Tasca Starts Fast, Ends Early at NHRA New England Nationals
EPPING, N.H. — June 1, 2025 | For Bob Tasca III and the Tasca Racing team, the 2025 NHRA New England Nationals delivered both a home track high and a hard-hitting reminder of how quickly momentum can shift in drag racing.
Driving the PPG Nitro Mustang Dark Horse Funny Car, Tasca opened the weekend at New England Dragway with one of the strongest runs of the event, a 3.891-second pass at 335.4 mph in Friday’s first qualifying session. The run briefly placed Tasca atop the field as the provisional No. 1 qualifier.
“That run was a good way to start,” Tasca said following Q1. “Just off the track record, but the truth is it doesn’t matter. This team must show more consistency… If we can do it, we can win this race.”
However, the consistency Tasca hoped for proved elusive as the weekend wore on.
A Shaky Finish to Qualifying
Later Friday in Q2, Tasca shook the tires and slowed to an 8.538-second run at just over 74 mph. The misstep dropped him to the No. 2 spot heading into Saturday.
“Well, that’s not how we want to end the day,” Tasca said. “We under-called the track. The car didn’t have enough wheel speed early.”
Saturday’s qualifying sessions continued the rollercoaster. In Q3, the Mustang launched hard but lifted the front end aggressively, forcing Tasca to abort the run and post a 7.651 at 81.83 mph.
“Had the front end way off the ground,” he said. “We’ve got to make the adjustment for this next round.”
Tasca and the team made good on that adjustment in Q4. Despite dropping a cylinder mid-run, he delivered a 3.898-second pass at 322.11 mph, maintaining the No. 2 qualifying position.
“Not too bad for a seven-cylinder race car,” Tasca said. “Tough to keep those cylinders lit with this much moisture in the air.”
Early Exit on Race Day
Heading into Sunday’s eliminations, Tasca was confident in the team’s setup and potential. But any hopes of a deep run at his home track were dashed in Round 1. Facing Phil Burkart, Tasca lost traction just past 60 feet and smoked the tires, coasting to a 7.569 at 94.02 mph and a first-round loss.
“Too much,” Tasca said. “Lost traction around 60 feet.”
Eyes on Bristol
Despite the early exit, the team leaves New England with key positives—most notably, top-tier speed and valuable data from their No. 2 qualifying effort.
“We’ve set speed records. We’ve been 340 mph,” Tasca said Friday. “But we have got to go down the racetrack consistently.”
The Tasca Racing crew will look to bounce back quickly as the NHRA tour rolls on to Bristol Dragway in Bristol, Tennessee, for next weekend’s NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals. With the car showing serious horsepower and the crew focused on consistency, Tasca will arrive in Tennessee ready to contend.
