Bob Tasca III
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
22nd Annual O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals
Heartland Park Topeka in Topeka, Kansas
May 21 – May 23, 2010
Race 9 of 23
TASCA AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE RACING TEAM REACH SECOND ROUND AT TOPEKA; GAIN ONE POSITION IN SERIES STANDINGS
TOPEKA, KS – May 23, 2010 – Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team hoped to make another appearance in the semi-finals for the third consecutive race. Unfortunately, that goal was dashed in the second round.
After several months of continuous improvement, the team was confident heading into this weekend event at Heartland Park Topeka.
Tasca qualified in the 13th position with a best pass of 4.256 seconds at 294.05 miles an hour. In his Mustang, Tasca would face Jack Beckman and his Dodge Charger during Sunday’s first elimination round.
“We struggled on the tune-up because the track conditions were not what we normally see in Topeka,” said Tasca. “The track had tremendous traction and bite, so unfortunately we were a little behind on Friday and Saturday. Chris [Cunningham], Marc [Denner] and the guys were pretty pumped on Saturday night because we found a combination to make our Mustang run well on Sunday.”
During Sunday’s first round, Tasca took the lead at the click of the green and never trailed in his race against Beckman. Tasca’s 4.150 second pass at 305.22 miles per hour defeated Beckman’s 4.173 second pass at 302.10 miles per hour. Tasca’s margin of victory was 0.0440 seconds, approximately 19 feet.
“We ran a 4.15 and beat Beckman,” said Tasca. “That was a big first round win for us.”
In the second round pairing, Tasca faced Ron Capps. Tasca was the first of the line, but Capps took the lead by the tree and reached the finish line in 4.126 seconds at 298.40 miles per hour. Tasca ran a 4.184 second pass at 304.53 miles per hour and missed the semi-final round by 0.0488 seconds, approximately 22 feet.
“The track got hotter in the second round and we pulled back the tune-up a bit because we thought we could have smoked the tires,” said Tasca. “Even though the track was hotter, it really didn’t lose much traction and the motor got away from it. Capps ran low ET of the round, so he would have beat everybody in that session. Unfortunately, we ran the wrong guy in the second round.”
Despite the second round loss, Tasca improved one position in the standings and now sits seventh overall.
“I’m proud of my guys and that we moved from eighth to seventh in points,” said Tasca. “We’ve had a great couple of weeks – testing, back-to-back semi-finals and a big first round win against Beckman. We’ll move on to Chicago and look to go a few more rounds there.”
Robert Hight, Ford Mustang, won Sunday’s 22nd Annual O’Reilly Summer Nationals at Topeka, Kansas.
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Points
1. John Force, 728; 2. Robert Hight, 679; 3. Ron Capps, 592; 4. Ashley Force Hood, 591; 5. Jack Beckman, 575; 6. Matt Hagan, 530; 7. Bob Tasca III, 506; 8. Tony Pedregon, 491; 9. Tim Wilkerson, 479; 10. Del Worsham, 467.
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing on the Web
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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, connecting 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, and the flexibility of choosing in-store pick-up or having the parts delivered. 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 176,000 employees and about 80 plants worldwide, the company’s brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and, until its sale, 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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