Zizzo Racing

Part Failure Doesn't Mean Team Failure for Zizzo

2011-11-13T21:16:03Z

It wasn't the way Zizzo Racing wanted to end its 2011 campaign, but TJ Zizzo and his Chicago-based teammates have nothing to hang their heads about. A season highlighted by an upset win of championship contender Spencer Massey at the team's home track, Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill., also saw several improvements in its qualifying program and race day tune-ups.

In the first round of the Auto Club NHRA Finals Sunday, Zizzo was paired with fellow second-generation racer Brandon Bernstein. Despite a quicker reaction time by Bernstein, Zizzo was faster nearly the entire 1,000 feet by .06 seconds at one point. Unfortunately, the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner dragster's supercharger failed near the finish line, giving Bernstein the round win and ending Zizzo Racing's season.

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"It was a season full of challenges, but we feel like we met those challenges head on and came out on top more times than not. My team is great, our fans are great and I want to thank both for a great season. We're already preparing for a great 2012 season! We also want to thank PEAK Motor Oil and Old World Industries, along with Misix, INDAK, all of our great marketing partners and especially Kenny Youngblood for designing a beautiful paint scheme for us and honoring us with his amazing artwork all season long."

Zizzo Racing will make an announcement very soon regarding its 2012 plans.

Get Zizzo Stuff: Want some great race-used items from an NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel team? Have a friend or relative who's impossible to shop for? Look no more! Head over to the Zizzo Racing page on eBay by clicking HERE!

Fans of TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing can find updates and photos of the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team by checking out ZizzoRacing.com, Twitter.com/ZizzoRacing, and Facebook.com/ZizzoRacing. Videos of TJ and Zizzo Racing can be found at YouTube.com/TJZizzo.

Zizzo Racing Statement on the Retirement of NHRA Starter Rick Stewart

2011-11-13T16:14:48Z

After 15 years as a constant presence on the starting line at drag strips all over the country, NHRA starter Rick Stewart is retiring from his post after today's Auto Club NHRA Finals. Zizzo Racing wishes him nothing but the best and has made the following statements:

Tony Zizzo, Team Owner: "The only problem I have with (Stewart retiring) is that him and my redheaded girlfriend/fiancee are like lovers! They always kiss each other before the first round. Every time we go to the starting line, they're kissing each other. That's good luck! We won't have that kiss anymore."

]]> Cathie Gallo, Fan Relations/Aforementioned Redhead: "It's a sad day. I'm happy for him that he's going to get to do what we wants but what's weird is not seeing him at the starting line. We have our little ritual we do every race, we blow each other kisses. It's just not going to be the same without him up there. But I'm sure he's going to land somewhere good and I have a feeling he won't be leaving racing. I just love you, Rick Stewart, you're wonderful!"

TJ Zizzo, Driver: "Rick Stewart is the starter that has always started our PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner car at the starting line and has always given us the thumbs up. He's always been a familiar face to me, that's the only face I know up there. I'm really gonna miss him and I know he's very good friends with most of our team members. Rick, good luck in the future and happy retirement!"

Zizzo Racing is racing in the Auto Club NHRA World Finals this weekend at Auto Club Raceway. Sunday's pre-race ceremonies begin at 9:45 a.m. with first round of eliminations running at 11. For tickets, click HERE.

Get Zizzo Stuff: Want some great race-used items from an NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel team? Have a friend or relative who's impossible to shop for? Look no more! Head over to the Zizzo Racing page on eBay by clicking HERE!

Fans of TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing can find updates and photos of the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team by checking out ZizzoRacing.com, Twitter.com/ZizzoRacing, and Facebook.com/ZizzoRacing. Videos of TJ and Zizzo Racing can be found at YouTube.com/TJZizzo.

Zizzo to Face Bernstein Sunday in NHRA Finals

2011-11-13T03:04:20Z

On the day after 11-11-11, PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel driver TJ Zizzo qualified, you guessed it, 11^th after laying down a smooth 3.888 second ET in the third round of qualifying for the Auto Club NHRA Finals. Q3 was also the last round of the weekend for the nitro classes due to inclement weather. The NHRA Full Throttle Series Pro Stock Motorcycle and Pro Stock classes were able to get all four rounds in.

