN YOUR MIND ABOUT THE FIRST WIN? “I think it’s funny, going into the race, there was a reporter that asked me a question. He said, ‘Okay, script your first win.’ And I kind of looked at the guys and said, ‘Well, truthfully, I can’t script it. I’ll let you know after it happens.’ I guess if I could have scripted it, I couldn’t have scripted it any better. To qualify No. 1, on the pole, at one of the biggest races of the year, Gainesville being one of those really big marquee races that you circle on your calendar in the off season. National TV, ESPN, you beat Tim Wilkerson, my teammate, in the second round, which was big for us. We never had a team car, so it was new to pull up next to him, knowing that he wants to beat me as much as I want to beat him. But at the end of the day, we’re both sharing information. Then to beat the 14-time world champion, John Force, who has really been a mentor of mine and certainly is a big reason why I’m driving one of these cars here today. Then to pull into the finals with Tony Pedregon, my best friend, heck, he’s in Disney with me right now. Just to win the way that we did and how we did it and who we beat, just makes it that much more special.”
IN REFERENCE TO THIS COMING ALONG, DID YOU EVER CONSIDER, BECAUSE OF THESE RESULTS, GOING FROM HUNTING FOR POINTS AND WINS TO NOW BEING HUNTED FOR POINTS? “Right from the very beginning of this program, people asked me, ‘What are your goals?’ I said, ‘Our goals are real simple. We want to win two championships. That’s one on the race track and one off the race track.’ Our program, if you really pull back the onion, and look at what we’ve done, it’s win on Sunday, sell on Monday. Right out of the gate last year we had an off-the-track program that was championship quality from how we targeted the consumers, how we launched our B-to-B side of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane program. But the championship on the race track was really the ball in my court. To build that program, it isn’t instant pudding. It takes time to get the right players in place, and parts and people. But certainly, I give all the credit in the world to Chris Cunningham and my group. The first strategic move that I did was hire Chris Cunningham. The guy has been out in the sport a long time, has won championships on other teams and is a seasoned Top Fuel Funny Car veteran. The second move we made that was very, very significant is Tim Wilkerson. During last season, I realized pretty early on that to win a championship without another car to share information or to work with is pretty difficult. Wilkerson almost did it last year, which was storybook in and of itself. But when you really look at the Pedregon program, again, I’m very close to Tony. Two separate teams but yet, two brothers are very much in alliance when it comes to performance and it’s hard to argue. The last two years the Pedregons have won the championship. For me, it was about finding that right fit because chemistry is everything in this sport. And Tim, both a family man and our family really, really meshed really well together. We decided to take this leap last year and certainly the performance of our race car right now. People don’t realize we ran the wheels off this thing after Pomona last year. We left Pomona, we spent four days in Vegas, went to Palm Beach in the off-season, went to Phoenix. We had a quarter-season of runs before we ever rolled into Phoenix. Am I surprised where we are? I wouldn’t say surprised. I think the expectation level that we hold ourselves to, me and the team and the guys, is to win. To win a championship doesn’t mean you got to win every race, you’ve got rounds. For us, to get the monkey, as you say, off our back and take the pole, take the win, beat the guys that we beat, I think we certainly put a stake in the ground that we’re the real deal. We’re here to race, not to get a sunburn. I think one of the reporters found that funny. They said, ‘Gee, you got the pole,’ and basically that was it. I said, ‘Well, fellas, we didn’t come here to get sunburned, we came here to win. The pole was great, that was yesterday.’ We’re determined to win and I’m just thrilled to be able to deliver this victory to Motorcraft and Quick Lane on our 27th race. These guys have raced an awful long time and never got a Wally, so to deliver this win to the sponsors that believed in me when I had nothing. To number two in the points, to your point, is probably more important right now. You have to be in the top-10 to run for the championship and that’s what we fully expect to do.”
YOU SAID JOHN FORCE IS YOUR MENTOR. DO YOU SEE TRAITS THAT HE HAS THAT YOU FEEL THAT YOU HAVE THAT WILL MAKE YOU A CHAMPION? “I asked my grandfather, ‘Pop, how do you come to be so successful in the auto industry and know so much about the auto racing?’ He said, ‘It’s a simple philosophy: I’ve asked the right people the right questions and remembered the answers.’ That’s kind of what I’ve done. To be with John from ’97 until today, particularly in the ’90s and early 2000s, really being immersed in his program, just be around a guy like that, his intensity level, his desire, and then again, Tony branching off from his program and going out and winning a championship on his own, those are character traits and personalities that I’ve been blessed to be around. I think I do share some of the stuff that John has. It’s the fire. I think at the end of the day, you’ve got to wake up in the morning and this is all you’ve got to think about. People ask me, ‘What do you think when you’re in the car right before you hit the throttle?’ And I say, ‘I don’t think about living, I don’t think about dying, all I think about is winning. That’s what we do. We get out on this circuit, we chase the trophies, we finish the championship and it really consumes you to a big degree, but I think if you don’t let it consume you, if you don’t really immerse yourself in it, you don’t get that opportunity to win championships, and those are things that John has done over the years, and hopefully that’s rubbed off on me.”
HOW MUCH ARE YOU SURPRISED ABOUT YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH WILKERSON THAT HAS BORN THIS KIND OF FRUIT SO EARLY IN YOUR RELATIONSHIP? “To a lot of people, they say, ‘That was brilliant. You partnered with Wilkerson and now you’re a winner.’ It’s a very interesting chemistry because we’re so early in our association that we really don’t have a baseline on our two cars. It’s almost comical to a point. Wilkerson kind of chuckles a little bit. He said, ‘Tasca, they think I waved the magic wand.’ The truth is, he’s helped us tremendously in the clutch department. Our motor programs are totally separate right now. We run different heads, different camshafts. What I feel great about, Chris Cunningham and Tim and Marc Denner were able to get together, come together with somewhat of a game plan to come out of the box. Truth be told, until we get a couple more races under our belt, to know the characteristics of the two cars, the tuning information that we’re sharing hasn’t really come to fruition yet, which is a good thing because we’re running this well without having 10 races under our belt to compare notes to. I think it will continue to show improvements both on our car and Tim’s car as the season unfolds.”
