DEARBORN, MI – April 27, 2010 – Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team are looking to show the competition that they are the BOSS – this week with the BOSS 500 powered all-Ford Shelby Mustang.
Tasca looks to improve on his first-round loss slump and bring home the team’s first win of the 2010 season as the NHRA Full Throttle Series heads to Gateway International Raceway outside of St. Louis.
“Our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team has had enough of going out in the first round,” said Tasca. “We’ve certainly have been through a transitional phase since our final round appearance in Gainesville. Our goal this weekend is to qualify in the top five Friday and Saturday. We know the next win is just around the corner for our Motorcraft/Quick Lane/Ford Parts.com Shelby Mustang team.”
Despite the minor setbacks in transitioning to the BOSS 500 engine platform, Tasca and the team are confident with their Shelby Mustang, especially after the strong runs in Las Vegas and Houston.
“We’ve got a great team and the best parts that you can have in a race car with this Ford BOSS platform,” said Tasca. “As a driver, I have all the confidence in the world in my team and crew chiefs. I’m very confident about racing in St. Louis.”
Tasca and the team used one of their four NHRA test sessions following the Las Vegas race. Bound and determined to not be a first-round causality, the session allowed the team to test the limits of their Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang and obtain some critical data that will be instrumental in the coming weeks.
“The Las Vegas test was probably the most successful test session we ever had,” said Tasca. “We tried some new things and really pushed the envelope in some areas. Coming off the strong test session, we have a lot of confidence in the tune-up heading into St. Louis. It will only be a matter of time before we start stringing some rounds wins together.”
In addition to testing last week, Tasca participated in Ford’s annual Bring Your Child to Work Day in Dearborn, Mich. Tasca met with hundreds of young race fans, signed autographs and conducted a brief seminar on drag racing. More than 100 eager eyes watched and listened to Tasca talk about his Shelby Mustang, hoping to be a Funny Car racer one day.
“The children had some really great questions about drag racing and how I became a race car driver,” said Tasca. “This one boy in the front row asked me when I was going to win my next race. I laughed a little and said, ‘Hopefully, my next win will be this weekend in St. Louis.’”
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 25 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, 553; 2. Matt Hagan, 433; 3. Ashley Force Hood, 395; 4. Ron Capps, 379; 5. Tony Pedregon, 374; 6. Jack Beckman, 366; 7. Tim Wilkerson, 335; 8. Del Worsham, 321; 9. Robert Hight, 315; 10. Bob Tasca III, 304.
Madison Race Notes
- In two previous appearances at Madison, Tasca has one round win and two round losses.
- During last spring’s Madison race, Tasca lost to Cruz Pedregon in the second round.
Tasca Funny Car Achievements - 2010
- Two top-eight qualifiers (fourth in Pomona and seventh in Gainesville)
- Two semi-final appearances (Pomona and Gainesville)
- One runner-up finish (Gainesville)
- 2010 Round record: 5 wins and 6 losses
- Tasca is 10th in series points, 249 points behind the leader
Tasca Funny Car Achievements - Career
- First round win: Defeated Melanie Troxel, February 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)
- Career wins: Two in 2009 – Gatornationals in Gainesville, FL and Toyo Tires Nationals in Reading, PA
- Finished eighth in series points in 2009
- Career round record: 39 wins and 50 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 the one of the Quick Lanes in the greater St. Louis area.
Television
Saturday, May 1, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 9 p.m. (ET).
Sunday, May 2, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day, at 10 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, May 2, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise final eliminations at 7 p.m. (ET).
Satellite (Analog feed)
Friday, April 30, 8 - 8:30 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 18K (12060 MHz, vertical)
Saturday, May 1, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 18K (12060 MHz, vertical)
Sunday, May 2, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 18K (12060 MHz, vertical)