A year that has seen the Chicago-based Zizzo Racing make numerous positive strides has also gone by very quickly for the second-generation racer. Sunday's first round of eliminations will see him face another driver from a racing family, Brandon Bernstein. Bernstein barely edged the Zizzo Racing rail for the round win at Indy in September and the team is looking forward to the matchup tomorrow.

"Man, it feels like just yesterday that we started the season here at the Winternationals," Zizzo said. "We're facing Bernstein. We last faced him at Indy and gave him a great run. We were awfully close to nipping him so we'll try to do our best tomorrow and see where we go."

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"Today we qualified well, the car runs good," Zizzo said. "This team has a very good grasp of the tuneup on our PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner dragster. (Crew chief) Mike Kern does a great job, all the guys on this team are like no other. I'm very proud of them. We'll see what we can do tomorrow."

Del Worsham earned top qualifier honors Saturday with a final ET of 3.773 seconds at 320.05 mph, knocking Tony Schumacher off the top of the leaderboard with that Q3 run. Worsham is in a three-way battle for the season title with Don Schumacher Racing's Spencer Massey and Antron Brown, who didn't make the field of 16 until the final round of qualifying.

Zizzo Racing is racing in the Auto Club NHRA World Finals this weekend at Auto Club Raceway. Sunday's pre-race ceremonies begin at 9:45 a.m. with first round of eliminations running at 11. For tickets, click HERE.

Get Zizzo Stuff: Want some great race-used items from an NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel team? Have a friend or relative who's impossible to shop for? Look no more! Head over to the Zizzo Racing page on eBay by clicking HERE!

Fans of TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing can find updates and photos of the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team by checking out ZizzoRacing.com, Twitter.com/ZizzoRacing, and Facebook.com/ZizzoRacing. Videos of TJ and Zizzo Racing can be found at YouTube.com/TJZizzo.

Smooth Run For Zizzo Racing Despite Back & Forth Weather Conditions

2011-11-12T00:14:10Z

In drag racing, cool is, well, cool. Cool temps make for better racing conditions, faster speeds, and quicker times. On Thursday at the Auto Club NHRA World Finals at Auto Club Raceway, the weather conditions were cool and overcast. On Friday, it was the same.

Until it came time for TJ Zizzo to make his Q2 run in the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner dragster.

"The weather of course played into it," Zizzo said of his 3.935 second run that placed him 15^th in the qualifying bracket. "You have a little bit of cloud cover all day long, actually a lot of cloud cover, and then before we go (to the starting line), the sun comes out.

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The smooth A-to-B run for Zizzo was a marked improvement over Thursday's effort, which saw the car strike the tires almost immediately. Little changes can make big improvements and that is what Zizzo Racing is working towards this weekend in the final event of the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Series season.

"We ran a 3.93 today," the Chicago native said. "Sure, it was a decent run, especially after smoking the tires yesterday. It wasn't exactly what we were looking for, but we shaved a couple thousandths (of a second) here, a couple thousandths there. I left just a touch early and I staged just a touch too deep, maybe by a couple inches or so. All those things add up. We'll get it absolutely correct tomorrow."

The weather forecast for Saturday here is questionable, but if both rounds of qualifying are rained out, Zizzo will be in the show for Sunday's eliminations. Former seven-time class champ Tony Schumacher remains atop the leaderboard with a 3.827 ET at 321.19 mph. Antron Brown, one of the three Top Fuel drivers vying for the title (along with Del Worsham and Spencer Massey) continues to struggle, currently in 22^nd place among the 26-car field.

Zizzo Racing is racing in the Auto Club NHRA World Finals this weekend at Auto Club Raceway. The final two rounds of qualifying are scheduled for Saturday at 11:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Sunday's pre-race ceremonies begin at 9:45 a.m. with first round of eliminations running at 11. For tickets, click HERE.

TJ in the Media: Zizzo appeared on The Auto Show with Greg Damon on KMOX in St. Louis last weekend to discuss drag racing, among some other interesting topics. For the full interview, click HERE.

Get Zizzo Stuff: Want some great race-used items from an NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel team? Have a friend or relative who's impossible to shop for? Look no more! Head over to the Zizzo Racing page on eBay by clicking HERE!

Fans of TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing can find updates and photos of the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team by checking out ZizzoRacing.com, Twitter.com/ZizzoRacing, and Facebook.com/ZizzoRacing. Videos of TJ and Zizzo Racing can be found at YouTube.com/TJZizzo.

