#3 Bob Tasca III

Bob Tasca III began racing at age 16. He is carrying on his family’s racing tradition as the driver of the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang Nitro Funny Car in the National Hot Rod Association. Bob’s grandfather (Bob Sr.) helped launch Ford’s successful return to professional drag racing in the 1960s when he created the first Cobra Jet.

Tasca made his NHRA Top Alcohol Funny Car debut in 2008, winning a pair of national events. Upon his rise to the Nitro Funny Car circuit in 2009, he racked up his first two “Wallys” in Gainesville and Reading. Tasca collected wins in 2010 (Englishtown) and 2012 (Dallas). His next triumphs occurred in 2019, when he won back-to-back races in Bristol and Norwalk.

The 2021 and 2022 seasons were the two best years of Tasca’s career. Each season featured a career-high three victories. Tasca’s triumph at the 2021 NHRA Finals in Pomona was especially impactful as it vaulted him from seventh place to third place on the last day of the season. In 2022, Tasca finished the year in fourth place, marking the fourth straight season he ranked among the top five in Nitro Funny Car.

Off the track, Tasca is the Vice President of Tasca Automotive Group, which is based in Cranston, Rhode Island.

Tasca has amplified his impact – beyond his role as the Vice President of Tasca Automotive Group, team owner and driver in motorsport – by extending his support off the racetrack to the automotive industry’s future. Tasca works alongside Ford to attract and retain automotive technicians. During the school year, he speaks to thousands of students who take part in the NHRA’s YES (Youth and Education Services) programs. He also participates in race-day hospitality programs for current Ford technicians.

• Career NHRA Funny Car Wins: 11 (FC: 9, TAFC: 2)
• Career NHRA Final Rounds: 29 (FC: 21, TAFC: 8)
• Career Best E.T. (1,000-foot): 3.851
• Career Best Speed: 335.32 mph

DID YOU KNOW?
In 2013, Tasca was the first Ford driver to ever make a three-second run with a 3.988 pass, forging a new top speed of 316.97. He has since eclipsed those marks with a 3.851 E.T. and 335.32 mph.

On June 26, 2021, Tasca set an electric-vehicle drag racing record, piloting the Mustang Cobra Jet 1400 to a run of 8.12 at 171.97 mph during an exhibition pass in Norwalk.

 

Recorded the fastest recorded time by Mustang at 1,000-feet at the dragstrip (3.836 seconds; Charlotte 2). The former record was set in 2017 by Tim Wilkerson (3.844 seconds).