Tasca Misses the Tree Despite Strong Performance at 2025 NHRA Midwest Nationals

Tasca Racing left the 2025 NHRA Midwest Nationals with a mix of satisfaction and frustration after a weekend that showed both consistency and speed in the Motorcraft Quick Lane Nitro Mustang Dark Horse Funny Car, but ended on a hole shot loss in the quarterfinals. 

Qualifying: From Struggles to Strength 

The weekend began on a rocky note during Friday’s opening session (Q1), where Tasca overpowered the track and smoked the tires at 300 feet, coasting to a 4.348 ET at 209.49 mph. The team rebounded spectacularly in Q2 under the lights, laying down a 3.877 at 337.33 mph, one of the best runs of the night, to vault into the No. 4 qualifying position. 

On Saturday, Tasca and the team built on that momentum, running a pair of near-identical passes, 3.960 at 327.90 mph in Q3 and 3.964 at 326.08 mph in Q4. The consistency cemented their spot as the No. 4 qualifier heading into Sunday's eliminations and instilled confidence ahead of a first-round matchup against veteran Ron Capps. 

Eliminations: A Big Win, Then a Costly Mistake 

In round one, Tasca was sharp off the line with a 0.087 reaction time and blasted to a 3.933 ET at 329.67 mph to take down Capps. The victory highlighted the Mustang’s pace and the team’s ability to deliver under pressure. 

But in round two, Tasca’s day ended abruptly against Chad Green. Despite making the quicker pass of 3.966 and 328.62 mph, Tasca lost on a hole shot after Green’s 0.089 reaction time gave him the edge at the starting line, pairing with a 4.007 at 326.56 mph to secure the upset. 

“We had the car to win today, no question about it. The boys gave me a Mustang that could run with anybody out here, and I flat out missed the tree.” said Tasca.

Looking Ahead  

Despite the disappointment, the weekend underscored Tasca’s progress with a Funny Car that has now delivered multiple consistent performances across qualifying and eliminations.

As the Countdown to the Championship intensifies, the St. Louis outing showed that the Motorcraft Quick Lane Mustang can compete at the sharp end of the field. 

Tasca Racing now turns its focus to the Texas Fall Nationals in Dallas, the next stop on the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series tour, looking to carry forward the momentum of their consistent performance and strong qualifying efforts.