Q1 a Learning Day for Zizzo Racing at Pomona

2011-11-10T23:41:29Z

Looking to take advantage of overcast skies and cool track temps, TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing went for it during Thursday's Rd. 1 of NHRA Full Throttle Series qualifying at the Auto Club NHRA World Finals here. Two weeks ago in Las Vegas, the gambit paid off with the Chicago-based Top Fuel team as they earned the No. 2 overall spot when Q1 ended.

The tuneup at Auto Club Raceway was just a bit too aggressive, causing the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner dragster to smoke the Goodyears almost immediately, resulting in a 9.896 second ET. Since it was the only qualifying run of the day, the team can take extra time to prepare the car for Friday's second round and earn a spot in Sunday's eliminations.

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Also not in the show after Rd. 1 are heavy hitters Shawn Langdon and Antron Brown, racing for his first-ever NHRA Full Throttle Series title. Seven-time class champion and fellow Chicago native Tony Schumacher finished the day on the provisional pole with a 3.827 second ET. Schumacher is winless this season with this weekend representing his last chance to take home a 60^th Anniversary pewter Wally.

Zizzo Racing is racing in the Auto Club NHRA World Finals this weekend at Auto Club Raceway. The second round of quals are Friday at 1 p.m. Saturday will see the final two rounds, expected for 11:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Sunday's pre-race ceremonies begin at 9:45 a.m. with first round of eliminations running at 11. For tickets, click HERE.

TJ in the Media: Zizzo appeared on The Auto Show with Greg Damon on KMOX in St. Louis last weekend to discuss drag racing, among some other interesting topics. For the full interview, click HERE.

Get Zizzo Stuff: Want some great race-used items from an NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel team? Have a friend or relative who's impossible to shop for? Look no more! Head over to the Zizzo Racing page on eBay by clicking HERE!

Fans of TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing can find updates and photos of the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team by checking out ZizzoRacing.com, Twitter.com/ZizzoRacing, and Facebook.com/ZizzoRacing. Videos of TJ and Zizzo Racing can be found at YouTube.com/TJZizzo.

Zizzo, Youngblood Honor Wally Parks at World Finals

2011-11-10T20:00:35Z

For the entirety of the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Series season, Chicago native and Top Fuel pilot TJ Zizzo has partnered with legendary drag racing artist Kenny Youngblood to celebrate the latter's 45^th year in the sport. For this weekend's Auto Club NHRA World Finals, the pair are honoring the man whose vision 60 years ago became a national phenomenon and the fastest sport in the world: Wally Parks.

"It's the most fitting tribute we could come up with," said Zizzo, a second-generation driver who races for his father, Tony. "It's the epitome of both Kenny's talent and the man who made it all possible."

"It's been an incredible and fun year for me working with the Zizzos," Youngblood said. "They are a hardcore group of racers and the family I never had."

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TJ in the Media: Zizzo appeared on The Auto Show with Greg Damon on KMOX in St. Louis last weekend to discuss drag racing, among some other interesting topics. For the full interview, click HERE.

Get Zizzo Stuff: Want some great race-used items from an NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel team? Have a friend or relative who's impossible to shop for? Look no more! Head over to the Zizzo Racing page on eBay by clicking HERE!

Zizzo Racing is entered in the Auto Club NHRA World Finals this weekend in Pomona. Round 1 of qualifying kicks off Thursday at 1 p.m. The second round of quals are Friday, also at 1. Saturday will see the final two rounds, expected for 11:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Sunday's pre-race ceremonies begin at 9:45 a.m. with first round of eliminations running at 11. For tickets, click HERE.

Fans of TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing can find updates and photos of the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team by checking out ZizzoRacing.com, Twitter.com/ZizzoRacing, and Facebook.com/ZizzoRacing. Videos of TJ and Zizzo Racing can be found at YouTube.com/TJZizzo.

PEAK Team Among Right Lane Victims at The Strip

2011-10-30T20:10:53Z

TJ Zizzo and the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team made a heroic effort in the final round of qualifying Saturday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, putting themselves solidly in the field at 11^th with an ET of 3.879 seconds at a team record 319.14 mph. They knew they had their work cut out for them, however, with three-time and defending NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon in the opposite lane.

