There are certain names in any realm of competition that have a legacy, an aura, and a history. When we talk of Ford drag racing, that name is Tasca. The family that continues to operate one of the largest and most successful Ford dealers in the nation (in the nation’s smallest state) continues to ply their legacy on the drag strip as well. In fact, they aren’t just showing up, they are taking names as well. Carl Tasca ran the fastest speed in the history of stock eliminator at the NHRA Gatornationals last weekend and he became the first man to top 170 in the class with his 2016 Mustang Cobra Jet. His nephew Bob Tasca III races a nitro funny car. While no longer a 24-race competitor, he’s still out there slugging it out with the big boys.

Carl has been present for some of the greatest moments in Ford Performance history, often by the side of his father and the talented mechanics he employed to run the dealer’s nationally known and feared drag racing operation. In this video, conducted by drag racing historian and ace video guy Jim Amos, Carl tells some of the stories that helped to make his family name so famous and revered in the circles of Ford Performance enthusiasts. The story of how the first 428ci Police Interceptor engine ended up in a Mustang (Carl and his brother blew their 390 up while street racing), the story of how that car came to become the Cobra Jet, and other gems are all contained here.

Also contained in this interview are some really neat pearls of wisdom, including one that Bob Sr. relayed to the younger generations of his family just days before he died. “Forget about the money. The most valuable thing I gave you is a good reputation…don’t screw it up.” He was never known as a man who minced words or lacked for the right thing to say at the right time and his legacy lives on through Carl and the family.

The historical footage cut into this interview is fantastic as well.

Carl is a character as are all the Tasca men. The are their father’s sons and for that, every Ford performance enthusiast should be very, very thankful.

Press play below to watch this awesome Carl Tasca interview – Jim Amos crushes it!