NHRA - National Hot Rod Association

For the first time since the opening race of the 2021 NHRA season, Bob Tasca III finds himself out of the points lead.

But the Funny Car standout is not the least bit concerned with that or a showing on the Western Swing that wasn’t quite on the spectacular level the team had gotten used to during the first seven races of the year. Heading into the second half of the year, which begins at this weekend’s Menards NHRA Nationals presented by PetArmor at Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka, Tasca, who trails Pomona winner Ron Capps by a mere five points, is eager to re-establish the dominance his team displayed early in the year, while still maintaining all the confidence in the world in his team.

“I’ve got some of the most talented guys in the business with Mike [Neff]and Jon [Schaffer] and the team behind me, so I'm not worried at all,” Tasca said. "I left Pomona not concerned whatsoever. The goal was to be in the top five going to the Countdown [to the Championship], which I feel very confident we will be, if not number one, and then it's a seven-race shootout for the championship. If I have a back half like I had in the front half, we win the championship, so it comes down to preparing, and we did a little bit of on the [Western Swing]. 

“But we know that crunch time is coming. I don't even need to have a conversation with Mike and Jon. I mean, the level of intensity and determination those guys bring, they've won multiple championships, they know what it takes, and we're in it for the long haul. We're gonna come out swinging here these next few races as we get into the Countdown.”

The Western Swing included just a pair of round-wins for Tasca and his first loss in the first round of the year, but he isn't concerned. 

The team worked on several different setups with a bunch of different parts on his 11,000-hp Ford Motorcraft/Quick Lane Mustang, a luxury that can be afforded when a team runs as well as Tasca’s has for the bulk of the year. Tasca believes those setups will be beneficial during the varying conditions of the Countdown to the Championship, but he also knows the importance of stringing together strong performances before the playoffs.

Before heading out West, the team did run well in Norwalk, with Tasca advancing to the final round and having the best-performing car in eliminations — including some tremendous top-end that included a pass of 332.02 mph — and there’s ample opportunity to recreate that consistency this weekend in Topeka. 

“This car is capable of winning any race that it rolls into, and if we don't leave with the trophy, we’re not happy,” Tasca said. “We have all the resources to win the race, so this team expects to win. Again, we were not happy with the Western Swing even though we were trying some stuff. It was below our expectations on every level, but we are locked into a direction of what we want to do with the car going into Topeka. On the performance side of things, I have no apprehension that this car is going to dial itself in for the championship.”

Keeping the points lead heading into the Countdown also isn’t a major concern for Tasca, so long as he remains in the top five, which seems like a surefire bet considering how the team has performed this year.

Of course, being just five points back of Capps means Tasca could regain it by the time eliminations start on Sunday in Topeka, but the important thing is Tasca knows he has a car that can perform in crunch time in any type of weather condition.

“We’re not a one-trick pony. This car can run in hot conditions, it can run in cool conditions,” Tasca said. “We had some of the fastest speeds of the year in Norwalk, so we make the power. We won in Atlanta in some of the most difficult conditions of the year. I got a car that when we got to go out there and run hard, we can do that, and then when you get to make the call on a hot track, I'll put Jon and Mike up against anyone out there. These are once-in-a-lifetime opportunities with a team that can legitimately win the championship, and you’ve got to take advantage of that. I don't think there's anyone on our team not fully focused on taking advantage of the opportunity we have.” 

Sitting second in points — or first, as he has for eight races in 2021 — is a new experience for the veteran as well. He led the loaded Funny Car class for the first time in his career this year, but the pressure has only raised his performance.

Tasca has reveled in the spotlight, calling the alternative of trying to squeak into the Top 10 a far more pressure-packed situation. He likes having the target on his back and the spotlight it brings, and Tasca is ready to perform this weekend in Topeka.

“When you're 10th and struggling to get into the Top 10, which I've had many times in my career, that's real pressure because you're like gasping for survival,” Tasca said. “Where we are in the points and what we've done this year breeds confidence. I've been as humbled in this sport as anyone else out there, so I know how humbling the sport can be. But we're very confident, and to me, I think it takes some of the pressure off. 

“We roll in every race with the same mindset to go out there and compete and win. I'm very fortunate I’ve got a tremendous team behind me with great sponsors, and we’re very focused on delivering and finishing what we started the season, and that's to compete and run for the championship.”