The Big O Tires NHRA Nationals E1 pairing was only the third time in Zizzo's career he has faced Dixon, the most recent matchup coming at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Penn., in 2005. The champ put it down the track in 3.844 seconds to earn the round win, while Zizzo became a victim of the right lane, striking his tires. Only David Grubnic earned a round win in the right lane in the first round of Top Fuel eliminations.

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"That takes nothing away from Dixon, though. He's a great contender on a great team. We're just proud to have qualified here at Vegas and put our PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner dragster in the show. We're looking forward to represent PEAK at the world finals in Pomona in a few weeks."

Zizzo Racing's next race is the final race of the 2011 NHRA Full Throttle Series season. The Auto Club NHRA Finals will be held Nov. 10-13 at Auto Club Raceway in Pomona, Calif. For more information and tickets, click HERE.

Going to SEMA? TJ is among the numerous drivers and motorsports professionals staying in town for the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) at the Las Vegas Convention Center this week. The second-generation driver will sign autographs at the PEAK display Tuesday from 10-11:30 a.m. and again at the official NHRA driver autograph session at 1 p.m. For more information, visit SEMAShow.com.

TJ in the Media: Zizzo was a guest of Greg Damon's Auto Show Saturday on KMOX radio in St. Louis, the home of the 11-time World Series Champion Cardinals. To hear that interview, click HERE.

Get Zizzo Stuff: Want some great race-used items from an NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel team? Have a friend or relative who's impossible to shop for? Look no more! Head over to the Zizzo Racing page on eBay by clicking HERE!

Fans of TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing can find updates and photos of the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team by checking out ZizzoRacing.com, Twitter.com/ZizzoRacing, and Facebook.com/ZizzoRacing. Videos of TJ and Zizzo Racing can be found at YouTube.com/TJZizzo.

PEAK Motor Oil Team Have Their Game Face On in Vegas

2011-10-30T00:50:24Z

They rolled the dice and avoided snake eyes. They hit 21 at the table. They bet it all on black at the roulette table and won. Pick your favorite Las Vegas cliché and apply it to TJ Zizzo and the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner team because when the chips were down at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway Saturday, the team put up a 3.879 second ET at a team record 319.14 mph. The run put Zizzo Racing in the 11^th qualifying position for Sunday's Big O Tires NHRA Nationals where they will face three-time and defending NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel champion Larry Dixon.

The Chicago-based team qualified No. 2 in the first round Friday, earning two bonus points in the process, but back-to-back engine issues put the group behind the eight ball. The last-second discovery of an air leak allowed the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner crew to lay down a solid run and get into the show.

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"This is a very, very emotional sport. It's very draining for everybody on our team so for us to have our backs against the wall, I knew in my heart we could pull it out and that things would all work out and they did."

Crew chief Mike Kern was confident the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner dragster would perform as expected based on its Q1 run and the abilities of the Zizzo Racing team.

"We put up a good number in Rd. 1 and we can't discount that," he said. "We got cycled out during the second qualifier on Friday and we didn't make a good run on that pass. We had issues with the head gasket and put a hole (cylinder) out and had the same problem today. We made some changes and verified what the problem was, put it together, and it did what it was supposed to do. We just decided to make it exciting."

Del Worsham earned top qualifier for the Top Fuel class in the Big O Tires NHRA Nationals with a 3.796 ET at 322.88 mph. A total of 27 rails attempted to make Sunday's eliminations with some big names going home early, including Cory McClenathan and 2011 Winternationals winner Morgan Lucas.

For ticket information for the Big O Tires NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, click HERE. Eliminations start at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Honoring a Champion: Zizzo, along with most of the NHRA Full Throttle Series teams here, are honoring former IndyCar Series champion and two-time and reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon with memorial decals on their machines. Wheldon lost his life at Las Vegas Motor Speedway two weeks ago in their series finale.

Get Zizzo Stuff: Want some great race-used items from an NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel team? Have a friend or relative who's impossible to shop for? Look no more! Head over to the Zizzo Racing page on eBay by clicking HERE!

Fans of TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing can find updates and photos of the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team by checking out ZizzoRacing.com, Twitter.com/ZizzoRacing, and Facebook.com/ZizzoRacing. Videos of TJ and Zizzo Racing can be found at YouTube.com/TJZizzo.

Up & Down Day Still Positive for PEAK Motor Oil Team

2011-10-29T02:56:27Z

TJ Zizzo and the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team did not come to the Big O Tires NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to leave empty handed and proved they meant business in the first round of qualifying. The Chicago-based NHRA Full Throttle Series team laid down an ET of 3.899 seconds, good enough to put them second in the round behind Del Worsham and give them two bonus points.