YOU’VE COME OUT AS THE BEST SPOKESMAN FOR ANY OF THE CAR MANUFACTURERS, PARTICULARLY SUNDAY. TALK ABOUT HOW YOU CAN SEE WORKING WITH FORD TO HELP AUTO SALES AND HOW YOU CAN HELP OTHER TEAMS HELP THE MANUFACTURERS MARKET THEIR CARS THAT WIN ON SUNDAY AND SELL ON MONDAY. “A reporter asked me going into the season, ‘It’s a recession, why is Ford racing? Why are they spending money in racing?’ Then I asked the reporter, ‘Why do you think we race?’ The reporter said, ‘Well, I guess to win.’ I said, ‘Let me tell you why we race. The reason why we race is to sell Ford, sell Motorcraft parts and to sell Quick Lane service. The moment that we can’t do that, there’s not point of racing.’ The way that we built this program, to my grandfather’s point back in the ’60s, was win on Sunday, sell on Monday. That’s the only reason why we race. If we can’t sell on Monday, there’s no reason to win races, there is no reason to be out there with a 300-mile-per-hour billboard. When you look at our program, we have three distinct facets to it -- one, is our B-to-B element. This goes to the Motorcraft and Quick Lane point, where it’s through contests, awards-based contests. It’s not hospitality. I call it relationship marketing. Where we go out to these distributors, dealers and customers and we create programs that drive business back into their local market. Then the more business that they create, it gives them a chance to come to the race track and experience the race. So, that’s one facet. The other facet is the B-to-C side, that’s where we engage the consumers with the Midway and it’s very dynamic. We gather consumer information in a very interactive way through a holeshot contest to a Quick Lane pit crew challenge and we use that information to market back to the customers on Monday. That’s a very important statistic. One of things we look at is how many names and addresses and hand-raisers do we have leaving a venue. The last element, obviously, is the performance of the car on the race track, and through winning and being competitive you get airtime. How I fit into the dynamic, Al Giombetti, one of the executives at Ford, kind of chuckled, he said, ‘It’s our unfair competitive advantage.’ I am Ford. In Atlanta I said, ‘I’m an all-Ford kid driving an all-Ford hot rod,’ and no truer words have been spoken. My family has represented Ford in Rhode Island and Massachusetts exclusively. We’ve never sold any other car but a Ford Motor Company product since 1965. As a kid coming up, the brands that are on the hot rod are brands that I grew up with, Motorcraft and Ford and Quick Lane. To be able to speak both to their dealers, to their vendors and to the fans, the customers, the credibility factor you can see it. I don’t fake it. It’s what I love. I said something along the lines of, ‘I drive ’em, I sell ’em, I race ’em. I love Ford.’ And that’s the truth, I think, at the end of the day, the win on Sunday, sell on Monday in our program, it’s cars, it’s trucks, it’s service. We took all facets of Ford and all you have to do is look at our race car. I think one of the brand decisions right out of the gate is that Ford could have said that they want half the car. You can go and sell the other half of the car. That’s not what they wanted to do, they said, ‘We want to own this car. We want it to go down the race track. We want people to see it on TV and we want people to know that this is Ford Motor Company on this race car and nobody else.’ That was decided early on and we’ve executed both off the track extremely well and I’m very happy to be executing on the track. I think you’ll see Ford leverage the asset and the asset is our program in a multitude of ways because, one, we proved we can win; two, we’ve proved that we’ve put a championship-caliber program together in a short period of time and people love associating with winner.”
WHAT WAS IT LIKE WHEN YOU CALLED ‘POP’ [GRANDFATHER, BOB TASCA, SR.] AND WERE ABLE TO TELL HIM ABOUT IT? “It was just incredible. My grandfather is just an amazing man. I’m just fortunate to have someone like that in my life. If someone asks how much has John Force rubbed off on you, the person that has the biggest impact on my life has been my grandfather. The man is so determined. He’s so focused. It’s almost scary. He’s 83 years old now. My first season was just brutal coming home because he didn’t care it was my first season. He doesn’t care I’m a rookie. Why isn’t the car running better? Why didn’t you win? Why did you red light? He’s hard-core, because for him, it’s winning. That’s why he raced. There was no other reason for being there. I kept telling him, ‘Pop, we’re working on it. We’re getting better.’ And I know he wanted me to win so bad. As he’s getting older in his age, I wanted to deliver that trophy to him. I haven’t seen him yet. I can’t wait to give him a hug. He was ecstatic. My grandfather, he even couldn’t hardly talk to me on the phone. It was just real neat knowing that he was watching it. We won the race they way that we wanted it with John and Tony obviously in the fold. I know he’s ecstatic. Needless to say, he’ll have some good things for me this trip home.”
YOU BEAT JOHN FORCE ON SUNDAY. DID YOU TALK TO JOHN FORCE AFTER THE WIN? “John was one of the first people down at the end of the track when I beat Tony and came up and gave me a hug. He just told me, ‘Kid, it’s a great day, you have no idea what you’ve accomplished in such a short period of time.’ He said, ‘I’m blown away, I’m so happy for you and for Ford.’ I think he called my grandfather before he even saw it on TV, he was so excited. It’s a special relationship, but at the end of the day, John wants to win as bad as I want to win, but, heck, if I can’t win I want to see him win and he feels the same. If he can’t win, he wants to see this Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang win, so it’s a neat relationship.”
WHEN FORCE STARTED, HE HAD THE ONLY FOUR MUSTANGS IN THE SERIES. DO YOU THINK THIS IS A SIGN OF THINGS TO COME? WILL WE SEE MORE MUSTANGS IN THE SERIES? “Well, obviously, John has four Mustangs, and obviously for years that was pretty much how it was. When our program came down the pike, John could only have four, the NHRA doesn’t allow any more. I think it’s a great thing, at the end of the day teams go out and look for sponsors and not all of them are manufacturers, some of them are Brand X, they want to run a Ford, then they can run a Ford. There have been other Mustangs before John, but he kind of had the market cornered with Ford for a while for no particular reason. I know John is thrilled to have more cars out there. At the end of the day the more Mustangs out there, the more chances, and more exposure out there for Ford Motor Company.”
