Strong Start, Early Fall for Tasca Racing at NHRA New England Nationals

Bob Tasca III and the Tasca Racing team experienced the highs and lows of drag racing in dramatic fashion at the 2025 NHRA New England Nationals. Racing at his home track, New England Dragway, Tasca came out swinging with a blistering qualifying run but ultimately faced a frustrating early exit on race day.

Lightning Start in Qualifying

Tasca opened the weekend with one of the best passes of the event. His 3.891-second run at 335.4 mph in Q1 temporarily earned him the No. 1 qualifying spot and sent a message that the PPG Nitro Mustang Dark Horse Funny Car was a real contender.

“That run was a good way to start,” Tasca said post-session. “But this team must show more consistency. If we can do it, we can win this race.”

Unfortunately, consistency didn’t follow.

Qualifying Rollercoaster

In Q2, Tasca’s run fell apart early, shaking the tires and crossing the line in 8.538 seconds at only 74 mph.

“We under-called the track,” he admitted. “The car didn’t have enough wheel speed early.”

Saturday’s Q3 brought more drama. A hard launch turned wild as the Mustang lifted its front wheels aggressively, forcing Tasca to lift off and post a 7.651-second run.

Still, the team adjusted. In Q4, even with a dropped cylinder mid-run, Tasca put down a 3.898 at 322.11 mph—good enough to lock in the No. 2 spot for eliminations.

“Not bad for a seven-cylinder race car,” Tasca said. “Tough to keep those cylinders lit with this much moisture in the air.”

Early Exit on Sunday

Tasca entered Sunday’s elimination rounds with confidence. But in Round 1 against Phil Burkart, traction issues derailed his momentum. Tasca lost grip just past 60 feet, smoked the tires, and coasted to a 7.569-second pass—ending his day far earlier than planned.

“Too much,” Tasca said. “Lost traction and smoked the tires.”

Looking Ahead to Bristol

Despite the setback, the Tasca Racing team leaves Epping with important positives—especially data and confidence from their strong qualifying performance.

“We’ve set speed records. We’ve been 340 mph,” Tasca said. “But we have got to go down the racetrack consistently.”

Next stop: Bristol Dragway and the NHRA Thunder Valley Nationals, where Tasca hopes to translate horsepower into results.