Monday, July 20, 2009

One Wild Ride for Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Team in Seattle


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

22nd Annual NHRA Northwest Nationals
Pacific Raceway in Kent, Washington
July 17-19, 2009
Race 14 of 24

ONE WILD RIDE FOR TASCA AND THE MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE RACING TEAM IN SEATTLE

Kent, Washington – July 19, 2009 – Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft Quick Lane Shelby Mustang team headed into Sunday’s eliminations in Seattle in the number four spot with a hot Mustang that had proven quick from start line to finish line. During the first round eliminations, they didn’t know just how difficult that would be.

With the first hit of the gas, the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang had a connecting rod break, causing it to race violently across the starting line. Not seeing his opponent Jerry Toliver ahead of him, Tasca knew he had to do everything he could to get across the finish line first.

As Tasca continued down the track but the Mustang was getting worse and worse. The engine started to come apart and the motor blew just before the finish line. Luckily, Tasca was able to keep it together to defeat Toliver to advance to the second round against John Force.

A familiar foe, Tasca and Force have each won twice against the other in past events.

“We went into the second round against John and we knew we had a race car that could go down the track,” said Tasca. “We tried to duplicate our 4.22 pass from Friday when we ran in the heat, but we smoked the tires just around 300 feet. It wasn’t what we expected to do, it caught us by surprise including me in the car.”

Tasca is currently seventh in series standings with four races remaining before the Countdown to 1.

Tasca’s technical alliance teammate Tim Wilkerson had a big day in Seattle. After a rough race in Denver, Wilkerson defeated Tony Pedregon in the final round to win the 22nd Annual NHRA Nothwest Nationals at Pacific Racways in Kent, Morrison.

“Tim had a really great day. It was a great day for our team,” said Tasca. “We’re really proud of our alliance with Tim Wilkerson Racing and it’s always great to see a Ford in the winner’s circle.”

Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang team return to the track on Friday, July 24, for the FRAM Autolite NHRA Nationals in Sonoma, California.


Full Throttle Points Standings – Funny Car

1 Ron Capps, 1039; 2. Ashley Force Hood, 1018; 3. Tony Pedregon, 1009; 4. Jack Beckman, 855; 5. Tim Wilkerson, 804; 6. Del Worsham, 791; 7. Bob Tasca III, 787; 8. John Force, 739; 9. Mike Neff, 683; 10. Matt Hagan, 669.

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/

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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