Bob Tasca III Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
23rd Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals
Houston Raceway Park in Baytown, TX
April 9-11, 2010
Race 5 of 23
TASCA AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE RACING SEEK TO BUILD CONSISTENCY AT HOUSTON RACEWAY PARK
DEARBORN, MI – April 6, 2010 – Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team look to build on the consistency they showed at Pomona and Gainesville. That consistency begins this weekend at Houston Raceway Park with Tasca utilizing elements of the BOSS 500 engine platform.
Last month, Tasca was involved in the Ford Racing announcement – the ‘One Ford’ approach. The ‘One Ford’ approach focuses on all Ford sponsored teams having the same availability to the Ford engineered technology and equipment, which will in turn make all Ford Mustang Funny Car teams more competitive.
“After the recent ‘One Ford’ announcement with John Force and his team, I spent the better part of last week at the Force camp getting a lot of the BOSS 500 engine pieces lined up for our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang,” said Tasca. “Houston will be the first race for us with elements of the BOSS 500 technology in our race car. It would be a great place for us to get our first win of the season. We hope to have the full BOSS 500 package in our Mustang hopefully by the St. Louis race. This is a big step for our team.”
Houston Raceway Park is one of two tracks on the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing calendar where Tasca has yet to reach the second round. Tasca hopes to take his Shelby Mustang not only into the second round, but seeks to run the ladder and earn his third career win this weekend.
“I remember being at the Houston race in 1997 when Tony Pedregon won for John Force Racing,” said Tasca. “Tony was racing a Mustang that day and hopefully we’ll have my Mustang in the winner’s circle this weekend at Houston,” said Tasca. “We have a lot of confidence. I look back on the last two years at Houston and we might not have won a round, but I can tell you we have a lot of confidence going into Houston this year.”
Despite sliding a bit in the points after Concord, Tasca believes the key to success is a consistent Shelby Mustang Funny Car. Tasca relies on the 35-plus years of experience that crew chiefs Chris Cunningham and Marc Denner bring to the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang.
“We’re looking to get a little more consistent,” said Tasca. “We run really well with our hot track tune-up, which is as good as any other team out there. On the other side, we haven’t run well in what I call ‘cool weather conditions’ and that’s what we saw in Phoenix and Concord. With Our recent technology and the addition of the BOSS 500 platform, those issues should come to an end. We’re looking forward to Houston because the conditions will be ideal and we’ll be using our hot track tune-up, which has been successful in the past.
Before taking to the track on Friday, Tasca will have an insider’s look at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.
“On Thursday, we’re visiting NASA, meeting some astronauts and getting a tour of the Johnson Space Center,” said Tasca. “After we tour NASA, we’re bringing the astronauts with us to the race track. Top Fuel Funny Car racers are crossing paths with astronauts, so it should be a great weekend.”
The Quick Lane Racing Experience
The Quick Lane Racing Experience interactive consumer display returns to Nitro Alley in Houston. Fans can enter to win prizes and participate in the Quick Lane Challenge. A myriad of activities are planned for fans during the weekend, including Q & A and autograph appearances at the display by Ford Funny Car drivers on Friday and Saturday.
Quick Lane Racing Experience Hours of Operation
Friday, April 9: 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Saturday, April 10: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Sunday, April 11: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Mustang 5.0 Fever Sweepstakes
Enter to win an all-new 2011 Ford Mustang GT equipped with Ford Racing Performance Parts and Ford Custom Accessories as part of Ford Customer Service Division’s “Mustang 5.0 Fever” Sweepstakes. Bold and powerful, the all-new 5.0-liter V-8 Mustang uses advanced technology to deliver 412 horsepower, 390 ft-lb. of torque and class-leading highway mileage of 25 mpg. Enter online until November 23, 2010, at www.racefanoffers.com, www.quicklane.com, and www.fordparts.com. The “Mustang 5.0 Fever” Sweepstakes is open to all licensed U.S. citizens over the age of 18.
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Points
1. John Force, 397; 2. Ron Capps, 308; 3. Jack Beckman, 278; 4. Matt Hagan, 255; 5. Ashley Force Hood, 247; 6. Bob Tasca III, 236; 7. Tim Wilkerson, 230; 8. Robert Hight, 223; 9. Tony Pedregon, 212; 10. Del Worsham, 166.
Houston Race Notes
- In two previous appearances at Houston, Tasca has two first round losses.
- During last spring’s Houston race, Tasca lost to John Force in the first round.
Tasca Funny Car Achievements - 2010
- Two top-eight qualifiers (fourth in Pomona and seventh in Gainesville)
- Two semi-final appearances (Pomona and Gainesville)
- One runner-up finish (Gainesville)
- 2010 Round record: 5 wins and 4 losses
- Tasca is sixth in series points, 161 points behind the leader
Tasca Funny Car Achievements - Career
- First round win: Defeated Melanie Troxel, February 10, 2008 (NHRA Winternationals, Pomona, CA)
- First semi-final appearance: April 27, 2008 (NHRA Southern Nationals, Atlanta, GA)
- First No. 1 qualifier: March 14, 2009 (Gatornationals, Gainesville, FL)
- Career wins: Two in 2009 – Gatornationals in Gainesville, FL and Toyo Tires Nationals in Reading, PA
- Finished eighth in series points in 2009
- Career round record: 39 wins and 48 losses
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing on the Web
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/MQL_Racing
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/MQLRacing
Flickr – http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorcraftquicklaneracing
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Notes
- 2010 marks the third 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’s nationwide network will surpass 600 facilities in 2010. Visit www.quicklane.com to find the one of the Quick Lanes in the greater Houston area.
Television
Saturday, April 10, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 10:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, April 11, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day, at 2:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, April 11, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise final eliminations at 8 p.m. (ET).
Satellite (Analog feed)
Friday, April 9, 9 - 9:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 1 / Transponder 18K (12060 MHz, vertical)
Saturday, April 10, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 1 / Transponder 18K (12060 MHz, vertical)
Sunday, April 11, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 1 / Transponder 18K (12060 MHz, vertical)
About Motorcraft
Motorcraft® offers a complete line of replacement parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available nationwide at Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealers, independent distributors, and automotive parts retailers and are backed by Ford Motor Company’s Service Parts Limited Warranty. For more information, visit www.motorcraft.com.
About Quick Lane Tire & Auto Centers
Quick Lane® provides automotive quick services for all makes and models. Quick Lane’s nationwide network will surpass 600 facilities, each providing 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 FordParts.com
FordParts.com allows customers to shop online, order and receive original equipment parts. FordParts.com enables customers to remain connected to a Ford or Lincoln Mercury dealership of their choice for the parts expertise, personal delivery assistance, and post-sale follow-up associated with a traditional purchase at a parts counter. FordParts.com is designed to support anyone who needs to find and buy original equipment Ford parts. Repair shops, body shops, fleets and do-it-yourselfers will all appreciate the speed and convenience of researching and purchasing Ford parts via this online portal. For more information, visit www.fordparts.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 198,000 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 www.ford.com.
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