FordParts.com Returns as Primary Sponsor as Tasca Looks to Kick Off 2010 Countdown with Win at Indianapolis

DEARBORN, September 2, 2010: Earlier this summer, Bob Tasca III found on-track success when he switched to the blue and white colors of the online retailer FordParts.com and won the 41st Annual NHRA SuperNationals at Englishtown.

Now, heading into the biggest event of the season and the kickoff to the Countdown to 1 playoffs, Tasca and the FordParts.com team look to duplicate the success from Englishtown and apply it to Indianapolis.

“Indianapolis is already the biggest race of the year for NHRA, and it takes on a whole new meaning when it’s the first race of the Countdown,” said Tasca. “We want to come out of the box strong, get this Countdown started off right, and win.”

Success at Indianapolis is not new to Tasca. In 2006 and 2007, while piloting an Alcohol Funny Car, Tasca earned two runner-up finishes at the historical track.

“Indianapolis is such a prestigious race,” said Tasca. “I love racing at Indianapolis; it’s just a great atmosphere, a great place to race. There is so much history at Indianapolis and I’m looking to be a part of it. We made it to the finals before in the Alcohol Funny Car and I think we can take our FordParts.com all the way to the finals again this weekend.”

FordParts.com returns to Tasca’s racing machine this weekend as primary sponsor, replacing the familiar black-and-red of Motorcraft. Tasca first donned the blue and white paint scheme at Englishtown as part of the nationwide launch of the on-line website, and went on to earn his third career win.

“I’m really excited to keep pace, and I’m not a superstitious person, but I may become one if we win again,” said Tasca. “We tested in Chicago and debuted the FordParts.com car the following week in Englishtown and won. We tested last week in Indy and we’re bringing the FordParts.com Shelby Mustang back out. If we can get that same magic that rubbed off in Englishtown in Indianapolis, they may have to arm wrestle me to take the body back off my Mustang. It will be fun to have the blue and white car out and show it off in Indianapolis. Hopefully, it brings us the same success it did in Englishtown.”

As the 2010 season slowly draws to an end, Tasca analyzes each race on its own merit. He, along with crew chiefs Chris Cunningham and Marc Denner, know that every point matters going forward. Sitting just 70 points back from the leader as the playoffs begin, the FordParts.com team will review data from the season and continue to build on the strides they’ve made to date.

“You fight all year, and it really is a battle to get into the top 10 by the end of the regular season,” said Tasca. “You want to put yourself in a position to win, to be solidly in the top 10, which we were very fortunate to do, but now that’s over. Now we’re looking forward. The Countdown makes the final races a 10-car shootout for a championship, so we’re truly taking this one round at a time. You’ve got to look specifically at each round… each qualifying round, and each elimination round. We’re going into these final six races taking them one round at a time.”

Last week, Tasca tested at Indianapolis and posted the quickest ET of the two-day test session. Tasca’s best time of the test session was a 4.077 second run at 309.84 miles per hour. With the solid test session under their belt, Tasca and the team are confident in the Shelby Mustang this weekend.

“We’ve established a tremendous hot weather tune-up over the last couple years and we are refining the Ford BOSS 500 set-up,” said Tasca. “To have a race car coming off this test session where we ran low ET in optimal conditions, we are very confident heading into the Indianapolis weekend.”

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 Indianapolis. Fans can enter to win prizes and participate in the Motorcraft Holeshot Challenge and Quick Lane Challenge. A myriad of activities are planned for fans during the weekend, including Q & A and autograph appearances at the display by Ford Funny Car and Pro Stock drivers on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience Hours of Operation Friday, September 3: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday, September 4: 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. Sunday, September 5: 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Monday, September 6: 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Points 1. John Force, 2110; 2. Robert Hight, 2080; 3. Jack Beckman, 2070; 4. Matt Hagan, 2060; 5. Ron Capps, 2050; 6. Tim Wilkerson, 2040; 7. Bob Tasca III, 2030; 8. Ashley Force Hood, 2020; 9. Del Worsham, 2010; 10. Tony Pedregon, 2000