Bob Tasca III
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Southern Nationals
Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Georgia
April 16-19, 2009
TASCA AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE SHELBY MUSTANG TEAM EAGER TO REVIVE ATLANTA SUCCESS
In a city rich with history, Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang team look to channel results from last year’s Atlanta race, plus one round.
One year ago, in his sixth career Funny Car race, Bob Tasca III in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang reached the semi-final round for the first time. After two difficult weeks in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, Tasca looks forward to returning to a track where he’s seen success.
“We have a team and a Shelby Mustang that has shown strength this year and we’re just looking to get back to racing,” said Tasca. “Atlanta is a great track that has been good to me over the last couple of years. We’re going to get some rounds under our belt in Atlanta and see if we can walk away with the trophy. The level of determination, focus and confidence of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team has been phenomenal this year especially after the great week in Gainesville, and then we had two tough races in Houston and Las Vegas.”
Just Peachy. Tasca looks at the season in two parts, pre-Countdown and the final 10 races. At the beginning of the season, Tasca set the goal to remain a fixture in the top-10 points standings. Despite two difficult weeks on the track, Tasca is satisfied with his sixth place position in the point standings.
“We’re very early into the season but I love where we’re sitting right now,” said Tasca. “We’re a round and a half out of second place. Seven of the top eight cars are within two rounds of second place and that just shows how competitive everyone is this early in the season. Just like you need to qualify to win on Sunday, you need to be in the top-10 to run for the championship. That’s what our goal is at this point of the season – to get into the top-10.”
Mustang’s 45th Anniversary. On April 17, 1964, the Ford Mustang made its debut at the New York World’s Fair. This weekend Tasca will run a special 45th Anniversary Mustang decal on his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang to commemorate this significant milestone for the pony car.
“When I was 16 years old, my first car was a brand new 1992 Mustang GT coupe with a white leather interior and we made a bunch of modifications to it,” recalled Tasca. “That’s probably my favorite street Mustang. It was the first car I had in my garage, the first car I took down a drag strip. Mustang is iconic; it is part of the DNA of America. It has withstood the test of time and the ups and downs of economies. It’s just an iconic brand; it’s like baseball to a certain extent. It’s classic.”
Full Throttle Points Standings – Funny Car
1. Ron Capps, 408; 2. Matt Hagan, 302. 3t. Del Worsham, 296; 3t. Ashley Force Hood, 296; 5. Tony Pedregon, 290; 6. Bob Tasca III, 289; 7. Jack Beckman, 282; 8. Robert Hight, 273; 9. John Force, 253; 10. Mike Neff, 252.
Atlanta Race Notes
- Tasca qualified 12th during last spring’s event at Atlanta and reached the semi-finals for the first time in his career. Tasca defeated Tony Pedregon and Gary Densham and lost to John Force in the semi-finals.
- Tasca dropped two positions in the points standings after Las Vegas. He sits in sixth heading into race six 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. They’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 22 Quick Lanes in the greater Atlanta area.
- Quick Lane Tire and Auto Centers are offering cash rebates on name-brand tires such as Goodyear, Continental and Michelin now until the end of April. For more information visit http://www.quicklane.com/.
Television
Saturday, April 18 – ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 6 p.m. (ET).
Sunday April 19 – ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day, at 11 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, April 19 – ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET).
Satellite (Analog feed)
Friday, April 17, 9:30-10 p.m. (ET) - AMC 15 / Transponder 1K (11720 MHz, vertical)
Saturday, April 18, 6-6:30 p.m. (ET) - AMC 15 / Transponder 1K (11720 MHz, vertical)
Sunday, April 19, 7-7:30 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 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 https://portal.hostedmail.net/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=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 https://portal.hostedmail.net/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.ford.com/
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