Bob Tasca III
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
Third Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Carolina Nationals
zMAX Dragway in Concord, NC
September 17 - 19, 2010
Race 19 of 23
Countdown to 1 - Race 2 of 6
TASCA AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE RACING LOOK FOR COUNTDOWN WIN IN CONCORD; HOME TRACK OF TASCA RACING
DEARBORN, MI – September 15, 2010 – Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team have, for some time, circled the third week of September on the calendar, marking their return to the team’s home race track.
Tasca Racing, located just minutes from zMAX Dragway, is the headquarters of the third year Funny Car team. Each member of Tasca Racing calls the Charlotte area home. This weekend, Tasca and the entire team look forward to racing at one of the premier tracks on the NHRA schedule.
“For my team, Charlotte is our home track,” said Tasca. “There will be a lot of friends and family from the team in the area that come out to the race this weekend and we want to do well. We’ve made it past the first round in both fall races. Charlotte is a premier facility, it’s in our backyard and it’s the second race in the Countdown. This is a very important race for the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team to perform well at and win.”
Immediately following the spring race at zMAX Dragway, Tasca and the team transitioned to the Ford BOSS 500 engine platform. Tasca looks to use that engine package and change his luck at zMAX. Tasca has a 1-3 round record at zMAX but with the combination of more experience and the Ford BOSS 500 engine, Tasca is confident his performance and Charlotte stats will change this weekend. Tasca even has some momentum on his side going into qualifying -- he has an average qualifying position of seventh during the 2010 season.
“We believe we have the powertrain in our Shelby Mustang right now that has won 14-plus championships and counting,” said Tasca. “We really believe in this Ford set-up. That being said, however, we’re going back to a very different Charlotte. During the spring race the weather was cooler and ETs were quicker. We have enough data to prepare for these hot conditions, but it will be a different Charlotte race surface versus the Charlotte we left. Our confidence level is a whole world ahead of where we were in March, with just making the transition over to the Ford BOSS 500 engine. We have our sights set on winning the race this weekend.”
Tasca remained in the seventh position after the Countdown kick-off race in Indianapolis. To stay focused during the Countdown to 1, Tasca and the team prepare for each run down the track with the same meticulousness as every other run. The team is taking this playoff season one run at a time, knowing that the fine details and consistent performance will yield round and race wins.
“You have 10 Funny Cars that could win the championship,” said Tasca. “There are 16 Funny Cars that can roll into any race at any time and win a race. It’s a very competitive class. It’s a very exciting class, both as a fan and a driver. In order to maximize your chances to win the 2010 Championship, I think you have to win two out of the five final races. To win, we’re focused on minimizing our first round losses and maximizing our time in the semifinals and finals. If we reach the semifinals, finals and win races, we will be in the thick of the championship hunt going into Las Vegas and Pomona.”
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Points
1. John Force, 2206; 2. Jack Beckman, 2146; 3. Matt Hagan, 2145; 4. Ashley Force Hood, 2137; 5. Robert Hight, 2125; 6. Ron Capps, 2091; 7. Bob Tasca III, 2083; 8. Tim Wilkerson, 2072; 9. Del Worsham, 2043; 10. Tony Pedregon, 2031
Shop Shape-Up Sweepstakes
Register for a chance to win Ford-authorized tools and equipment from Rotunda. Two grand prizes will be awarded in the “Shop Shape-Up” Sweepstakes, with prizes valued at $25,000 and $5,000. Enter daily at www.FordParts.com to increase the chances to win.
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.
Register for both Shop Shape-Up and Mustang 5.0 Fever Sweepstakes at FordParts.com
Enter to win both the “Shop Shape-Up” and the “Mustang 5.0 Fever” Sweepstakes with a single registration at FordParts.com. To be eligible to win both sweepstakes, entrants must register on www.FordParts.com between August 7, and November 23, 2010.
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience
The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience interactive consumer display returns to Nitro Alley in Concord. Fans can enter to win prizes and participate in the Motorcraft Holeshot Challenge. A myriad of activities are planned for fans during the weekend, including Q & A and autograph appearances at the display by Bob Tasca III on Friday and Saturday.
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience Hours of Operation
Friday, September 17: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Saturday, September 18: 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.
Sunday, September 19: 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Concord Race Notes
-During last year’s Concord race, Tasca qualified 11th and lost to Robert Hight in the second round.
Tasca Funny Car Achievements – 2010
- Defeated Del Worsham to win 41st Annual NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, NJ.
- 14 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, Denver - 7th, Brainerd - 4th and Indianapolis - 8th)
- Five semi-final appearances (Pomona, St. Louis, Atlanta, Bristol and Sonoma)
- One runner-up finish (Gainesville)
- 2010 round record: 22 wins and 17 losses
- Tasca is seventh in series points, 123 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: 56 wins and 61 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 Charlotte area.
Television
Sunday, Sept. 19, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise qualifying highlights coverage at 10:30am (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 19, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA Race Day, at 6:30 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, Sept. 19, ESPN3.com will televise live coverage of eliminations at noon. (ET)
Sunday, Sept. 19, ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of eliminations coverage 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 for over 283,000 Genuine Ford and Motorcraft parts. With FordParts.com, repair shops, body shops, fleets and do-it-yourselfers can shop for, order and ultimately receive parts 24/7 via the click of a mouse. It lets each customer remain connected to their Ford or Lincoln Mercury dealership for the parts expertise, personal delivery assistance, and post-sale follow-up associated with a traditional purchase. All customers visiting FordParts.com will benefit from its comprehensive, yet user-friendly nature, perhaps best expressed in the way Ford and Motorcraft parts are shopped for and selected. To do so, customers can enter a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and shop with unmatched accuracy for parts uniquely associated with the vehicle or start by entering the year, make and model of the vehicle. Adding to the site’s functionality is the ability to view 22,865 technical illustrations on many of the parts and assemblies. 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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