A YEAR AGO THANKSGIVING, YOU DIDN’T HAVE ANYTHING. WHAT DOES THIS WIN SAY FOR YOUR ORGANIZATION. “I said to one of the reporters in the press box, this is a national event from scratch. November 1st, I remember the phone call in my pajamas in the bathroom on the phone with Chris Cunningham saying, ‘Hey Chris, I want you to come work for me,’ and he said ‘Why? You don’t have any parts, you don’t have any race cars you don’t have any employees and we got to be in Pomona in two months. You’re crazy.’ ‘Well, I might be a little crazy,’ I said. ‘I’ve heard a lot of good things about you and if you give me a chance I can drive one of these cars.’ And he said, ‘You don’t even have the license to drive one,’ but he believed in me. NHRA put that no testing ban in last year, which really hindered a lot of what we wanted to do in that first year. It just makes it that much sweeter because at the end of the day we really worked for everything we have. Ford believed in me when I had nothing and I told them, I promised them, I said, ‘Fellas, I promise you I can win just give me a chance.’ I think I ended that interview by stating, ‘Motorcraft and Quick Lane, I think we can win.’ I knew we could win, so hopefully this is the first of many to come. I can assure you of one thing, I am determined and focused to win a championship. Whether it’s this year, or next year or the year after, we’re focused on going rounds, and thrilled to have this first win behind us, believe me. We will celebrate right up until Friday at Houston, but at the end of the day it’s going rounds, it’s staying in this top 10 and giving us a chance to run at this championship at the end of this year. I think we got as good a chance as anyone out there right now.”
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Sunday, March 15, 2009
BOB TASCA III AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE FORD SHELBY MUSTANG WIN AT GAINESVILLE – FIRST CAREER NHRA FUNNY CAR WIN FOR TASCA
Bob Tasca III
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
40th Annual NHRA Gatornationals
Gainesville Raceway at Gainesville, Florida
March 13-15, 2009
BOB TASCA III AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE FORD SHELBY MUSTANG WIN AT GAINESVILLE – FIRST CAREER NHRA FUNNY CAR WIN FOR TASCA
· Tasca won Sunday’s 40th Annual NHRA Gatornationals, Funny Car class.
· Tasca made it to the finals in his 27th NHRA Funny Car race.
· Best previous finish for Tasca was a loss in the semi-finals to John Force at the 2008 Summit Southern Nationals in Atlanta.
· Tasca moves to second in series points, 38 points behind Ron Capps.
Gainesville, FL., March 15, 2009 – The fastest driver on Friday morning was the last driver standing on Sunday in NHRA Full Throttle Drag Series Funny Car class. In his first Funny Car finals, Bob Tasca III in the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang won Sunday’s 40th Annual Gatornationals.
“I’m speechless,” said Tasca. “We qualified our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang No. 1, and we beat Tim Wilkerson, John Force and Tony Pedregon to get the first win. This is just a real tribute to the whole Motorcraft/Quick Lane program. To bring the first win home for Ford this year in the NHRA Funny Car class is really special. It’s a dream come true for me.”
On Sunday afternoon, Tasca went round for round with some of the series best en route to his first career win. In the first round won, Tasca defeated Jim Head. During the second round, he defeated teammate Tim Wilkerson. Tasca faced his mentor John Force in the third round. In the finals, Tasca defeated friend Tony Pedregon.
“John Force. What can you say? He’s the man. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for John Force. Tony Pedregon is my best friend. Tim Wilkerson coming on board and working with us,” said Tasca. “It is pretty special to beat those guys and walk away with your first Wally [trophy] and we are leaving here second in the points. That isn’t too shabby.”
It was 16 months since Bob Tasca hired Chris Cunningham as his crew chief. The two went to work and 27 races later, they celebrate victory.
“It all started out with a phone call to Chris Cunningham where I tried to convince him to come work with a guy that had no employees, no parts and it was less than two months from Pomona [2008]. I said, ‘Chris, trust me. We’ll be great together.’ He’s done a remarkable job with what he’s done and handpicked the guys around us. I said to him from day one, ‘Chris, I just want to be in a position to win. I’ll give you all the resources that you need to give me a great race car.’ It started in the spring at Pomona last year and we had our struggles in the first year,” recalled Tasca.
“Our [2009] season started the day after the fall at Pomona,” continued Tasca. “We went to Las Vegas and ran the wheels off this hot rod, then we went to Palm Beach, then we went to Phoenix. We put a quarter-season on this Shelby Mustang before we even rolled into Pomona for the season opener. We’re just determined. You just get a sense when you talk to us that we’re determined to win. I can assure you if we have anything to do about, this isn’t our last trophy. We have a top caliber program right now.”
Tasca is fond of the Florida track, “It’s real exciting. That right lane has been awfully good to me; I might even kiss it before I leave. I set the world record in Alcohol Funny Car and won my first race in that lane. To win today, in that lane, was a pretty special day for me.”
Later in the week, Tasca returns Tasca Ford dealership in Rhode Island. “My grandfather’s saying back in the 60s was ‘Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.’ The dynamic has certainly changed. Heck, they used to win with the cars you could buy in the showroom and today that’s not the case. At the end of the day ‘Win on Sunday and sell on Monday’ is what this program is all about. We have just as much emphasis with the off-track initiatives with Motorcraft, Quick Lane and Ford as we do on the track.”
Full Throttle Standings – Funny Car
1. Ron Capps, 263; 2. Bob Tasca III, 225; 3. Del Worsham 188; 4. Robert Hight, 164; 5. Mike Neff, 163; 6. Tony Pedregon, 160; 7. Matt Hagan, 157; 8. Jim Head, 155; 9. John Force, 146; 10. Ashley Force Hood, 145; 12. Tim Wilkerson, 134
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Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
40th Annual NHRA Gatornationals
Gainesville Raceway at Gainesville, Florida
March 13-15, 2009
BOB TASCA III AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE FORD SHELBY MUSTANG WIN AT GAINESVILLE – FIRST CAREER NHRA FUNNY CAR WIN FOR TASCA
· Tasca won Sunday’s 40th Annual NHRA Gatornationals, Funny Car class.
· Tasca made it to the finals in his 27th NHRA Funny Car race.
· Best previous finish for Tasca was a loss in the semi-finals to John Force at the 2008 Summit Southern Nationals in Atlanta.
· Tasca moves to second in series points, 38 points behind Ron Capps.
Gainesville, FL., March 15, 2009 – The fastest driver on Friday morning was the last driver standing on Sunday in NHRA Full Throttle Drag Series Funny Car class. In his first Funny Car finals, Bob Tasca III in the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang won Sunday’s 40th Annual Gatornationals.
“I’m speechless,” said Tasca. “We qualified our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang No. 1, and we beat Tim Wilkerson, John Force and Tony Pedregon to get the first win. This is just a real tribute to the whole Motorcraft/Quick Lane program. To bring the first win home for Ford this year in the NHRA Funny Car class is really special. It’s a dream come true for me.”
