Tasca wins AAA Texas NHRA in dramatic fnal-round with Hagan

DALLAS – Bob Tasca III earned every bit of his fourth career win in a dramatic final-round pedalfest with fellow playoff spoiler Matt Hagan at the AAA Texas NHRA Fall Nationals at Texas Motorplex.

Tasca turned on the win light with a 4.826-second lap at 197.59 mph in the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Shelby Mustang to Hagan’s 5.025 at 188.15 after defeating Alexis DeJoria, Ford teammate Courtney Force and Cruz Pedregon in the early rounds.

“To put Motorcraft and Ford in the winner’s circle where they belong, I tell you, it’s long overdue for our team,” said Tasca, who wore the track’s signature cowboy hat trophy to the media center.

Bob Tasca III

Photo by: Michael C. Johnson

It was Tasca’s fourth career NHRA Full Throttle Series Funny Car win and his first since Englishtown 2010.

Both he and Hagan, the defending Series champion, narrowly missed the cut for the sport’s Countdown to the Championship playoffs and are happy to play spoiler.

“I think we’re more determined now than ever before,” Tasca said. “Not making the top 10 was a lot of heartache for the guys on this team. I said to my team, this will be a defining six races, because I want to see what we’re all made of. Me included.

Are we going to roll over and just play dead these next six races, or are we going to come out with some fire in us and take this thing to Pomona, and let everyone know we may not be in this year, but watch out next year? I think this weekend was a defining weekend for our team.

“I took Hagan back to his pit twice today on my scooter, and I said Matt, it really sucks that we’re not in the Countdown, but let’s make it miserable for everybody. He and I are going to go out there and run as hard as we can run.”

Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team vaulted up to ninth with a 4.187-second run at 300.06 mph they ran in the last qualifying session of the weekend after going into the last round at p13.

“You just have to put yourself in a position to win,” Tasca said. “I just kept telling my guys, don’t keep your heads down. Hold your heads high. We have all the best parts in the world. We want for nothing – it’s just a matter of turning those knobs and giving yourself a shot and getting some luck.

I think a lot of people may not admit it, but luck plays a much bigger role in this sport than anyone cares to say, but it’s putting yourselves in the position to take advantage of that luck when it comes your way. We had some big wins today.”

Source: Bob Tasca III