Bob Tasca III
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
31st Annual Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals
Bandimere Speedway in Denver, CO
July 23 - 25, 2010
Race 16 of 23
TASCA AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE RACING LOOKING FORWARD TO THE CHALLENGES OF DENVER
DEARBORN, MI – July 20, 2010 – Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team may have left Sonoma early by just a few inches, but they plan to take those inches and get at least one more round win this weekend in Denver.
Tasca and the team returned to the strong performance they exhibited earlier this season with a semifinal appearance in Somona, providing a needed boost to the team heading into this weekend’s NHRA event in Denver. Just by qualifying this weekend, Tasca will assure himself a berth in the NHRA Countdown to 1 playoffs.
“In the last two months, we’ve had one win, two semifinal appearances and two first-round losses, but those first-round losses have asterisks by them because we had some mechanical issues in those two races,” said Tasca. “We diagnosed the issue and got our stuff pulled together. We were back in the semifinals and probably one of the top cars to beat this past weekend. With what we accomplished in Sonoma, I’m very confident heading into Denver.”
Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team look forward to the high-altitude challenges Denver presents to their Mustang’s tune-up. Tasca believes that a little bit of skill and a little bit of luck will go far in Denver.
“Denver is one of those races where you can go in with confidence but you also go in with your fingers crossed because you are in a type of air that you don’t see the entire season,” said Tasca. “Denver is 9,000 feet above sea level, and we have a new combination in the BOSS 500 engine. Chris Cunningham, Marc Denner and I have spent a lot of time talking about our strategy and brainstorming ideas on what to do with this set-up at that altitude. We have a team that can put a plan together and put ourselves in a position to win.”
Tasca will rely on crew chief Chris Cunningham for the proper tune-up heading into this weekend’s NHRA event in Denver. Cunningham has more than 25 years experience working on a Funny Car and Tasca will yield to his expertise in the mile-high city.
“For the last three months, Chris has been thinking about Denver,” said Tasca. “Denver is not something you just roll in and take your stock pistons and rods off the rack and stick them in the motor. Denver is a total tune-up change – rods, pistons, compression, fuel, fuel volume, ignition and clutch. We’ve got to make the right decisions and Chris has certainly done a lot of prep work to get ready for Denver. I’m very confident that he’ll make the right decisions.”
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Points
1. John Force, 1114; 2. Robert Hight, 1071; 3. Jack Beckman, 1008; 4. Matt Hagan, 994; 5. Ron Capps, 959; 6. Tim Wilkerson, 929; 7. Bob Tasca III, 906; 8. Ashley Force Hood, 905; 9. Del Worsham, 839; 10. Tony Pedregon, 699
Quick Lane Racing Experience
The Quick Lane Racing Experience interactive consumer display returns to Nitro Alley in Denver. 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 23: Noon – 8 p.m.
Saturday, July 24: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday, July 25: 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 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.
Denver Race Notes
-During last year’s Denver race, Tasca qualified 12th and lost to Jack Beckman in the second round.
Tasca Funny Car Achievements – 2010
- Defeated Del Worsham to win 41st Annual NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, NJ.
- 11 top-eight qualifiers (Pomona - 4th, Gainesville - 7th, Las Vegas - 8th, St. Louis - 7th, Atlanta - 4th, Joliet – 4th, Englishtown - 7th, Bristol - 7th, Norwalk - 7th, Seattle - 6th and Sonoma - 5th)
- Five semi-final appearances (Pomona, St. Louis, Atlanta, Bristol and Sonoma)
- One runner-up finish (Gainesville)
- 2010 round record: 19 wins and 14 losses
- Tasca is seventh in series points, 208 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: 53 wins and 58 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 Denver area.
Television
Saturday, July 24, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise qualifying highlights at 6:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, July 25, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day, at 10 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, July 25, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise final eliminations at 7 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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