On Sunday afternoon, Tasca went round for round with some of the series best en route to his first career win. In the first round won, Tasca defeated Jim Head. During the second round, he defeated teammate Tim Wilkerson. Tasca faced his mentor John Force in the third round. In the finals, Tasca defeated friend Tony Pedregon.
“John Force. What can you say? He’s the man. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for John Force. Tony Pedregon is my best friend. Tim Wilkerson coming on board and working with us,” said Tasca. “It is pretty special to beat those guys and walk away with your first Wally [trophy] and we are leaving here second in the points. That isn’t too shabby.”
It was 16 months since Bob Tasca hired Chris Cunningham as his crew chief. The two went to work and 27 races later, they celebrate victory.
“It all started out with a phone call to Chris Cunningham where I tried to convince him to come work with a guy that had no employees, no parts and it was less than two months from Pomona [2008]. I said, ‘Chris, trust me. We’ll be great together.’ He’s done a remarkable job with what he’s done and handpicked the guys around us. I said to him from day one, ‘Chris, I just want to be in a position to win. I’ll give you all the resources that you need to give me a great race car.’ It started in the spring at Pomona last year and we had our struggles in the first year,” recalled Tasca.
“Our [2009] season started the day after the fall at Pomona,” continued Tasca. “We went to Las Vegas and ran the wheels off this hot rod, then we went to Palm Beach, then we went to Phoenix. We put a quarter-season on this Shelby Mustang before we even rolled into Pomona for the season opener. We’re just determined. You just get a sense when you talk to us that we’re determined to win. I can assure you if we have anything to do about, this isn’t our last trophy. We have a top caliber program right now.”
Tasca is fond of the Florida track, “It’s real exciting. That right lane has been awfully good to me; I might even kiss it before I leave. I set the world record in Alcohol Funny Car and won my first race in that lane. To win today, in that lane, was a pretty special day for me.”
Later in the week, Tasca returns Tasca Ford dealership in Rhode Island. “My grandfather’s saying back in the 60s was ‘Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.’ The dynamic has certainly changed. Heck, they used to win with the cars you could buy in the showroom and today that’s not the case. At the end of the day ‘Win on Sunday and sell on Monday’ is what this program is all about. We have just as much emphasis with the off-track initiatives with Motorcraft, Quick Lane and Ford as we do on the track.”
Full Throttle Standings – Funny Car
1. Ron Capps, 263; 2. Bob Tasca III, 225; 3. Del Worsham 188; 4. Robert Hight, 164; 5. Mike Neff, 163; 6. Tony Pedregon, 160; 7. Matt Hagan, 157; 8. Jim Head, 155; 9. John Force, 146; 10. Ashley Force Hood, 145; 12. Tim Wilkerson, 134
# # # #
Saturday, March 14, 2009
TASCA IS NO. 1 QUALIFER AT NHRA GATORNATIONALS - FIRST CAREER TOP QUALIFYING HONORS FOR TASCA AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE TEAM
Bob Tasca III
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
40th Annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals
Gainesville Raceway at Gainesville, Florida
March 13-15, 2009
TASCA IS NO. 1 QUALIFER AT NHRA GATORNATIONALS - FIRST CAREER TOP QUALIFYING HONORS FOR TASCA AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE TEAM
· In his 27th NHRA competition appearance, Bob Tasca III is the No. 1 qualifier – his first career top qualifying position
· Tasca is the 89th different driver to qualify a Funny Car No. 1 since the class was created in 1969
· Tasca is the first non-John Force Racing Ford to qualify No. 1 since Whit Bazemore on August 16. 1997, in the Winston Racing Mustang in Brainerd, Minn.
Gainesville, FL., March 14, 2009 – In Friday’s opening qualifying sessions, Bob Tasca III, in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Shelby, set a time of 4.124 seconds at 296.76 miles per hour. Three runs later and at the conclusion of qualifying for the Gatornationals, that time remained the fastest of the week.
“This is a big step in making a statement in the Motorcraft and Quick Lane program to take the pole,” said Tasca. “We’ll celebrate a bit tonight, but tomorrow, it’s back to racing.”
Tasca credits his success this weekend to the hard work and dedication of the team and crew chief Chris Cunningham. A 25-year veteran of racing, Cunningham has been with Tasca since the start of the 2008 season.
“I owe so much to Chris Cunningham. He believed in me and has built an amazing team. He works tirelessly on this hot rod.”
Cunningham felt comfortable with Friday’s run and talked about the team’s progress during the weekend.
“We had good information to work off of after Friday’s 4.12 run,” said Cunningham, “We went for it today on the first run and it was a touch too aggressive but still showed us a lot of promise. So, we just pulled it back a little bit and it gave us a real nice run. We’re looking good going into tomorrow.”
Now in his second full season in NHRA Funny Car competition, Tasca discussed both sides of being the top qualifier.
“This is a satisfying feeling but very nerve-wracking. You want to be No. 1, even though it’s kind of ceremonial because come tomorrow, you’ve got to race your race. Ashley [Force Hood] went out there and ran that 4.12. Cunningham said to me going into it, ‘Try and run a .15. I don’t think anyone will beat the .12. I need to get a handle on my tune-up for tomorrow.’ So, that’s what we agreed on,” said Tasca. “I didn’t see John [Force]; I didn’t even hear him. I didn’t realize how close the race was. It’s a real satisfying result.”
“We’re determined to make our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang team a championship caliber program. We’ve really stepped up our game and you’re starting to see it. You saw it in Pomona, in Phoenix and certainly to be No. 1 qualifier here, I’m a little excited.”
Also in their second year with Tasca are sponsors Motorcraft and Quick Lane. Geoff Smith, Ford Customer Service Division Strategy and Incentives Manager, was proud of Tasca and his accomplishment this weekend.
“We’re so proud and excited for Bob,” said Smith. “It has only been about 15 months since Motorcraft and Quick Lane really got this program off the ground and we’re excited to be back in NHRA. All the things that Bob has put into this, and his team, has just been phenomenal. I’m not at all surprised with the results today. We talked a lot in the off-season and about the testing that they did. I said, ‘Bob, just give it time, be patient and you’ll see the results.’ He’s done it all.”
Tasca will face Jim Head during tomorrow’s first round of eliminations.
