Eager to be back on the track, Tasca's first run of the weekend was smooth and strong. After Friday's lone qualifying session, Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane team sat comfortably in the third position in hopes of improving on Saturday.

In what would be a repeat weather performance of Friday, Funny Cars would take to the track for their single pass of the day. Tasca was confident his Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang could improve on Friday's effort. Tasca reached the 660-foot marker and experienced a blown supercharger.

"We're still a little unclear with what happened in the second run," said Tasca.

"We believe it was a valve train failure that caused the massive explosion. It destroyed the supercharger and it knocked a port out of the cylinder head along with the manifold. There was a big flash fire, which did go out. The oil did not catch on fire; it was more of a fuel fire that was in the manifold."

It would be a long Saturday night and early Sunday morning for Tasca and the team.

"Other than causing a lot of work for this Motorcraft/Quick Lane team, we'll be ready for tomorrow," said Tasca. "We're going to work through the night to make sure our Motorcraft/Quick Lane Shelby Mustang is race ready for Sunday."

Tasca and the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing team will rely on Friday's 4.138 second run at 299.26 miles per hour to develop Sunday's race strategy.

"Chris Cunningham, Marc Denner and the guys made a really great call on Friday in the heat," said Tasca. "I'm disappointed in today, not in the explosion, but we would have liked to have had a second run. This has been a very challenging weekend because we never really had the chance to hit our stride."

Tasca is seeded fifth and will face Ron Capps in the opening round.

"You race the race, regardless of who is in the next lane," said Tasca. "We've got a formidable competitor in the other lane, but at the same time, he has a formidable competitor. We're looking forward to going a couple of rounds on Sunday."

Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing on the Web
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/MQL_Racing Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/MQLRacing Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/motorcraftquicklaneracing/

Television
Sunday, August 23: ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will air NHRA Race Day, at 11:30 a.m. (ET).
Sunday, August 23: ESPN2 and ESPN2 HD will televise three hours of final eliminations at 10 p.m. (ET).

About Motorcraft
MotorcraftR offers a complete line of original equipment-approved parts that are recommended and approved by Ford Motor Company. From routine maintenance to underhood and powertrain repairs, Motorcraft parts offer exceptional value with the highest quality and right fit at competitive prices. Motorcraft parts are available locally and are backed nationwide by Ford Motor Company's Service Parts Limited Warranty. For more information, visit http://www.motorcraft.com

About Quick Lane
Quick LaneR provides automotive quick services for all makes and models. Quick Lane'sR nationwide network of 530 facilities provides the convenience of an aftermarket company (no appointment necessary, service while you wait, evening and weekend hours, competitive prices) with the confidence of a major automotive manufacturer (quality parts, factory-trained technicians). Quick LaneR is a registered trademark of Ford Motor Company. For more information, visit http://www.quicklane.com

About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 201,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company's brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford's products, please visit http://www.ford.com

Courtesy of Susan Pollack