Usually when an NHRA Top Fuel Funny Car team completely changes its engine program during a season, success is hard to achieve.

Driver Bob Tasca III and his Motorcaft/Quick Lane Ford team, however, didn’t let the overhaul sabotage their 2010 campaign. Tasca finished a career-best fifth in the season points chase, highlighted by his win at the NHRA Supernationals in Englishtown, N.J., in June.

“2010 was a roller-coaster for us in a lot of ways,” Tasca said. “We worked all winter of 2009 with a certain setup. Then, we worked real hard with that setup through testing and we opened up the 2010 season with that setup. Then, we made that big announcement (in March) with the ‘One Ford’ approach. We switched over to the Boss (500) engine platform. That was a pretty massive undertaking. You start a season out and I think we were four or five races into the (2010) season and we had done all this testing and when we ended the season, not a bolt was the same on the car as it was going into the season.”

The ‘One Ford’ approach focuses on all Ford sponsored teams having the  same availability to the Ford engineered technology and equipment, which will in turn make all Ford Mustang Funny Car teams more competitive.

Usually when an NHRA Top Fuel Funny Car team completely changes its engine program during a season, success is hard to achieve.

Driver Bob Tasca III and his Motorcaft/Quick Lane Ford team, however, didn’t let the overhaul sabotage their 2010 campaign. Tasca finished a career-best fifth in the season points chase, highlighted by his win at the NHRA Supernationals in Englishtown, N.J., in June.

“2010 was a roller-coaster for us in a lot of ways,” Tasca said. “We worked all winter of 2009 with a certain setup. Then, we worked real hard with that setup through testing and we opened up the 2010 season with that setup. Then, we made that big announcement (in March) with the ‘One Ford’ approach. We switched over to the Boss (500) engine platform. That was a pretty massive undertaking. You start a season out and I think we were four or five races into the (2010) season and we had done all this testing and when we ended the season, not a bolt was the same on the car as it was going into the season.”

The ‘One Ford’ approach focuses on all Ford sponsored teams having the  same availability to the Ford engineered technology and equipment, which will in turn make all Ford Mustang Funny Car teams more competitive.

“There’s a real small margin of error and success for these (Funny) cars, so to make that kind of change and have the season we did, hat’s off to (crew chief) Chris Cunningham and (co-crew chief) Marc (Denner) and the guys for being able to make a pretty seamless transition,” Tasca said.

Although Tasca won just one event last season, at Englishtown, he believes that number could have been a lot higher.

“Truthfully, there were at least four of five races (in 2010) we could have just as easy left with a trophy,” Tasca said. “We had some semifinal losses that were absolutely heartbreaking.”

Tasca ended last season in the headlines, thanks to beating points leader Matt Hagan in the opening round of the NHRA Finals at Pomona. Tasca’s win, coupled with John Force’s first and second-round victories over Gary Densham and Bob Bode, powered Force to his 15th world championship.

Tasca qualified No. 13 in Pomona, while Hagan was No. 4 on the ladder.

“The bottom line is we were going to Pomona to win the race,” Tasca said. “Whether we were running Matt Hagan or running John Force, we were going to Pomona to win the race. Obviously, destiny played its hand and we ended up running Hagan in the first round. I never would have bet that. We typically qualify in the top half or top five and he usually qualifies in the top half or top five. I guess the racing Gods just wanted it to be that Hagan and I raced in the first round. Clearly, I was thrilled to have been able to give John an opportunity, but I didn’t win him a championship. Everybody keeps congratulating me, and they should be congratulating him and his team. They had to win the rounds.”

Tasca was especially happy with how his team came through in the clutch.

“Yeah, we were thrilled that we had an opportunity to help a fellow teammate. Who wouldn’t be?,” Tasca said. “In my opinion, it was a defining moment for our team because we ran like (expletive) on Friday and Saturday and we ran the points leader (Hagan) Sunday morning. Yeah, we better step up because at the end of the day we wanted to win the race. I was thrilled with how our team responded with the pressure and being in the spotlight. I was upset I didn’t win the race, but I was thrilled that I played a role (for John) and at the end of the day I was very happy to see Ford Motor Company and John Force Racing take that championship.”

The dramatic win by Tasca garnered even more attention considering what happened between he and Hagan at the starting line.

“The only game played was that he didn’t want to stage his Hot Rod,” Tasca said about Hagan. “At the end of the day, everyone saw the drama unfold and it was what it was. He went in (and staged) and I went in. People thought games were played at the starting line and there really wasn’t. As a driver, Matt had a decision to make to roll in and I had a decision to make to roll in. Then, NHRA gives you seven seconds between the pre-stage and stage, and at the end of the day we both rolled in. I do not feel there were any games played. Matt had every right not to put the top bulb on and I had every right not to put the top bulb on. He ended up rolling in and I rolled in behind him. A few people misconstrued my statement where I said I was committed to burn it to the ground. I was not committed to burn him (Hagan) to the ground, but if he wasn’t putting the top bulb on, I wasn’t putting my top bulb on. So, there were no games played, not by me, not by Matt. I was not putting the top bulb on, period. We would have
both sat there and emptied the tanks. At the end of the day, he had everything to lose not me. It was his race to win, period. So, I just wanted him to set the pace and he did and I went in behind him.”

Tasca also doesn’t view Hagan any differently based on what transpired at the final race.

“I love racing Matt and I think the absolute the world of his team,” Tasca said. “What his team did last year is just a testament to Tommy DeLago and Matt Hagan as a driver.”

Tasca, who made it to the semifinals eight times last season, is extremely upbeat about 2011.

“I think (in 2011) we have put ourselves in the best position of my career to win a championship,” Tasca said. “We have a race car we are starting the (2011) season out with, that we ended the 2010 season with. The parts and the heads and the blowers are the same. In my three years of racing (Top Fuel Funny Car), we have not started a year out with the same parts I ended the year with. So, we’re really looking forward to our off-season testing.”

Tasca says his team is going to test at Palm Beach International Raceway’s inaugural Pro Winter Warm-up Feb. 4-5.

“We’re actually going to test in Palm Beach from Jan. 31 to Feb. 5, and then we are going to test in Las Vegas Feb. 16-20,” Tasca said. “We’re going to be collecting data (at these tests) in these optimal conditions where we really need to up our game on. We made some great progress in 2010 and I think we will make some great progress here in the offseason. I can’t wait to get in the car. I wish we were going to Palm Beach today.”

The NHRA season opens Feb. 24-27 at the Winternationals in Pomona, Calif.

“I break the season down into three parts,” Tasca said. “You have the first four races, you have everything else in between and then you have the last four races. To me, the first four are typically utopian conditions, and then in the summer months you just basically have to keep yourself alive in the championship hunt. Then, you want to win the championship at the last four races of the year. At those (four) races, your Hot Rod better step up when the conditions are there.”

 

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