A decade ago, Whit Bazemore survived so many fiery runs those is the pits starting calling the former photographer turned driver, Whit “Blaze”more.

If Bob Tasca isn't careful he may soon become knows as Shish-The-Bob Tasca.

For the second time in as many events, Tasca has survived a fiery wreck which seriously damaged the body of his Quick Lane/Motorcraft Shelby Mustang Funny Car. Tasca and team were going for broke when issues in the valve train, two dropped cylinders, lead to a booming explosion and breathtaking fire.

A decade ago, Whit Bazemore survived so many fiery runs those is the pits starting calling the former

photographer turned driver, Whit “Blaze”more.

 

If Bob Tasca isn't careful he may soon become knows as Shish-The-Bob Tasca.

For the second time in as many events, Tasca has survived a fiery wreck which seriously damaged the body of his Quick Lane/Motorcraft Shelby Mustang Funny Car. Tasca and team were going for broke when issues in the valve train, two dropped cylinders, lead to a booming explosion and breathtaking fire.

Exiting the car quickly following the final qualifying session at the NHRA U.S. Nationals, Tasca looked over the damage before heading back to the pits.

“Yea, I'm fine,” said Tasca from the pits, his face masked with intensity. “The car made three really strong runs this weekend. The guys were getting after it. We wanted to try to improve on the 4.12 we ran last night, the conditions were certainly out there. Don't know what happened, certainly something in the valve train. They'll have to evaluate it.

“When it blows up like that, typically it drops an intake valve or something with the valve train, because the valves don't get closed and the cylinder fires and it explodes the nitro 
that is in the manifold and the supercharger.”

The crowd had already been wowed when Bob Bode blew the body off his Funny Car. Bode's body, reduced to dozens of individual pieces, flew high into the air before landing both on the track and the surrounding grass.

The explosion under Tasca's body didn't blow it high into the air, but as Tasca said, “It was certainly violent.

“It was very similar to what happened to us in Reading, except on a bigger scale. It did a lot of damage to the body; a lot of damage to the motor. Hey, that's racing. That's what we sign up for when we get in them and what that these guys sign up for when they get on the team. These guys will be working here late but we'll be ready for tomorrow.”

“There is clearly something going on that the guys need to get a handle on. When it knocks the tire off, the driver naturally steps off the throttle and our car has never been sensitive to blowing the blower off, never. Obviously there is something going on. Chris and them will figure it out. But, that's racing. We have to regroup a little bit just like we did in Maple Grove.”

Like Bazemore, the fiery runs seem to be fuel in the fire of determination burning in Tasca's psyche.

“Truthfully, if I blow up every Saturday night and win the race, like I did in Reading, then I'll sign up for that all season long. At the end of the day this team has proven they can work through these types of challenges like we did two weeks ago in Reading, and that is what our sights are set to do here at Indy. To win the race.”

 

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