TASCA DETONATES FUNNY CAR BODY

By Susan Wade; Photo by Mike Burghardt    Sun, 2019-08-04 12:44

 

Bob Tasca III’s Motorcraft /Quick Lane Ford Mustang team had a mad thrash before the final qualifying session Saturday at the Magic Dry Northwest Nationals in Seattle, courtesy of a sizeable engine blast toward the end of his third overall run. Tasca was unhurt, but his carbon-fiber body didn’t fare as well. It was destroyed as it exploded and piled up behind the cockpit at grotesque angles.

But Tasca took it in stride and even used a little humor immediately afterward.

“We want to put on a show for these fans, give them a little excitement,” Tasca teased.

“Last night we did it by going quicker and faster than anyone out here. But today . . . unfortunately, that’s nitro racing,” he said.

“We’ve got plenty of Mustang bodies back in the trailer. I’m fine,” he said. “It was just difficult to see. You don’t ever want to go in the other lane and affect that other driver. Fortunately, we got to a stop. Everything did what it was supposed to do.

“So the boys back in that Motorcraft camp . . . we have plenty of parts and pieces. We’ll have a car ready to go here shortly,” Tasca said.  

They did.

And after retaining his No. 1 qualifying position from Friday, Tasca said his pit between the third and fourth sessions “was madness. We had to switch engine. We had to roll up on the chassis. We had to switch bodies. We had to assess what failed.

“Clearly, it’s not what you to have to do in the middle of a race, rebuild the whole car,” Tasca said, “but these guys are battle-tested.”

After the debris from that was cleared from the racing surface, the West Coast Grudge care ran a few pairs, then officials discovered a problem with the Christmas Tree electronic starting device. So action was delayed further.

Tasca said his car was on a strong run until it smoked the tires “and immediately blew up. A firewall came up in front of my face. I’ve never not been able to see in one of these cars. I looked out the side window. That’s what they make them for, right? I needed to find a reference point. When you’re disoriented at that speed, you can get in trouble real quick.” He said once he looked out the side window and saw the wall and realized he still was in his own lane, he was relieved.

 

 
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