INDIANAPOLIS, Aug. 29, 2012– In the last six months, Bob Tasca III’s 2012 season has stacked up exactly like 2011 did for the fifth-year pro driver. At this time last year, Tasca was 10th in the NHRA Full Throttle Series point standings, ready to defend his playoff spot at the biggest race of the year – the U.S. Nationals at Indianapolis. He battled all the way to the finals and left with a runner-up finish and the number eight spot in points. This year? Tasca is 10th going into the biggest race of the year with just 11 points standing between him and No. 9 Jeff Arend. Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team have one focus going into the biggest NHRA race of the year – to move up in the NHRA Full Throttle Series and claim the spot in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs that comes with being in the top 10 when the race rigs leave Indianapolis. By the end of the year, Tasca will have made more than 1,000 career trips from the starting line to the finish line at NHRA drag strips across the country in his Funny Car. With every lap comes data and with data comes clarity. Before every run, Tasca warms the 8,000-horsepower engine, hitting the throttle once for the race crowd. Then he puts on his fire suit, socks and shoes – the left shoe before the right, the right glove before the left. By now, Tasca’s long since in the mindset he needs to race. Those small routines may seem insignificant, but it’s the minutiae that are important when points are on the line. “I do everything the same, from the getting dressed, to getting in the car, to getting seat belted in,” Tasca said. “I’ve done it the same way since I first started racing. Whether it’s running for the championship or making a test run, there’s really no difference to me. I always try to go at it that way because ultimately there’s nothing I can do differently. At the end of the day, the car is going to do what it’s set up to do and my job is to leave on time. The rest of it’s going to happen the way it’s all scripted.” Watch qualifying for the U.S. Nationals from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5-7 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 2, 2012 and eliminations from noon-6 p.m. ET on Monday, Sept. 3, 2012. For live updates, follow the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang team on Twitter (MQL_Racing) and Facebook (click on the “Twitter” icon). Follow driver Bob Tasca III on Twitter at @Tasca3 and Facebook. From: Lachelle Seymour
