Halfway to the Countdown, Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Team Aim For Second Win at Norwalk

Bob Tasca III
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series

Third Annual Summit Racing Equipment Nationals
Summit Motorsports Park in Norwalk, OhioJune 25-28, 2009


HALFWAY TO THE COUNTDOWN, TASCA AND THE MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE TEAM AIM FOR SECOND WIN AT NORWALK

In 2008 Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft Quick Lane team had a rollercoaster year. Despite a few bumps in the road, Tasca maintained a top-10 position in the points during the early part of the season. At this time last season, Tasca entered Norwalk sitting 10th in series points, then fell one spot and was on the outside of the championship looking in.

Now in their sophomore year, Tasca and the team are in a much different position heading into the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals, the halfway point of the 2009 season. Sitting comfortably in the seventh place, Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby team are using their strength and determination to solidify their place in the championship hunt.

“Norwalk was the last time we were in the top 10 last year. We just didn’t have our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang as competitive as well as the other race cars,” said Tasca. “I feel like we are getting stronger. So I’m looking forward to Norwalk and putting ourselves in the position to run for the championship.”

Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team reached the semi-finals in Englishtown and fell short against to Ashley Force Hood. Tasca used his off week reflecting on the season to date.

“We suffered a heartbreaking loss to Ashley in Englishtown but we performed exceptionally well. We moved up in points and padded up our point position over the teams behind us. We know we’ve got a Shelby Mustang that will go up and down the race track. We’ve got a hot rod that can run with the best of them out there. I enjoyed the off-weekend but I’m ready to go race.”

Once again fans will get the chance this weekend to visit The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience interactive consumer display available at NHRA Nitro Alley. Fans can enter to win prizes and participate in the Motorcraft Holeshot Challenge and Quick Lane Challenge. Fans visiting the display have the opportunity to enter the FCSD ‘Race Hot to a Mustang Sweepstakes.’ The winner of the sweepstakes will receive a 2010 Ford Mustang GT equipped with a Ford Racing Performance Parts package and upgrades courtesy of Ford Custom Accessories.

Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience Hours of Operation:
Friday, June 12 – 10:00 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 13 – 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, June 14 – 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Full Throttle Points Standings – Funny Car
1. Tony Pedregon, 818; 2. Ashley Force Hood, 798; 3. Ron Capps, 792; 4. Del Worsham, 695; 5. Tim Wilkerson, 626; 6. Jack Beckman, 615; 7. Bob Tasca III, 587; 8. John Force, 558; 9. Cruz Pedregon, 546; 10. Matt Hagan, 545.

Norwalk Race Notes
- Tasca qualified 4th during last year’s event at Norwalk and lost in the second round to Cruz Pedregon.
- Tasca is currently seventh in points heading into the 12th race of the 2009 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series.
- Tasca won his second Top Alcohol Funny Car race in Norwalk on July 1, 2007.

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 the Quick Lanes in the greater Norwalk area.

Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing on the Web
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/MQL_Racing
Facebook – http://tinyurl.com/MotorcraftQuickLaneRacing
Flickr – http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorcraftquicklaneracing/

Television
Saturday, June 27 – ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 8 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, June 28 – ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day, at 12 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, June 28 – ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET).

Satellite (Analog feed)
Friday, June 26: 10 – 10:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 3K (11760 MHz, vertical)
Sat., June 27: 6:30 - 7 p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 3K (11760 MHz, vertical)
Sun., June 28, 6:30 - 7 p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 11K (11760 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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