Full Throttle Qualifying – Funny Car
1. Bob Tasca III, 2. Ashley Force Hood, 3. Del Worsham, 4. John Force, 5. Mike Neff, 6. Ron Capps, 7. Matt Hagan, 8. Tim Wilkerson, 9. Jack Beckman, 10. Robert Hight, 11. Tony Pedregon, 12. Jerry Toliver, 13. Mike Smith, 14. Jeff Arend, 15. Cruz Pedregon, 16. Jim Head
# # # #
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
40th Annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals
Gainesville Raceway at Gainesville, Florida
March 13-15, 2009
TASCA IS NO. 1 QUALIFER AT NHRA GATORNATIONALS - FIRST CAREER TOP QUALIFYING HONORS FOR TASCA AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE TEAM
· In his 27th NHRA competition appearance, Bob Tasca III is the No. 1 qualifier – his first career top qualifying position
· Tasca is the 89th different driver to qualify a Funny Car No. 1 since the class was created in 1969
· Tasca is the first non-John Force Racing Ford to qualify No. 1 since Whit Bazemore on August 16. 1997, in the Winston Racing Mustang in Brainerd, Minn.
Gainesville, FL., March 14, 2009 – In Friday’s opening qualifying sessions, Bob Tasca III, in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Shelby, set a time of 4.124 seconds at 296.76 miles per hour. Three runs later and at the conclusion of qualifying for the Gatornationals, that time remained the fastest of the week.
“This is a big step in making a statement in the Motorcraft and Quick Lane program to take the pole,” said Tasca. “We’ll celebrate a bit tonight, but tomorrow, it’s back to racing.”
Tasca credits his success this weekend to the hard work and dedication of the team and crew chief Chris Cunningham. A 25-year veteran of racing, Cunningham has been with Tasca since the start of the 2008 season.
“I owe so much to Chris Cunningham. He believed in me and has built an amazing team. He works tirelessly on this hot rod.”
Cunningham felt comfortable with Friday’s run and talked about the team’s progress during the weekend.
“We had good information to work off of after Friday’s 4.12 run,” said Cunningham, “We went for it today on the first run and it was a touch too aggressive but still showed us a lot of promise. So, we just pulled it back a little bit and it gave us a real nice run. We’re looking good going into tomorrow.”
Now in his second full season in NHRA Funny Car competition, Tasca discussed both sides of being the top qualifier.
“This is a satisfying feeling but very nerve-wracking. You want to be No. 1, even though it’s kind of ceremonial because come tomorrow, you’ve got to race your race. Ashley [Force Hood] went out there and ran that 4.12. Cunningham said to me going into it, ‘Try and run a .15. I don’t think anyone will beat the .12. I need to get a handle on my tune-up for tomorrow.’ So, that’s what we agreed on,” said Tasca. “I didn’t see John [Force]; I didn’t even hear him. I didn’t realize how close the race was. It’s a real satisfying result.”
“We’re determined to make our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang team a championship caliber program. We’ve really stepped up our game and you’re starting to see it. You saw it in Pomona, in Phoenix and certainly to be No. 1 qualifier here, I’m a little excited.”
Also in their second year with Tasca are sponsors Motorcraft and Quick Lane. Geoff Smith, Ford Customer Service Division Strategy and Incentives Manager, was proud of Tasca and his accomplishment this weekend.
“We’re so proud and excited for Bob,” said Smith. “It has only been about 15 months since Motorcraft and Quick Lane really got this program off the ground and we’re excited to be back in NHRA. All the things that Bob has put into this, and his team, has just been phenomenal. I’m not at all surprised with the results today. We talked a lot in the off-season and about the testing that they did. I said, ‘Bob, just give it time, be patient and you’ll see the results.’ He’s done it all.”
Tasca will face Jim Head during tomorrow’s first round of eliminations.
Full Throttle Qualifying – Funny Car
1. Bob Tasca III, 2. Ashley Force Hood, 3. Del Worsham, 4. John Force, 5. Mike Neff, 6. Ron Capps, 7. Matt Hagan, 8. Tim Wilkerson, 9. Jack Beckman, 10. Robert Hight, 11. Tony Pedregon, 12. Jerry Toliver, 13. Mike Smith, 14. Jeff Arend, 15. Cruz Pedregon, 16. Jim Head
# # # #
Friday, March 13, 2009
FRIDAY THE 13TH PROVES LUCKY FOR TASCA AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE FORD SHELBY MUSTANG – TASCA IS PROVISIONAL TOP QUALIFIER AT GATORNATIONALS
Bob Tasca III
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
40th Annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals
Gainesville Raceway at Gainesville, Florida
March 13-15, 2009
FRIDAY THE 13TH PROVES LUCKY FOR TASCA AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE FORD SHELBY MUSTANG – TASCA IS PROVISIONAL TOP QUALIFIER AT GATORNATIONALS
Gainesville, FL., March 13, 2009 – For the first time in his NHRA Funny Car racing career, Bob Tasca III left the track with a new title - Provisional Top Qualifier.
On Friday afternoon, Tasca posted the fastest time in opening qualifying runs. He piloted his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang Funny Car to the top of the charts in 4.124 seconds at 296.76 miles per hour.
“We hope our time will hold up during tomorrow’s qualifying runs. The good thing about running a 4.12 is that you have the data and you can look at it. There were a lot of things in that run that we could have improved upon. It was a real safe 4.12. If the conditions are to come our way tomorrow, we’ll try to improve it.”
Before making his first run of the weekend, Tasca’s Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang was not where he wanted to be on the track.
“I never would have been able to make that run last year. I wasn’t straight going into the first beam. I was crooked. I knew I wasn’t in the right direction and was pointing at the wall. I actually turned the wheel a half turn and rolled into the beam, so the tires were pointing the right direction. For the first hit into the throttle, I moved to the center and just finessed it back. I did more driving on that first run than I did on the second run. In the second run, our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang was as straight as an arrow.”
Tasca leads a trio of Ford Mustangs after Friday’s qualifying sessions. John Force and Mike Neff sit second and third respectively, heading into Saturday’s event.
Full Throttle Provisional Qualifying – Funny Car
1. Bob Tasca III, 2. John Force, 3. Mike Neff, 4. Ron Capps, 5. Matt Hagan, 6. Ashley Force Hood, 7. Del Worsham, 8. Jeff Arend, 9. Tim Wilkerson, 10. Cruz Pedregon.
