Bob Tasca III’s Friday night qualifying run at the NHRA Route 66 Nationals was disqualified because of a malfunction with one of the body latches on his Motorcraft/QuickLane Ford Mustang, forcing him to scramble Saturday to make the Funny Car field of 16.

“It had one latch. The other latch wasn't all the way in. That's why the run was thrown out,” his father, Bob Tasca Jr., said Saturday morning before the final two qualifying sessions.  

A number of cars lost traction in Friday’s opening session, and they included Tasca III. Tasca Jr. said, “When the track is cool like that, it gets very tight, and it sticks to tire. It shook and it spun. It wasn't a good run, anyway. So if it was a 3.85, my son would want to jump in one of the Great Lakes.”

No desperate plunges were necessary – Tasca made the grid in the first Saturday session, second overall, at No. 11. However, he slid down to the No. 14 starting position and will meet No. 3 J.R. Todd in the first round of Sunday’s eliminations.