After a tentative return to major NHRA drag racing during the 2019 season with Tasca Racing that resulted in two Funny Car victories in four final rounds and a fifth place finish in the 10-driver Countdown to the Championship, Ford Performance and Ford Customer Service Division brands Motorcraft and Quick Lane are extending their relationship with the Ford Shelby Mustang team and driver Bob Tasca III.
“It was my commitment to all of the fans and supporters of Ford that wanted to bring the Blue Oval back to professional drag racing, to deliver a championship program,” Tasca said. “I’ve never been prouder of my team and the effort that was put in to deliver on the commitment that we would win and compete for the championship.
“We took the championship fight right down to Pomona this year,” Tasca continued. “To be starting 2020 with a contract extension from Ford, with [crew chiefs] Jon Schaffer and Mike Neff leading an extremely talented crew, I’ve never been more excited to start a season.” Schaffer joined Tasca Racing at mid-season and Neff, who initially worked with Don Schumacher Racing at the start of the 24-race campaign, was named co-crew chief later in the year.
“We’re very excited about the competitive progress the NHRA program showed in the first year with the new Mustang body,” said Ford Performance Motorsports global director Mark Rushbrook. ”Our goal is always to be championship-capable, and Tasca Racing was in the hunt for the title until the final race this year. We’re supportive of the new co-crew chief relationships with the team, and are confident the technical collaboration between Ford Performance and the Tasca team will lead to an even better 2020 season.”
The new Ford Mustang body, designed by Ford Performance, allowed Tasca to re-set both ends of his career bests in the competitive class, with a speed of 3.855 seconds set at St. Louis and a 335.32-mph burst on the 1,000-foot track at Reading, both Countdown races contested with Schaffer and Neff onboard.
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