Bob Tasca III
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
13th Annual O’Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals
Gateway International Raceway in Madison, IllinoisMay 1-3, 2009
MIXED REVIEWS OF ST. LOUIS FROM TASCA AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE SHELBY MUSTANG TEAM
Madison, Illinois – May 3, 2009 – All Bob Tasca III saw during Sunday’s second round eliminations was red – that red light on the bottom of the tree.
During Saturday’s qualifying session, Tasca piloted his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang Funny Car to a 4.147 second run at 295.27 miles per hour, which was good enough to seed him in the fifth position.
“I’m thrilled with how our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang ran,” said Tasca. “Chris Cunningham, Marc Denner and all the guys put a ton of work into this program and I’m glad to have them on the team. Chris and Marc found a new tune-up package and did a phenomenal job getting our Mustang ready for this weekend.”
It was the first time Tasca would face fellow Ford driver Robert Hight in NHRA competition during Sunday’s first round eliminations. Tasca defeated Hight and advanced to the second round against Cruz Pedregon.
Tasca was winless in the previous five meetings with Pedregon and was hoping to advance to the third round against the defending series champion. Tasca was too fast off the line and red-lit for the first time this season.
“I’m just heartbroken for my team because it would have been a close race,” said a disappointed Tasca. “As a driver, red-lighting is one of your worse nightmares. I knew it as soon as I hit the gas, but I wanted to make a solid run because you want to learn and collect as much data as you can with every run. I knew we were on a great run and it is just a shame that our day had to end that way.”
With one week off before heading to Bristol, Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team appreciate the positive elements from their weekend in St. Louis.
“On the positive side, we’ve got a round win under our belt and we’re still in the top 10 in points. Our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang ran absolutely flawless. We made four great runs in a row this weekend, two in qualifying and two in the elimination rounds. We’ll take the good with us on to Bristol and leave the bad behind. I’m very confident that we’ll be back on track at Bristol.”
Del Worsham defeated Ron Capps in the final round to win the 13th Annual O’Reilly NHRA Midwest Nationals.
Full Throttle Points Standings – Funny Car
1. Ron Capps, 562; 2. Del Worsham, 443; 3. Tony Pedregon, 437; 4t. Jack Beckman, and Ashley Force Hood, 427; 6. Matt Hagan, 413; 7. Bob Tasca III, 375; 8. John Force, 363; 9. Tim Wilkerson, 349; 10t. Robert Hight and Mike Neff, 337.
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 http://www.ford.com/
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