Tasca and Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Look for Win in the Windy City
Bob Tasca III Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center Ford Shelby Mustang Nitro Funny Car class NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series 13th United Association NHRA Route 66 Nationals Route 66 Raceway – Joliet, Illinois June 4 - 6, 2010 Race 10 of 23 TASCA AND MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE RACING TEAM LOOK FOR A WIN IN THE WINDY CITY DEARBORN, MI – June 2, 2010 – After having the holiday weekend off, Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team are eager to get back to the race track for this weekend’s 13th Annual United Association NHRA Route 66 Nationals in Joliet, Ill. The team is ready to start the June stretch of races with a win in the Windy City. “I’ve done very well at Joliet in my Top Alcohol car and we had a good effort there last year,” said Tasca. “We’re due for a win. Going into these events we’ve made changes in order to put our team in a position to win. It’s only a matter of time before we get our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang in the winner’s circle.” After a disappointing 13th qualifying position in Topeka, Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team look to put themselves in better position heading into Eliminations. “Going to Joliet this weekend, our sights are set on getting qualified in the top five,” said Tasca. “That’s our goal going into every single race. You always shoot for the pole and hope to land somewhere in the top five to get lane choice. There are no easy rounds in NHRA racing, but starting in the top half of the field is where you want to be.” During the Four-Wide Nationals in Charlotte, Ford Motor Company announced the ‘One Ford’ strategy among the Ford Racing Funny Car teams. Since then, Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing crew have been working hard changing over to the Ford BOSS 500 engine program. In Chicago, they will complete that transition. “On Monday, we’re going to test the last elements of the Ford BOSS 500 platform to complete our transition, “said Tasca. “We’re about 90 percent there, a few more components to go on the car and we’ll be 100 percent converted over coming out of the Chicago race.” Quick Lane Racing Experience The Quick Lane Racing Experience interactive consumer display returns to Nitro Alley in Joliet. Fans can enter to win prizes and participate in the Quick Lane Challenge. A myriad of activities are planned for fans during the weekend, including Q & A and autograph appearances by Funny Car drivers on Friday and Saturday. Quick Lane Racing Experience Hours of Operation Friday, June 4: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday, June 5: 8:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday, June 6: 8:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Points 1. John Force, 728; 2. Robert Hight, 679; 3. Ron Capps, 592; 4. Ashley Force Hood, 591; 5. Jack Beckman, 575; 6. Matt Hagan, 530; 7. Bob Tasca III, 506; 8. Tony Pedregon, 491; 9. Tim Wilkerson, 479; 10. Del Worsham, 467. Chicago Race Notes -During last year’s Chicago race, Tasca qualified seventh and lost to Ashley Force Hood in the second round. -Tasca is currently seventh in the point standings heading into the 10th race of the 2010 NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series. Tasca Funny Car Achievements - 2010 - Five top-eight qualifiers (Pomona - 4th, Gainesville - 7th, Las Vegas - 8th, St. Louis - 7th, and Atlanta - 4th) - Three semi-final appearances (Pomona, St. Louis and Atlanta) - One runner-up finish (Gainesville) - 2010 round record: 10 wins and 9 losses - Tasca is seventh in series points, 222 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: 44 wins and 53 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 Chicago area. Television Saturday, June 5, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise two hours of qualifying highlights at 11 p.m. (ET). Sunday, June 6, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day, at 10 a.m. (ET). Sunday, June 6, ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise final eliminations at 4 p.m. (ET). Satellite (Analog feed) Friday, June 4, 8:30 - 9 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 5K (11800 MHz, vertical) Saturday, June 5, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 5K (11800 MHz, vertical) Sunday, June 6, 7:30 - 8 p.m. (ET), AMC 9 / Transponder 5K (11800 MHz, vertical) 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, connecting 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 all 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 176,000 employees and about 80 plants worldwide, the company’s brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and, until its sale, Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com. # # # # MEDIA CONTACT: Susan Pollack Motorcraft/Quick Lane Tire & Auto Center 313.203.7162 | 313.434.6912 spollack@pcgcampbell.com www.twitter.com/MQL_Racing www.facebook.com/MQLRacing