THE STARTING LINE ERUPTED WHEN TASCA LIT UP THE SCOREBOARD WITH HIS 341-MPH BLAST , BUT THE CELEBRATION CONTINUED BACK IN THE PITS WHEN TASCA REUNITED WITH CO-CREW CHIEFS TODD OKUHARA AND AARON BROOKS AND THE TASCA RACING TEAM .
with FloRacing ’ s Courtney Enders Friday night .
“ We ’ ve done everything that we need to do to make sure everything we do here is legitimate ,” Alvarez said . “ This surface is a year old . We had Compulink here this week to install a new tree and do a timing system tune-up . Everything is new . Everything is legitimate . As always , we don ’ t play around . When we do an event here , we treat it like it ’ s the biggest event in the world , especially working with Drag IllustrateD and PRO . Everything here is perfect . If that ’ s not legitimate , then drag racing is not legitimate .”
As longtime drag racing PR specialist Elon Werner said , Tasca ’ s historic performance further weaved the Tasca name into the fabric of the sport . Working closely with the Ford family , members of the Tasca family have made meaningful contributions to drag racing and American automotive history in general since the earliest day of the sport .
“ When I started racing back in 2008 , my only goal was to leave the Tasca and Ford history in drag racing a little better than I found it ,” Tasca said . “ I just give all the thanks to my grandfather and Henry Ford II when they started all this . To be standing here and just polishing that oval and polishing my family ’ s reputation in the sport of drag racing , it means so much to me personally and my family . It ’ s a dream come true for a kid that just dreamed about doing this , watching John Force win up and down the racetrack . To do it alongside of him , I couldn ’ t have picked a better person .”
Tasca is one of the PRO members who played a hands-on role in the development of the PRO Superstar Shootout , making his performance all the more meaningful and rewarding . But it was going to be an unforgettable weekend for Tasca even if he didn ’ t make drag racing history .
“ It ’ s exceeded every expectation I ever possibly could ’ ve had ,” Tasca said of the event . “ I ’ m so proud of all of the racers out here because it took all of us to do this . If one of the team owners said , ‘ Nah , I ’ m not gonna go ,’ and then another one didn ’ t go , it wouldn ’ t be the same . This record wouldn ’ t be the same . If John Force wasn ’ t here and Kalitta and Hagan , if those guys weren ’ t here , what was the record ? Maybe they could ’ ve gone faster , right ? All of us coming together to pull this off is what makes it special . I ’ m just proud to be a part of it .” DI
120 | Drag Illustrated | DragIllustrated . com Issue 187