The second round didn't quite go as well as the first. In the last Pro pairing of the day, Zizzo and his PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner rail ran clean and fast until around half track when the machine started losing cylinders. By the time Zizzo crossed the finish line, the engine was in flames. The veteran dragster pilot got out of the car safely and headed back to the Zizzo Racing pit to prepare the car for Saturday's qualifying.

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"It was an adequate day. We'll start over again tomorrow and see where it ends up."

Fortunately, the explosion did not oil down the track surface. Had that happened, the team could have lost the run altogether or, worse, been fined. While the team is currently 14^th in provisional qualifying and will have to re-establish their qualifying time, the outlook for the close-knit team is positive.

"That's an easy deal," said team car chief Rick Messmore regarding the repairs of the wounded dragster. "We're going to pull this motor out, put a new one in that we already have ready to go, about 30 minutes worth of work. Then we'll be ready to go tomorrow."

Zizzo wasn't the only driver who was challenged in the second round. Fellow Chicago native and seven-time NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher finished the day 15^th with Shawn Langdon and 2011 Winternationals winner Morgan Lucas ending their Friday at 16^th and 17^th, respectively.

For ticket information for the Big O Tires NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, click HERE. The second round of quals for nitro are Saturday at 11:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Eliminations start at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Honoring a Champion: Zizzo, along with most of the NHRA Full Throttle Series teams here, are honoring former IndyCar Series champion and two-time and reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon with memorial decals on their machines. Wheldon lost his life at Las Vegas Motor Speedway two weeks ago in their series finale.

Get Zizzo Stuff: Want some great race-used items from an NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel team? Have a friend or relative who's impossible to shop for? Look no more! Head over to the Zizzo Racing page on eBay by clicking HERE!

Fans of TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing can find updates and photos of the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team by checking out ZizzoRacing.com, Twitter.com/ZizzoRacing, and Facebook.com/ZizzoRacing. Videos of TJ and Zizzo Racing can be found at YouTube.com/TJZizzo.

Zizzo, PEAK Motor Oil Team Ready to Cash In at Vegas

2011-10-27T18:32:34Z

To paraphrase Vince Vaughn in the movie "Swingers," TJ Zizzo is so money he doesn't even know it.

Zizzo and his PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team may be one of the most underrated in the NHRA Full Throttle Series. At every race in which they compete, the Chicago-based crew is a threat and their competitors know the odds can easily favor Zizzo Racing this weekend when the chips are down. This weekend at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the Big O Tires NHRA Nationals, Zizzo Racing is going all in and won't be satisfied unless they're picking up a Wally at the cashier's window. Or the Winner's Circle. Whichever. The point being, they're racing for nothing less than a win in the desert.

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"We ran very well in Vegas last year. We have data and we should be able to come out of the box swinging."

Zizzo faced current class points leader Antron Brown in the first round of eliminations here last year. Despite racing the 1,000-foot track faster and quicker than the Don Schumacher Racing driver, Brown was able to take the round win thanks to leaving the line slightly quicker, giving him a holeshot victory.

Being in Sin City also means some down time for the team as they are also attending the annual AAPEX and SEMA automotive shows, also held in Las Vegas, following the finals on Sunday. Zizzo is even bringing his golf clubs so he can swing the wrenches with one of the team's marketing partners.

"We are looking forward to the warm weather and the sun shine," Zizzo said, as the temps in the Midwest have been steadily falling as winter and the offseason approach.

"I did bring my golf clubs and I hope to play a round on Monday afternoon with Kit DeAndre, a golf professional at Liberty Lakes Golf Course in Liberty Lakes, Washington. Why don't I bring my clubs to every track? I never get a chance to play at home so I might as well play on the road."

The Big O Tires NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway runs Oct. 27-30. For ticket information, click HERE. The first nitro session is scheduled to kick off Friday at 1 p.m. local time with Q2 expected to start at 4 p.m. The second round of quals for nitro are Saturday at 11:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Eliminations start at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Meet TJ Zizzo: TJ and the rest of the stars of the NHRA Full Throttle Series will appear at the annual FanFest at 5 p.m. local time tonight on 3rd Street. The event is free to the public.

