BAYTOWN, Texas -- T.J. Zizzo and the PEAK/HERCULINER Top Fuel team made the most of their 2010 debut at the O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals this past weekend. The team qualified 12th, improving their position during Saturday's sessions.

"We were happy to be back on the racetrack again," Zizzo said. "It was great meeting new fans and reintroducing myself to the media."

Mike Kern, crew chief of the Illinois based team was also happy with the team's first outing. "After a six month layoff we pulled out of the trailer with a number five qualifying position," Kern said. "After the nitro settled we ended up 12th."

BAYTOWN, Texas - If competition in NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing isn't fierce enough on the track, you can always follow the competition away from the track as well. "I was hoping to have lost more weight than Cory Mac (McClenathan)," Zizzo laughed. "I ran into him at an event this winter and he looked lean. I had lost 12 lbs. until I ate all of those Tapas in Spain. So, now my dad will have to squeeze me in the car with a shoehorn."

Fresh from a trip to Barcelona Spain to make good on a 15-year-old promise to his wife, T.J. Zizzo had time to reflect on the task of competing at this weekend's O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals at Houston Raceway Park.  During a long winter of "bench racing", teams, crew chiefs and drivers spend endless hours toiling and tuning their dragsters to new world records - or at least new personal bests. The PEAK / HERCULINER Top Fuel team from Zizzo Racing is no different.

"We just dug the transporter out of a snow bank three weeks ago," Zizzo said. "Now, I return from Spain and it's 80 degrees in 'Chitown'. That is crazy. We did a lot of bench racing over the winter. According to our bench racing numbers, we're going to run 3.86 at 315 mph on our first pass in Houston... I love bench racing!"

Zizzo spent his winter managing the family auto body business and updating the racing equipment with the team, and he's confident they're ready.