Bob Tasca III Mixes Perfect Blend of Speed and Strategy in Sonoma
Sonoma is an idyllic place, home to picturesque wineries, rolling hills, and crisp California air – and, this weekend, home to the deafening roar of the DENSO Sonoma NHRA Nationals. Bob Tasca III is no stranger to Sonoma – and no stranger to the Sonoma Raceway winner’s circle. He and his Motorcraft Quick Lane Ford Mustang Funny Car found their way there again this weekend, further confirming the Tasca Racing team has honed in on the setup needed as NHRA enters the last eight races of the 2024 season, and, more critically, the Countdown to the Championship.
The final round Sunday afternoon saw yet another marquee matchup between Tasca and Ron Capps, the same pair that faced off two races ago when Tasca clinched his second Wally of the season in Norwalk, OH. However, all eyes were on Tasca and the blisteringly-fast Ford Mustang much earlier in the weekend.
Friday, with a stage set at 60 degrees Fahrenheit paired with a track temperature of 85 – pieces of an ideal mixture for eye-popping runs – Tasca and the Motorcraft Funny Car hit the second round of qualifying with a 3.839 at 338.43 mph. While Matt Hagan matched the ET, the speed kept Tasca in the number one spot for the rest of qualifying. His fourth and final qualifier in warmer conditions was a fastest-of-the-round 3.868 at 337.66 mph. “Smooth as glass,” Tasca said. “That last run was exactly what we needed.”
What does Tasca mean by ‘needed?’ “We’re one and a half years into our book. We’re at a significant disadvantage – we are the underdog.” The book refers to the packages developed by Aaron Brooks and Todd Okuhara, Tasca’s crew chiefs, on the fastest car in the world. While other teams, including and namely the Nitro elite John Force Racing, have hundreds and thousands of runs of data, Tasca Racing has little to none. This reality played out in the first half of the season, where although the Tasca Ford Mustang Funny Car was often the fastest, it was just as often the hardest to tame.
Taming the beast has come easier as of late. On race day, he stretched Friday’s top speed to 338.77 mph against Buddy Hull in the first round. He faced Paul Lee second round, making it to the stripe with a 3.912 at 335.82 mph. Familiar competitor and current points leader Austin Prock lined up against Tasca in the semi-finals. While Prock and the John Force Racing team found their stride later in the weekend, Tasca’s .022 reaction time paired with his 3.931 secured a holeshot victory and ride to the finals, a .0014-second margin of victory over Prock’s faster 3.901 ET.
Driving is important to Tasca, he acknowledges. “When you have a great car, as a driver you want to live up to the expectation – for your team. The sacrifice that they put in and the effort they put in, you just don’t want to let them down. A great car makes you better, and a great team chemistry…I’ve never had the chemistry I have now.”
Tasca maintained that mentality in the final round against Capps. While both struck the tires, Tasca held on and made it to the winner’s circle. The victory marks his second at Sonoma, third of the 2024 season, and 18th of his career.
“On behalf of the entire Motorcraft team, we want to congratulate Bob’s Sonoma Nationals victory, “ said Fletch Carter, Ford Customer Service Division, U.S. Sales Manager. “Bob is a fantastic ambassador everywhere from the track to the dealerships and Ford and Motorcraft are so proud to have him as part of the family – and to be there in the winner’s circle with him in the Motorcraft Quick Lane red and white.”
Tasca goes beyond his roles as Vice President of Tasca Automotive Group, team owner, and driver by partnering with Ford to recruit and retain automotive technicians. During the school year, he engages with students involved in the NHRA’s YES (Youth and Education Services) programs, inspiring the next generation of automotive professionals. Additionally, he takes part in race-day hospitality programs to connect with current Ford technicians, fostering a strong relationship between the brand and its technical workforce.
Tasca may have captured the number one qualifier and victory, but the real prize he and his team – and the drag racing community at large – were looking for eluded them yet again. “I’ve never been so disappointed to run 338 in my life,” Tasca said. “We really wanted to give the fans a 340-mph run.” Friday in Sonoma saw 15-knot headwinds that took the needed edge off the Tasca Funny Car’s monster pass, just barely enough to keep the speed record (currently held by Robert Hight’s 339.87 mph) away for another weekend.
There will be plenty of opportunities for the perfect setup and the perfect conditions for the perfect record run. Now, the NHRA season has two weeks off – but while many will enjoy the break, Tasca will return to what he and his family have done for generations: “I will be getting off the airplane Monday to go sell some Fords.”
After all, it is “Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.”
This story was originally published on July 30, 2024.
The post Bob Tasca III Mixes Perfect Blend of Speed and Strategy in Sonoma first appeared on Drag Illustrated.