# # # #
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
40th Annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals
Gainesville Raceway at Gainesville, Florida
March 13-15, 2009
FRIDAY THE 13TH PROVES LUCKY FOR TASCA AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE FORD SHELBY MUSTANG – TASCA IS PROVISIONAL TOP QUALIFIER AT GATORNATIONALS
Gainesville, FL., March 13, 2009 – For the first time in his NHRA Funny Car racing career, Bob Tasca III left the track with a new title - Provisional Top Qualifier.
On Friday afternoon, Tasca posted the fastest time in opening qualifying runs. He piloted his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang Funny Car to the top of the charts in 4.124 seconds at 296.76 miles per hour.
“We hope our time will hold up during tomorrow’s qualifying runs. The good thing about running a 4.12 is that you have the data and you can look at it. There were a lot of things in that run that we could have improved upon. It was a real safe 4.12. If the conditions are to come our way tomorrow, we’ll try to improve it.”
Before making his first run of the weekend, Tasca’s Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang was not where he wanted to be on the track.
“I never would have been able to make that run last year. I wasn’t straight going into the first beam. I was crooked. I knew I wasn’t in the right direction and was pointing at the wall. I actually turned the wheel a half turn and rolled into the beam, so the tires were pointing the right direction. For the first hit into the throttle, I moved to the center and just finessed it back. I did more driving on that first run than I did on the second run. In the second run, our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang was as straight as an arrow.”
Tasca leads a trio of Ford Mustangs after Friday’s qualifying sessions. John Force and Mike Neff sit second and third respectively, heading into Saturday’s event.
Full Throttle Provisional Qualifying – Funny Car
1. Bob Tasca III, 2. John Force, 3. Mike Neff, 4. Ron Capps, 5. Matt Hagan, 6. Ashley Force Hood, 7. Del Worsham, 8. Jeff Arend, 9. Tim Wilkerson, 10. Cruz Pedregon.
# # # #
ALL NEW 2010 FORD MUSTANG IS GRAND PRIZE IN FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE DIVISION “RACE HOT TO A MUSTANG” SWEEPSTAKES
DEARBORN, Mich., March 13, 2009 – One lucky race fan will get a chance to win one hot ride in Motorcraft Racing and Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center’s Race Hot Sweepstakes.
One grand prize winner will drive away in an all-new 2010 Ford Mustang GT equipped with Ford Racing Performance Parts package and upgrades courtesy of Ford Custom Accessories.
NHRA race fans will have plenty of chances to win the “hot rod” during the Race Hot Sweepstakes, launching on March 13 and ending on November 23, 2009. Entry forms will be available at The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience NHRA display at selected races throughout the season.
In addition to entering at The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience, fans can enter to win at the FCSD Spark Plug Count Challenge at selected races throughout the season.
“The response we had from the fans last year was overwhelming with our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience display,” said Darryl Hazel, Ford Customer Service Division Vice President, “Launching the Race Hot to a Mustang Sweepstakes is our way to reward fans for being loyal to our brands and drivers.”
Fans who can’t make it out to the track will also have the chance to enter online at http://www.motorcraft.com/, http://www.quicklane.com/, http://www.bobtasca.com/ and http://www.johnforceracing.com/. The RaceHot Sweepstakes is open to all licensed U.S. citizens over the age of 18.
Enter the 2009 Race Hot to A Mustang Sweepstakes at the Motorcraft/Quick Lane “Racing Experience” Display
March 12-15 – ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals (Gainesville, FL)
June 4-7 – NHRA Route 66 Nationals (Joliet, IL)
June 11-14 – NHRA SuperNationals (Englishtown, NJ)
June 25-28 – Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals (Norwalk, OH)
July 10-12 – Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals (Denver, CO) Quick Lane display only
Sept. 2-7 – Mac Tools U.S. Nationals (Indianapolis, IN)
Sept. 17-20 – NHRA Nationals (Charlotte, NC)
Sept. 24-27 – O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals (Dallas, TX)
Oct. 29-Nov. 1 – Las Vegas NHRA Nationals (Las Vegas, NV)
Nov. 12-15 – Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals (Pomona, CA)
About Motorcraft
Motorcraft offers a complete line of original equipment-approved parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood and powertrain repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available locally and are backed nationwide by Ford Motor Company's Service Parts Limited Warranty. For more information, visit http://www.motorcraft.com/.
About Quick Lane
Quick Lane® provides automotive quick services for all makes and models. Quick Lane's® nationwide network of over 500 facilities provides the convenience of an aftermarket company (no appointment necessary, service while you wait, evening and weekend hours, competitive prices) with the confidence of a major automotive manufacturer (quality parts, factory-trained technicians). Quick Lane® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit http://www.quicklane.com/
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 213,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s wholly owned brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit http://www.ford.com/
# # # #
One grand prize winner will drive away in an all-new 2010 Ford Mustang GT equipped with Ford Racing Performance Parts package and upgrades courtesy of Ford Custom Accessories.
NHRA race fans will have plenty of chances to win the “hot rod” during the Race Hot Sweepstakes, launching on March 13 and ending on November 23, 2009. Entry forms will be available at The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience NHRA display at selected races throughout the season.
In addition to entering at The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience, fans can enter to win at the FCSD Spark Plug Count Challenge at selected races throughout the season.
“The response we had from the fans last year was overwhelming with our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience display,” said Darryl Hazel, Ford Customer Service Division Vice President, “Launching the Race Hot to a Mustang Sweepstakes is our way to reward fans for being loyal to our brands and drivers.”
Fans who can’t make it out to the track will also have the chance to enter online at http://www.motorcraft.com/, http://www.quicklane.com/, http://www.bobtasca.com/ and http://www.johnforceracing.com/. The RaceHot Sweepstakes is open to all licensed U.S. citizens over the age of 18.
Enter the 2009 Race Hot to A Mustang Sweepstakes at the Motorcraft/Quick Lane “Racing Experience” Display
March 12-15 – ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals (Gainesville, FL)
June 4-7 – NHRA Route 66 Nationals (Joliet, IL)
June 11-14 – NHRA SuperNationals (Englishtown, NJ)
June 25-28 – Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals (Norwalk, OH)
July 10-12 – Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals (Denver, CO) Quick Lane display only
Sept. 2-7 – Mac Tools U.S. Nationals (Indianapolis, IN)
Sept. 17-20 – NHRA Nationals (Charlotte, NC)
Sept. 24-27 – O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals (Dallas, TX)
Oct. 29-Nov. 1 – Las Vegas NHRA Nationals (Las Vegas, NV)
Nov. 12-15 – Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals (Pomona, CA)
About Motorcraft
Motorcraft offers a complete line of original equipment-approved parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood and powertrain repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available locally and are backed nationwide by Ford Motor Company's Service Parts Limited Warranty. For more information, visit http://www.motorcraft.com/.
