Bob Tasca III
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
29th Annual Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals
Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, MN
August 13 - 15, 2010
Race 17 of 23
TASCA AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE RACING USE BRAINERD TO LAUNCH COUNTDOWN MOMENTUM
DEARBORN, MI – August 10, 2010 – Fresh off a two-week break, Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team are eager to get back to racing this weekend in Brainerd, Minn., looking to gain momentum for the Countdown to 1 playoffs that begin in Indianapolis later this month.
“Even though we’re locked into the Countdown, we still have some work that needs to be done this weekend in Brainerd,” said Tasca. “We have our sights set on finishing the regular season in the fourth or fifth spot in the standings, which are both within our reach. Once the points reset and the Countdown begins, you can win from any spot.”
Tasca has an even record at Brainerd, with two round wins and two round losses, and would like to pilot his red and black Mustang a full four rounds at this weekend’s event. Even though the start of the Countdown is a short two weeks away, Tasca knows that success this weekend can only build into solid performances in the coming weeks. In addition to his performance, Tasca is eager to watch his fellow competitors both at the top and bottom of the ladder.
“Clearly, we’d like to go into the Countdown with some momentum and that is what we’re focused on this weekend,” said Tasca. “It will be interesting to watch John Force and Robert Hight battle for the top spot. We’ll also be watching Tony Pedregon and Jeff Arend battle for the final spot – that should be an exciting story. There is a lot of stuff happening this weekend and it’s great to be in the thick of it.”
Although Tasca and the Shelby Mustang are secure in the Countdown to 1 playoffs, Tasca is not taking Brainerd lightly. Determined to improve his position on the ladder, Tasca and crew chiefs Chris Cunningham and Marc Denner will not use Brainerd as a testing platform.
“Our testing needs to be focused on cool conditions and we won’t see those [conditions] this weekend,” said Tasca. “We’re going to be in race mode. We’ll be focused on testing as we get into the Countdown; it will probably be after the Charlotte or Reading races where we can work on the cool weather tune-up. It’s going to be a six-race shootout, and you’ve got to win at least two of them to get yourself in a place to win this championship going into Pomona.”
In addition to getting back into his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang, Tasca is eager to get back to Brainerd and the NHRA fans.
“I’m excited to get back to racing,” said Tasca. “It’s also great to see the fans get all fired up about an event. That’s what motivates us and makes all our hard work worthwhile – to get out to the track with the fans and the other racers and compete. I think it will be a pretty exciting close to the regular season.”
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.
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Points
1. John Force, 1219; 2. Robert Hight, 1191; 3. Matt Hagan, 1076; 4. Jack Beckman, 1060; 5. Ron Capps, 1014; 6. Tim Wilkerson, 963; 7. Bob Tasca III, 959; 8. Ashley Force Hood, 938; 9. Del Worsham, 897; 10. Tony Pedregon, 733
Brainerd Race Notes
-During last year’s Brainerd race, Tasca qualified seventh and lost to Ron Capps in the second round.
Tasca Funny Car Achievements – 2010
- Defeated Del Worsham to win 41st Annual NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, NJ.
- 12 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, Sonoma - 5th and Denver - 7th)
- Five semi-final appearances (Pomona, St. Louis, Atlanta, Bristol and Sonoma)
- One runner-up finish (Gainesville)
- 2010 round record: 20 wins and 15 losses
- Tasca is seventh in series points, 260 points behind the leader
- Tasca and the FordParts.com team won the Full Throttle Hard-Working Crew Award in Englishtown
- Tasca secured his spot in the 2010 NHRA Countdown to 1 after qualifying for the Denver race
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: 54 wins and 59 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 Brainerd area.
Television
Saturday, August 14, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 11 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, August 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day, at 10 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, August 15, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise final eliminations at 10 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 159,000 employees and about 70 plants worldwide, the company’s brands include Ford, Lincoln and Mercury, production of which has been announced by the company to be ending in the fourth quarter of 2010. 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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