Bob Tasca III
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
23rd Annual FRAM-Autolite NHRA Nationals
Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, CA
July 16 - 18, 2010
Race 15 of 23
TASCA AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE RACING BRING CONFIDENCE TO SONOMA
DEARBORN, MI – July 13, 2010 – After a disappointing start to the West Coast Swing in Seattle, Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing have dusted themselves off and are ready to attack the track in Sonoma in this weekend’s NHRA California stop.
Tasca and the team appeared to have a strong start to the West Coast Swing by qualifying sixth for the Seattle event. While strong and confident during the qualifying session, an ignition malfunction prevented the team from advancing during Sunday’s eliminations. Down, but not out, the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team will take the good runs they produced in Seattle as motivation heading into Sonoma this weekend.
“We were third quick in both Friday and Saturday night sessions in Seattle, so we did a lot of good things in qualifying,” said Tasca. “Unfortunately, we had that ignition malfunction in the first round. On the positive side, we have a lot of good data in the heat and know what caused the problem on Sunday. So, we’ll fix that ignition problem, take some of the Seattle day runs, move down to Sonoma and improve in qualifying and eliminations.”
Tasca, a born and bred East Coast businessman and racer, always looks forward to racing in the wine country of Sonoma and northern California. Tasca still looks to capture a win west of the Rocky Mountains this season.
“Infineon Raceway is a great facility and I can’t say enough about the California fans,” said Tasca. “The track conditions play a huge role in running big numbers in Sonoma. The race track is at sea level, so the air is typically tremendous.”
Now accustomed to the summer heat, Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team are prepared to handle the hot track conditions, and the track they will race on this weekend in Sonoma will be just that.
“Even though it’s real hot, that Friday night session is a run I look forward to and so do the fans,” said Tasca. “Obviously, on Saturday you need to be good in the heat because those are the conditions we’ll see on Sunday. We’ve really put a lot of work into our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang and we’re looking forward to running there this weekend in Sonoma.”
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 26 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.
Quick Lane Racing Experience
The Quick Lane Racing Experience interactive consumer display returns to Nitro Alley in Sonoma. 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 by Funny Car drivers on Friday and Saturday.
Quick Lane Racing Experience Hours of Operation
Friday, July 16: 10 a.m. – 7:15 p.m.
Saturday, July 17: 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
Sunday, June 18: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Points
1. John Force, 1057; 2. Robert Hight, 1016; 3. Matt Hagan, 922; 4. Jack Beckman, 907; 5. Tim Wilkerson, 891; 6. Ashley Force Hood, 872; 7. Ron Capps; 847; 8. Bob Tasca III, 828; 9. Del Worsham, 802; 10. Tony Pedregon, 668
Sonoma Race Notes
-During last year’s Sonoma race, Tasca qualified fifth and lost to Tim Wilkerson in the second round.
Tasca Funny Car Achievements – 2010
- Defeated Del Worsham to win 41st Annual NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, NJ.
- 10 top-eight qualifiers (Pomona - 4th, Gainesville - 7th, Las Vegas - 8th, St. Louis - 7th, Atlanta - 4th, Joliet - 4th, Englishtown - 7th, Bristol - 7th, Norwalk - 7th and Seattle - 6th)
- Three semi-final appearances (Pomona, St. Louis and Atlanta)
- One runner-up finish (Gainesville)
- 2010 round record: 17 wins and 13 losses
- Tasca is eighth in series points, 229 points behind the leader
- Tasca and the FordParts.com team won the Full Throttle Hard-Working Crew Award in Englishtown
Tasca Funny Car Achievements – Career
- First round win: Defeated Melanie Troxel, Feb. 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)
- Three career wins: Two in 2009 – Gatornationals in Gainesville, FL and Toyo Tires Nationals in Reading, PA. One in 2010 – NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, NJ.
- Finished eighth in series points in 2009
- Career round record: 51 wins and 57 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 one of the Quick Lanes in the greater Sonoma area.
Television
Saturday, July 17, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 11 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, July 18, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day, at 1 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, July 18, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise final eliminations at 6 p.m. (ET).
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, connect 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 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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