This Week in Ford Racing: Bob Tasca III

Englishtown, N.J. — Bob Tasca III returns to the track of his first alcohol Top Funny Car win, Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, N.J.

The New England track is a four hour drive from Tasca’s home and Ford dealership in Cranston, R.I. Tasca talks about racing at his home track and his sophomore season in as a Funny Car driver in NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing.

BOB TASCA III – MOTORCRAFT/QUICK LANE SHELBY MUSTANGWHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO RACE IN ENGLISHTOWN?“The history at Englishtown is almost unparalleled. It’s my home track. There are so many fans from Rhode Island and neighboring areas that come down and watch us race.

"It’s pretty historic for me only because it’s a track that my grandfather performed very well at and had countless match races over the years. There are magic moments in everyone’s life and for me, one of the greatest magic moments was Englishtown when I won that first national event in my alcohol funny car and my entire family was there. I really think it played a big role in me getting my top fuel sponsorship with Motorcraft and Quick Lane. The Ford executives were there, they saw the crowds, the passion and then they saw us win. It’s a place where if we raced 24 times there, it wouldn’t bother me a bit. I’m looking to get a win in the top fuel car in front of the home crowd and the Motorcraft Racing Experience will be there. In case you didn’t know, I’m real excited about Englishtown.”

HOW DOES THIS YEAR COMPARE TO YOUR FIRST YEAR IN THE NITRO FUNNY CAR?“I’m real glad that this isn’t my freshman season. I look back and say, ‘Yeah, that was a great time but I would never want to learn how to drive a funny car again.’ I’m far from an expert because there is so much that you have to take in and prepare yourself for in that first year and it’s a challenging time. I still have a lot to learn and I wouldn’t consider myself a professional, but there an increased confidence level in knowing the unknown. Last year, I didn’t know the unknown. You hit the gas and you hope that you’ll react. This year, I have confidence in my ability as a driver. Our team has proven that we can win, so a lot of that stuff is behind us. In my sophomore season, I’m more eager and I look forward to driving the car more than I ever have because you really start the process and learn more. It’s almost like a sponge. The first 50 runs in the car, I don’t even remember the finish line. That’s how overwhelming it is.

To read the full interview please visit: http://www.fordracing.com/news/detail/?article=36472