Say Y.E.S. to the NHRA

I spent Friday, March 31 at the Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals in Pomona, California as part of the NHRA’s Y.E.S. (Youth & Education Services) Program.

Quoting from the NHRA website: “The NHRA Youth & Education Services (YES) Program was founded in 1989. It is the only full-time education program in motorsports that provides quality programs and activities for schools and youth organizations nationwide. Not only is the YES Program FREE, it focuses on the importance of goals and continued education, while allowing students to learn about and explore various career opportunities. The program will show students how S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) is applied to both, real world situations and NHRA Drag Racing, which they will have the opportunity to see live at the track!”

My role, beyond photographing the activities and being my usual Editorial Irritant, was assisting one of the student groups, Parkway Ford Heritage Mission (https://parkwaymission.org/), that participated in the YES activities. ?

As part of the Parkway Ford Heritage Mission apprenticeship and spirituality program, students learn skills such as how to bend, cut, grind and weld metal, working in a shop along side real life race cars.?So, YES, students learn how to go fast with God.

Heritage Mission founder, Jack Burns, knows of what he teaches.?He’s the founder of Burns Stainless, one of the premier engine header fabricators in the country.?You’ll find Jack’s headers in most every known racing series: NHRA, IMSA, SCCA, IndyCar . . . and more.

So when I refer to Mr. Burns as a”complete fabrication,” what can he say, he knows I’m telling the truth.?

Jack’s in the process of rebuilding a Comp Eliminator Ford Mustang, which will have a very trick motor, and I’ve promised not to let the pistons out of the bag until Jack is ready to unleash his unfair advantage on his unsuspecting competitors. ?

So . . . you’ve been warned!?

The speakers at the Winternationals YES program included representatives from Mac Tools,?Gerber Collision & Glass, the US Air Force and Bob Tasca III representing Ford?Motor Company.

For those of you who have just moved here from another planet, Bob is a third-generation Ford dealer with a home base in Rhode Island. ?

Bob Senior wanted Ford to get involved with NHRA drag racing in the 1960s and used a letter writing campaign by his customers and other friends to catch Henry Ford II’s attention.??

Of course, the Cobra Jet 428 engine Bob Sr. and his dealership team built from parts found in the Ford service parts catalog didn’t hurt.?Especially when Tasca’s Mustang Cobra Jet race cars were blowing the doors off the competition at the drag strip.

Tasca Sr. coined the phrase, "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday,” had a major influence on improving Ford’s durability and reliability, and was a driving force behind the “Quality is Job 1” initiative.

Today, Bob Tasca III continues his grandfather’s legacy.

Bob races one of the baddest and fastest Ford Mustang Funny Cars (https://www.tascaracing.com) on this or any other planet. And he is a great representative for Ford, for kids, for racing and for education.?Everyone needs to spend a few “motorvating” minutes listening to Bob explaining in simple terms the connections among education, setting goals and planning to achieve those goals.?

Ford’s involvement in the YES program also included the opportunity for students to talk to several dealer training reps from area Ford dealers.

After this “schooling,” I took a small group of the Parkway Ford Heritage Mission students, instructors and parents over to Bob Tasca’s paddock trailer for a look-see.?A big ”thank you” to all of Bob’s crew who took time out of their busy schedules to chat with our group and give them a close-up look at what goes on behind the scenes of a successful racing program, including a tour of Bob’s car and his motorhome/work shop inner sanctum.

It was a day they will long remember as they explore education pathways and post graduation career opportunities.

The rest of the day was spent grabbing burgers at In-and-Out, checking out the NHRA Summit Racing Jr. Dragsters, which are half-scale versions of Top Fuel dragsters offering kids ages 5-17 the opportunity to experience the thrill of drag racing in a controlled environment, watching practice and qualifying runs, and standing close enough to the starting line to feel the thunder from Tasca’s Funny Car punching you in the stomach. ?

A great day for learning about earning, the importance of schooling and goal setting, and having fun around drag racing and drag racers.

Can’t think of anything better. . .

And don’t forget, this is drag racing where Funny Cars like Bob Tasca’s Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Mustang cover 1000 feet in less than 4 seconds at more than 325 mph.?This is about 1000 miles in around five hours, give or take a burnout! ?If you’re living within a 1000-mile radius of Pomona, you’ve still got time to make the Finals on Sunday, April 2.

So step on it!