About Quick Lane
Quick Lane® provides automotive quick services for all makes and models. Quick Lane's® nationwide network of over 500 facilities provides the convenience of an aftermarket company (no appointment necessary, service while you wait, evening and weekend hours, competitive prices) with the confidence of a major automotive manufacturer (quality parts, factory-trained technicians). Quick Lane® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit http://www.quicklane.com/
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 213,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s wholly owned brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit http://www.ford.com/
# # # #
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
FAST, FASTER, FASTEST. BOB TASCA III AND HIS MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE FORD SHELBY MUSTANG NITRO FUNNY CAR ROAR INTO GAINESVILLE THIS WEEKEND
Bob Tasca III
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
40th Annual ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals
Gainesville Raceway at Gainesville, Florida
March 13-15, 2009
FAST, FASTER, FASTEST.
BOB TASCA III AND HIS MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE FORD SHELBY MUSTANG NITRO FUNNY CAR ROAR INTO GAINESVILLE THIS WEEKEND
FAST: Gainesville Raceway is a comforting place to Bob Tasca III, driver of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang. In 2007, Tasca set the record for the quickest pass at Gainesville in his Top Alcohol Funny Car with a time of 5.451 seconds.
Two years later Tasca attacks the Florida track hoping to secure a similar feat. The combination of extraordinary racing and enthusiastic fans makes Gainesville one of Tasca’s favorite tracks on the NHRA circuit.
“Traditionally, this is a race that you circle on the calendar in the off-season because it’s potentially one of the quickest tracks in the country. The track is phenomenal, but most importantly the fans are phenomenal. This is track is packed with energy and packed with people.”
FASTER: In the opening races of 2009, Tasca has shown improvement and posting faster times at each race. In Pomona, Tasca’s fastest time was 4.127 seconds at 302.89 miles per hour. During the Phoenix race, Tasca posted his personal best time in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang Funny Car with a 4.095 second run at 302.41 miles per hour. With a full year of experience under his belt and 24 test runs in the off-season, Tasca has shown improvement from last year.
“Racing at a track like Gainesville where you know you can put down some great runs is very exciting. We’re just looking forward to getting there with Tim Wilkerson. In Gainesville you’ll start to see us progressively work closer and closer together where the data will be very useful. There’s a lot of good things going on and I think Gainesville is definitely going to be an exciting weekend.”
Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) returns to Gainesville with The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience, an interactive 4,800 square foot display that features two interactive games.
FASTEST: In the “Quick Lane Challenge” two contestants are pit against each other in a timed competition. Participants will remove and install oil filters, batteries and air filters, along with removing and replacing lug nuts on the wheels, of their respective vehicles for their chance to win Quick Lane branded prizes. In the “Motorcraft Holeshot Challenge” Tasca will visit the display and set a holeshot time for participants to beat. Participants will undergo the entire Funny Car experience as they heat up their tires, line-up their car, follow the Christmas Tree and steer their virtual Mustangs down the track in a quest to win. Prizes will be awarded to the display visitors who post the FASTEST times.
“The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience allows the fans to have a pretty cool interactive experience. Whether it’s the pit crew contest on the Quick Lane side or the Holeshot contest on the Motorcraft side, there is something for everyone there,” said Tasca. “We’re also going to have the Tasca Cobra Jet in Gainesville. Since our car was in the area, Motorcraft and Ford asked us to have our Cobra Jet on display. It’s the new Cobra Jet, but lettered up like the nostalgia one back in the 60s. We’re happy to have it out in front of the display.”
Full Throttle Points Standings – Funny Car
1. Ron Capps, 229; 2t. Robert Hight, 132; 2t. Del Worsham, 132; 4. Mike Neff, 129; 5. Jim Head, 124; 6. Bob Tasca III, 107; 7. Jack Beckman, 105; 8. Gary Densham, 104; 9. Ashley Force Hood, 88; 10. Matt Hagan, 84.
Open for Business:
The Motorcraft/Quick Lane interactive consumer display will debut this weekend in NHRA Nitro Alley. Fans can enter to win prizes and participate in the Motorcraft Holeshot Challenge, the Quick Lane Challenge and the Custom Accessories “Instant Win” Game. Tasca will visit the display area each day to set a new holeshot time for fans to try and beat.
Hours of Operation:
Friday, March 13 – 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Saturday, March 14 – 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday, March 15 – 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Gainesville Race Notes:
- Tasca holds the record for quickest pass at Gainesville in his Top Alcohol Funny Car. He set that record in 2007 with a time of 5.451 seconds.
- Tasca’s seventh place qualifying efforts at Phoenix marks the fifth time he has claimed a top-five spot in qualifying. His first round win marked the ninth time he had advanced past the opening round in the Nitro Ladder.
- Tasca moved up one position in the points standings, he sits in sixth heading into round three of the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Notes:
- 2009 marks the second year Ford Customer Service Division brands Motorcraft and Quick Lane sponsor Bob Tasca III and Tasca Racing.
- Motorcraft® continues its relationship with NHRA, having sponsored Hall-of-Fame NHRA driver Bob Glidden and drag racing legend Kenny Bernstein, among others, in the late 80s and early 90s.
- Motorcraft® products strike the perfect balance of precision, quality and pricing. Manufactured to strict specifications, they install quickly and give the confidence of doing a job right the first time. Motorcraft is the preferred choice of Ford Motor Company.
- Quick Lane Tire® & Auto Centers provide the services your car or truck needs most, performed by factory-trained experts and on your schedule. You’ll never need an appointment and you’ll get service while you wait, even on evenings and weekends. We’ll take care of any make, or model using quality Motorcraft® parts. Give them a try and see why life is better in the Quick Lane®.
- Quick Lane offers routine maintenance and light repair services, such as oil and filter changes, brake repairs and tire replacement for all makes and models.
- Quick Lane celebrated the opening of its 500th tire and auto center in 2008. Visit http://www.quicklane.com/ to find any of the 20 Quick Lanes in Florida.
