Tasca Racing battled challenging track conditions and fierce competition this weekend at the NHRA Northwest Nationals at Pacific Raceways, ultimately exiting in the first round of eliminations on Sunday.
Qualifying threw plenty of curveballs, starting with a single Friday session where cold conditions saw nearly every Funny Car struggle. Bob Tasca III overpowered the track early, posting a 6.912 at 91.85 mph, but good enough for fifth in qualifying.
Saturday brought three shots to improve. Q2 saw the Ford Performance Mustang rip off a strong 3.948 at 314.39 mph, moving the team to fourth. The run for Q3 was smooth early but lost traction late, coasting to a 4.100. Q4 delivered a similar result at 4.113, but several nitro funny car teams stepped up in Q4, as Tasca Racing slipped to seventh overall.
That set up a Round 1 matchup on Sunday against veteran Jack Beckman and John Force Racing. Tasca left strong, but once again lost traction around half-track, clocking a 4.127 at 236.09 mph. Beckman advanced with a blistering 3.839 at 335.15 mph, ending Tasca’s weekend earlier than hoped.
“Disappointing run,” Bob Tasca III said in a post-round interview. “Blew the tires off at halftrack, again. Nothing more to say. It’s frustrating.”
Tasca Racing will look to regroup quickly as the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series heads south to Sonoma Raceway for the next stop on the Western Swing.
