Bob Tasca III
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
28th Annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
Brainerd International Raceway
August 13-16, 2009
Race 16 of 24
COUNTDOWN HOPES ALIVE AND WELL AS TASCA AND THE MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE RACING TEAM HEAD TO BRAINERD
DEARBORN, MI – August 11, 2009 – After a few weeks away from the drag strip, Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team return to Brainerd for the 28th Annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals with hopes of moving up the points ladder, clinching a spot in the crucial Countdown, and bringing home another Wally.
With only three races left until the start of the Countdown, Tasca feels confident in his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang and team.
“We feel a win is just around the corner for us,” said Tasca. “We’ve been very competitive. We made it to the finals in Norwalk, reached the quarterfinals three times in a row, and lost in Sonoma by an eyelash, but we had Mustang that could win the race. That is such a confidence booster for everybody on the team to know rolling into every race with a Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang that can win.”
Last year Tasca qualified 13th in Brainerd and lost in the second round to Tim Wilkerson. This year, Tasca is eager to race in Brainerd and considers the new surface a learning opportunity.
“Brainerd is race track that poses its challenges,” said Tasca. “It’s a brand new track surface, which was has just been paved, similar to Norwalk, and we all remember how difficult it was to race in Norwalk.”
In Sonoma, Funny Car drivers Tony Pedregon, Ron Capps and Ashley Force Hood secure their spots in the Countdown. This weekend in Brainerd, Tasca, currently in sixth place, hopes to do the same.
“If we win one round in Brainerd, we’re locked in to the Countdown, but it’s not about getting locked in this weekend,” said Tasca. “I want to finish this two-race stretch strong. Our focus is to move up the ladder. We’re not resting on our laurels. Last year at this time, our Championship hopes were over. This year, our Championship hopes are alive and well, but its just not about making the top 10, it’s about solidly placing in the top 10 and to get every point we can.”
Second Annual Funny Car Design Comes to a Close
Now through August 14, the public is invited to visit www.jdrf.org/ford, view more than 300 paint scheme designs and vote for their favorite children’s design by making a monetary donation to JDRF, all as part of Ford Customer Service Division’s second annual Funny Car Design Contest.
The top five donation-earning designs will go in front of a panel of judges and narrowed down to one. The winning design will be featured on Motorcraft/Quick Lane sponsored Mustang Shelby driven by Bob Tasca III during the NHRA Carolinas Nationals in Concord, NC, on Sept. 18-20.
Race Hot to a Mustang Sweepstakes
Enter to win a 2010 Ford Mustang GT equipped with a Ford Racing Performance Parts package and upgrades courtesy of Ford Custom Accessories in the Ford Customer Service Division ‘Race Hot to a Mustang Sweepstakes.’ Enter online until November 23, 2009, at http://www.motorcraft.com/, http://www.quicklane.com/, http://www.racefanoffers.com/ and http://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. Tony Pedregon, 1,101; 2. Ron Capps, 1,090; 3. Ashley Force Hood, 1,054; 4.Tim Wilkerson, 919; 5. Jack Beckman, 889; 6. Bob Tasca III, 841; 7. Del Worsham, 824; 8. John Force, 772; 9. Mike Neff, 740; 10. Cruz Pedregon, 713.
Brainerd Race Notes
- Tasca qualified 13th during last year’s event at Brainerd and lost in the second round to Tim Wilkerson.
- Tasca is currently sixth in points heading into the 16th race 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
- First back-to-back semi-final appearances this season (Englishtown, NJ and Norwalk, OH)
- Tasca has qualified eighth or better in the 10 of 15 races this season
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.
There are 530 Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers in the United States. Visit http://www.quicklane.com/ to find the Quick Lanes in the Brainerd 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, August 15: ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise one hour of qualifying highlights at 6 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, August 16: ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day, at 11 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, August 16: ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final eliminations at 10 p.m. (ET).
Satellite (Analog feed)
Friday, August 14, 8:30 - 9 p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 17K (12040 MHz, vertical)
Saturday, August 15, 7:30 - 8 a.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 17K (12040 MHz, vertical)
Sunday, August 16, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 15 / Transponder 17K (12040 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 https://portal.hostedmail.net/exchweb/bin/redir.asp?URL=http://www.motorcraft.com/.
About Quick Lane
Quick Lane® provides automotive quick services for all makes and models. Quick Lane's® nationwide network of 530 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 about 201,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s 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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