Bob Tasca III
Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang
Nitro Funny Car Class
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series
26th Annual Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals
Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, PA
October 8 - 10, 2010
Race 21 of 23
Countdown to 1 - Race 4 of 6
TASCA AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE TEAM WANT REPEAT IN READING
DEARBORN, MI – October 6, 2010 – Maple Grove Raceway holds a lot of fond memories for Bob Tasca III. It’s the track where he climbed into a professional race car for the first time, and also a track where he raced his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang Funny Car into the winner’s circle for the second time in his career.
Although Tasca considers Englishtown, NJ his home track, Reading, PA is the second closest geographically to the Rhode Island native. Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team head to Pennsylvania hoping to recapture the magic he had there last season.
“I have good memories at Reading,” said Tasca. “I won there in both my Alcohol and Nitro cars. Reading is in my backyard, probably the closest track to home other than Englishtown. I’m looking forward to going back to a place where I left with the trophy. I have a lot of good memories at Reading, and we’re going there this week to defend our race win in order to stay as a front runner for the 2010 championship.”
After experiencing ever-changing weather conditions the last couple of races, the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team will face much cooler temperatures this weekend.
“This weekend will really be optimal conditions all four qualifying sessions and you can’t say that very often during the season,” said Tasca. “We’re going to a race knowing that the weather conditions are going to give us some of the best conditions that we’ve seen all season. The fans are in for a treat and the drivers and teams are really looking forward to it. Maple Grove is a track where we have the opportunity to set the national record on almost any run. It’s going to be an exciting weekend.”
With only three races left in the Countdown to 1, Reading marks a pivotal race for Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team’s championship hopes. Tasca is fifth in the standings, with 124 points separating him from the leader.
“It’s a tough game out there,” said Tasca. “We are confident about our chances this weekend. As far as I am concerned, we are still in this championship race. The goal, all season and during this Countdown, has been to put ourselves in a position to win. Our goal will be the same this weekend.”
NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Points
1. John Force, 2339; 2. Matt Hagan, 2314; 3. Jack Beckman, 2294; 4. Ashley Force Hood, 2271; 5. Bob Tasca III, 2215; 6. Robert Hight, 2189; 7. Ron Capps, 2157; 8. Del Worsham, 2149; 9. Tim Wilkerson, 2147; 10. Tony Pedregon, 2116
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.
Reading Race Notes
-Last year, Tasca qualified fifth and defeated Ron Capps, Robert Hight, John Force and Mike Neff en route to his second career win.
Tasca Funny Car Achievements – 2010
- Defeated Del Worsham to win 41st Annual NHRA SuperNationals in Englishtown, NJ
- 16 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, Indianapolis – 8th , Charlotte – 3rd, Dallas – 4th)
- Six semi-final appearances (Pomona, St. Louis, Atlanta, Bristol, Sonoma and Charlotte)
- One runner-up finish (Gainesville)
- 2010 round record: 25 wins and 19 losses
- Tasca is fifth in series points, 124 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: 59 wins and 63 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 Reading area.
Television
Saturday, Oct. 9, ESPN2 and ESPN2HD will televise qualifying highlights coverage at 10:30pm (ET).
Sunday, Oct. 10, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise NHRA Race Day, at 10 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Oct. 10, ESPN3.com will televise live coverage of eliminations at 11 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, Oct. 10, ESPN will televise three hours of eliminations coverage at 9 p.m. (ET).
Satellite (Analog feed)
Friday, Oct. 8, 8:30 - 9 p.m. (ET), AMC 3 / Transponder 21K
Saturday, Oct. 9, 6:30 - 7 p.m. (ET), AMC 3 / Transponder 21K
Sunday, Oct. 10, 6:30 - 7 p.m. (ET), AMC 3 / Transponder 21K
(12111 MHz, horizontal; Data Rate: 18.295441161 Mbp; Symbol Rate: 13.235 Ms; FEC: ¾; Bandwidth: 18 Mhz)
Video news release contains race action highlights each day and winners' interviews on Sunday.
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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