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Round Win And Top Speed Highlight: A Gritty 2025 NHRA US Nationals Weekend for Tasca

The 2025 NHRA U.S. Nationals once again tested every driver and crew in the Funny Car field, and Bob Tasca III and his Ford Performance Nitro Mustang Dark Horse showed they have what it takes to compete at the highest level. It was a weekend of perseverance, steady adjustments, and standout performance capped by a round-one win and the top speed of the entire Funny Car field at 337.24 mph.


Ford Performance Nitro Mustang Dark Horse taking off from the starting line at an NHRA drag race

Friday qualifying started strong with a clean 3.935 at just under 300 mph to secure the ninth spot. Saturday brought challenges. The Mustang smoked the tires early in Q2 and overpowered the track in Q3, sending crew chiefs Todd Okuhara and Arron Brooks deep into the data logs in search of answers. 


Sunday showed the payoff. Q4 delivered what Tasca described as “the smoothest run of the season,” a 3.972-second pass at 327.43 mph that had the pits buzzing. The team backed it up with a consistent Q5, laying down a 3.961 at 327.74 mph to lock in the No. 10 qualifying position heading into eliminations.  


On Labor Day, Tasca delivered one of the most impressive runs of the weekend. With a sharp .076 light, the Ford Performance Mustang stormed to a 3.868 ET at 337.24 mph, earning the quickest ET of the round and the highest weekend speed of the entire Funny Car class. The run put J.R. Todd on the trailer and brought a surge of momentum to the Tasca camp. 


“That pass was absolutely smooth,” Tasca said. “We have been working on this setup all year, and to come to Indy and put up numbers like that shows this Ford Mustang Dark Horse funny car is ready to play.” 


The second-round matchup against Austin Prock was short-lived when the car smoked the tires almost immediately, coasting to an 8.10-second run while Prock advanced with a clean 3.89. 


While the weekend ended sooner than hoped, the performance gains were undeniable. The car is making speed, the data is improving, and the team’s confidence heading into the NHRA Countdown is higher than ever. 


“This team has been grinding all season,” Tasca said. “We are going to take what we learned here and make a real push as we head into the Countdown.”  


The U.S. Nationals proved that Tasca Racing’s Ford Performance Nitro Mustang Dark Horse is a legitimate threat in the back half of the season. With speed and consistency building at the right time, expect Tasca and his crew to be in the thick of the fight as the NHRA Countdown to the Championship begins. 

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