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Tasca Looks For Countdown In Concord; Home Track Of Tasca Racing


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DEARBORN, September 15, 2010: Bob Tasca III and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team have, for some time, circled the third week of September on the calendar, marking their return to the team’s home race track.

Tasca Racing, located just minutes from zMAX Dragway, is the headquarters of the third year Funny Car team. Each member of Tasca Racing calls the Charlotte area home. This weekend, Tasca and the entire team look forward to racing at one of the premier tracks on the NHRA schedule.

“For my team, Charlotte is our home track,” said Tasca. “There will be a lot of friends and family from the team in the area that come out to the race this weekend and we want to do well. We’ve made it past the first round in both fall races. Charlotte is a premier facility, it’s in our backyard and it’s the second race in the Countdown. This is a very important race for the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team to perform well at and win.”

Immediately following the spring race at zMAX Dragway, Tasca and the team transitioned to the Ford BOSS 500 engine platform. Tasca looks to use that engine package and change his luck at zMAX. Tasca has a 1-3 round record at zMAX but with the combination of more experience and the Ford BOSS 500 engine, Tasca is confident his performance and Charlotte stats will change this weekend. Tasca even has some momentum on his side going into qualifying -- he has an average qualifying position of seventh during the 2010 season.

“We believe we have the powertrain in our Shelby Mustang right now that has won 14-plus championships and counting,” said Tasca. “We really believe in this Ford set-up. That being said, however, we’re going back to a very different Charlotte. During the spring race the weather was cooler and ETs were quicker. We have enough data to prepare for these hot conditions, but it will be a different Charlotte race surface versus the Charlotte we left. Our confidence level is a whole world ahead of where we were in March, with just making the transition over to the Ford BOSS 500 engine. We have our sights set on winning the race this weekend.”

Tasca remained in the seventh position after the Countdown kick-off race in Indianapolis. To stay focused during the Countdown to 1, Tasca and the team prepare for each run down the track with the same meticulousness as every other run. The team is taking this playoff season one run at a time, knowing that the fine details and consistent performance will yield round and race wins.

“You have 10 Funny Cars that could win the championship,” said Tasca. “There are 16 Funny Cars that can roll into any race at any time and win a race. It’s a very competitive class. It’s a very exciting class, both as a fan and a driver. In order to maximize your chances to win the 2010 Championship, I think you have to win two out of the five final races. To win, we’re focused on minimizing our first round losses and maximizing our time in the semifinals and finals. If we reach the semifinals, finals and win races, we will be in the thick of the championship hunt going into Las Vegas and Pomona.”

NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series Points 1. John Force, 2206; 2. Jack Beckman, 2146; 3. Matt Hagan, 2145; 4. Ashley Force Hood, 2137; 5. Robert Hight, 2125; 6. Ron Capps, 2091; 7. Bob Tasca III, 2083; 8. Tim Wilkerson, 2072; 9. Del Worsham, 2043; 10. Tony Pedregon, 2031

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Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience The Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience interactive consumer display returns to Nitro Alley in Concord. Fans can enter to win prizes and participate in the Motorcraft Holeshot Challenge. A myriad of activities are planned for fans during the weekend, including Q & A and autograph appearances at the display by Bob Tasca III on Friday and Saturday.

Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience Hours of Operation Friday, September 17: 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. Saturday, September 18: 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. Sunday, September 19: 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.