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 REACH SEMIFINALS IN CONCORD; JUMP TO FIFTH IN SERIES POINTS
CONCORD, NC – September 19, 2010 – Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team hoped to perform well in Concord this weekend for several reasons. In addition to calling Concord the home of Tasca Racing, this race marked the second of the Countdown to 1. Tasca entered the weekend sitting in the seventh points position. The goal for the weekend was to perform well, move up the ladder and one step closer to the 2010 NHRA Funny Car championship title.
Tasca started his weekend by qualifying in the third position with a 4.109 second run at 304.39 miles per hour. Following four qualifying sessions, Tasca locked himself in the third spot heading into Sunday’s eliminations. By order of the ladder, Tasca faced Bob Bode during the first round.
Tasca had the starting line advantage against Bode and never looked back. Tasca’s 4.221-second pass at 301.40 miles per hour defeated Bode’s 4.805-second pass at 242.89 miles per hour.
In the second round, Tasca faced fellow Ford Racing Mustang driver Ashley Force Hood. Tasca was first off the line and led the entire race against Force Hood. Tasca reached the finish line in 4.483 seconds at 250.78 miles per hour compared to Force Hood’s 5.314-second pass at 152.73 miles per hour.
“We had a valve spring retainer break in the second round,” said Tasca. “These fuel cars are rough on the parts and we try to stay ahead of the curve as much as we can. But things break and that’s just the way it is. We got lucky against Ashley. I hung on, I knew the motor was wounded but we made it through and got the win.”
During the semifinal match-up, Tasca raced against the Dodge of Jack Beckman. Tasca was in the less preferred left lane against Beckman. Tasca smoked the tires and was unable to catch Beckman at the finish line. Tasca’s Mustang posted a 4.949-second run at 160.86 miles per hour compared to Beckman’s 4.199-second run at 301.13 miles per hour.
“That left lane was suspect all day because it was a very difficult lane to go down,” said Tasca. “We pushed a little harder than what the track could handle and it smoked the tires.”
Despite the semifinal loss, Tasca was pleased with the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team’s performance. Tasca moved into fifth in points standings with four races remaining in the 2010 Countdown to 1, just 85 points out of first place.
“It was a great day for our team because we did exactly what we needed to do and that was move up in the points,” said Tasca. “There’s a lot of racing left this season with four races and more than 400 points on the table. We’re in a place right now to win a championship and we’ve got a hot rod that certainly has the performance to do that. The pressure was on this weekend and will be on again next weekend in Dallas. I’m confident that we’ll carry some momentum into Dallas.”
Cruz Pedregon won Sunday’s Third Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals in Concord, NC.
The third race in the Countdown to 1 takes place next weekend, September 24-26, at Texas Motorplex in Ennis, TX.
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Points
1. John Force, 2245; 2. Jack Beckman, 2241; 3. Matt Hagan, 2203; 4. Ashley Force Hood, 2192; 5. Bob Tasca III, 2160; 6. Robert Hight, 2157; 7. Ron Capps, 2123; 8. Tony Pedregon, 2085; 9. Tim Wilkerson, 2082; 10. Del Worsham, 2077
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
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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