Television:
Sunday, March 15 – ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 2 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, March 15 – ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will re-air 90 minutes of qualifying highlights at 10 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, March 15 – ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA Race Day, a 30-minute news magazine show, at 11:30 a.m. (ET) Sunday, March 15, ESPN and ESPN HD will televise three hours of coverage starting at 3 p.m. (ET).
Satellite (Analog feed):
Friday, March 13, 9 - 9:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 8K (11860 MHz, horizontal) Saturday, March 14, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 7K (11840 MHz, vertical) Sunday, March 15, 6:30 - 7 p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 7K (11840 MHz, vertical) Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners' interviews on Sunday
About Motorcraft
Motorcraft offers a complete line of original equipment-approved parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood and powertrain repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available locally and are backed nationwide by Ford Motor Company's Service Parts Limited Warranty. For more information, visit http://www.motorcraft.com/.
About Quick Lane
Quick Lane® provides automotive quick services for all makes and models. Quick Lane's® nationwide network of over 500 facilities provides the convenience of an aftermarket company (no appointment necessary, service while you wait, evening and weekend hours, competitive prices) with the confidence of a major automotive manufacturer (quality parts, factory-trained technicians). Quick Lane® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit http://www.quicklane.com/.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With more than 213,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s wholly owned brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit http://www.ford.com/
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Monday, March 9, 2009
FORD CUSTOMER SERVICE DIVISION "RACING EXPERIENCE INTERACTIVE CONSUMER DISPLAY RETURNS TO GAINESVILLE AND 10 NHRA RACES IN 2009
- Ford Customer Service Division “Racing experience” interactive CONSUMER DISPLAY returns to GAINESVILLE and 10 nhra races in 2009
- Located in the NHRA Nitro Alley, The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience is the destination for fans looking forward to seeing what's going on at Motorcraft, Quick Lane and Ford Custom Accessories.
- FCSD brands Motorcraft and Quick Lane are the primary sponsors on the NHRA Ford Shelby Mustang Nitro Funny Car driven by Bob Tasca III.
- Consumers visiting The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience display can sign up to win a 2010 Ford Mustang GT equipped with Ford Racing Performance Parts and Ford Custom Accessories.
DEARBORN, Mich., March 9, 2009 – Ford Customer Service Division (FCSD) returns to Gainesville with The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience, an interactive 4,800 square foot display that features the "Quick Lane Challenge" and the "Motorcraft Holeshot Challenge."
Motorcraft and Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center brands have partnered with the NHRA for a brand awareness campaign that will give the division a major presence at 10 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series events in 2009, starting with the March 12-15 NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, FL.
For the second consecutive season, Motorcraft and Quick Lane are the primary sponsors on the Ford Shelby Mustang Nitro Funny Car driven by Bob Tasca III in NHRA.
Visitors can sign up to race virtual dragsters, compete against the clock while changing tires and oil filters, and spin the Ford Custom Accessories wheel for a chance to win valuable prizes. Fans will also have the opportunity to register to win a 2010 Ford Mustang GT with $3,000 in Ford Racing Performance Parts and up to $5,000 in Custom Accessories. Motorcraft and Quick Lane representatives will be offering up plenty of other free giveaways.
"Last year we brought The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience to the NHRA and we were welcomed openly by the fans,” said Darryl Hazel, Ford Customer Service Division Vice President. "We are excited to return to Nitro Alley with our 2009 display. Our first year was amazing and the fans helped make our Racing Experience the place to be. Our display is unique because it allows fans to experience our brands and connect with Motorcraft, Quick Lane and Ford Custom Accessories in a fun and interactive way."
The Motorcraft Holeshot Challenge starts with two contestants sitting in drag racing simulators. Participants will undergo the entire Funny Car experience as they heat up their tires, line-up their car, follow the Christmas Tree and steer their virtual Mustangs down the track in a quest to win Motorcraft prizes. Crash sequences, sound effects, simulated smoke, motion seats and compressed air all help in making the contestants’ runs feel as real as possible. Each day, driver Bob Tasca III, will visit the display and set a holeshot time for participants to beat.
The Quick Lane Challenge pits two contestants against each other in a timed competition. Participants will remove and install oil filters, batteries and air filters, along with removing and replacing lug nuts on the wheels, of their respective vehicles for their chance to win Quick Lane branded prizes.
Fans will have an opportunity to see the latest production and racing Mustangs in The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience – a 2010 Ford Mustang GT and 2008 Ford Racing Cobra Jet Mustang.
The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience interactive display will appear at 10 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series races in 2009: The tour includes:
March 12-15 – ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals (Gainesville, FL)
June 4-7 – NHRA Route 66 Nationals (Joliet, IL)
June 11-14 – NHRA SuperNationals (Englishtown, NJ)
June 25-28 – Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals (Norwalk, OH)
July 10-12 – Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals (Denver, CO) Quick Lane display only
Sept. 2-7 – Mac Tools U.S. Nationals (Indianapolis, IN)
Sept. 17-20 – NHRA Nationals (Charlotte, NC)
Sept. 24-27 – O’Reilly Super Start Batteries NHRA Fall Nationals (Dallas, TX)
Oct. 29-Nov. 1 – Las Vegas NHRA Nationals (Las Vegas, NV)
Nov. 12-15 – Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals (Pomona, CA)
Motorcraft and Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers are brands of Ford Customer Service Division. FCSD and its associated brands won a place in the hearts and minds of drag race fans everywhere in the late 1980s and early 1990s, sponsoring Ford powered International Motorsports Hall-of-Fame racer Bob Glidden, a 10-time NHRA Pro Stock champion, and NHRA legend Kenny Bernstein among others.
About Motorcraft
Motorcraft offers a complete line of original equipment-approved parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood and powertrain repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available locally and are backed nationwide by Ford Motor Company's Service Parts Limited Warranty. For more information, visit http://www.motorcraft.com/.
About Quick Lane
Quick Lane® provides automotive quick services for all makes and models. Quick Lane's® nationwide network of over 500 facilities provides the convenience of an aftermarket company (no appointment necessary, service while you wait, evening and weekend hours, competitive prices) with the confidence of a major automotive manufacturer (quality parts, factory-trained technicians). Quick Lane® is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit http://www.quicklane.com/.
About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 213,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s wholly owned brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit http://www.ford.com/
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