Get Zizzo Stuff: Want some great race-used items from an NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel team? Have a friend or relative who's impossible to shop for? Look no more! Head over to the Zizzo Racing page on eBay by clicking HERE!

Fans of TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing can find updates and photos of the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team by checking out ZizzoRacing.com, Twitter.com/ZizzoRacing, and Facebook.com/ZizzoRacing. Videos of TJ and Zizzo Racing can be found at YouTube.com/TJZizzo.

Zizzo Featured in Latest Edition of Nitro Rewind

2011-09-23T18:37:52Z

The 2011 NHRA Countdown to the Championship has begun and Nitro Rewind continues to talk with the contenders and the spoilers. This week's episode talks with the Top Fuel and Funny Car winners from the O'Reilly Auto Part Nationals at zMax Dragway and looks to the Lone Star State and the AAA Texas Fall Nationals at the Texas Motorplex. The show, an internet based broadcast, is hosted by Bill Stephens and features interviews from Top Fuel and Funny Car NHRA competitors, is available on the NHRA's YouTube channel after every NHRA national event.

"The Countdown got started in Charlotte and it was a record setting weekend. Viewers will get a great description from Matt Hagan of his record setting 3.995 second pass as well as his thoughts on eventually winning his first race of the season," said Ashley Force Hood, John Force Entertainment president.

]]> "One thing Nitro Rewind will not do is forget about the drivers not in the Countdown. This week we talk with TJ Zizzo one of the up and coming Top Fuel teams that is running strong against the mega teams. We also check in with fan favorite Antron Brown."

As The NHRA tour rolls into Texas viewers will get the thoughts of Texan Spencer Massey and 2010 Fall Nationals winner Matt Hagan on getting back to the original super track.

Every episode is posted on the NHRA YouTube channel the Thursday after each national event. This week's episode can be found here: http://youtu.be/Av4FvL7Fkw4

Fans can check out all the episodes of Nitro Rewind by going to www.youtube.com and searching Nitro Rewind or they can go directly to the NHRA YouTube channel.

Four Rounds, Four Strong Runs of Qualifying for Zizzo at zMAX

2011-09-17T22:37:25Z

- Ideal weather conditions for fast racecars continued Saturday at zMAX Dragway for the second and final day of NHRA Full Throttle Series qualifying. TJ Zizzo raced his PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel dragster to twin 3.900 second passes, completing a weekend of solid runs for the Chicago-based team. Zizzo qualified 12^th for Sunday's O'Reilly NHRA Nationals eliminations on the strength of a 3.860 second pass at a personal record 316.23 mph on Friday.

The team is building off a strong showing at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis two weeks ago when they were only .02 seconds shy of beating one of the top racers in the sport, Brandon Bernstein. Four fast passes at "The Bellagio of Drag Strips" has given the team more confidence in their rail and in racing, confidence equals momentum

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"I'm very excited," Zizzo said after the final round of qualifying. "The car is very consistent and that's a good feeling. Now that we've run two races in a row, we're going to let this thing roll."

With great speed comes expense and this weekend, that expense was in the form of Goodyear tires. Team owner Tony Zizzo said the team has gone through their share of slicks due to the cold track conditions. "We've spent more money on tires this weekend than we've spent all season," The elder Zizzo said. "One pair of tires per round and we're running out."

Overall, the trip to the Southeast has been full of positives for the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner team and Zizzo is ready to run for the money on Sunday.

"Needless to say, a 3.89, a 3.86, a 3.90, and a 3.90, that's fantastic," he said. "It's a great start to the weekend and it's great to be racing week in and week out right now and we're looking forward to tomorrow. The car has been consistent and that will scare the guy next to us."

The guy next to them is U.S. Nationals winner Antron Brown, who barely edged Zizzo for the round win last October at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway thanks to a holeshot. Brown qualified fourth with a 3.802 second pass. His Don Schumacher Racing teammates Tony Schumacher and Spencer Massey both ran identical 3.771 ETs in the final round of qualifying, but "The Sarge" was faster and earned top qualifier honors going into Sunday.

Get Zizzo Stuff: Want some great race-used items from an NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel team? Have a friend or relative who's impossible to shop for? Look no more! Head over to the Zizzo Racing page on eBay by clicking HERE!

Fans of TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing can find updates and photos of the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team by checking out ZizzoRacing.com, Twitter.com/ZizzoRacing, and Facebook.com/ZizzoRacing. Videos of TJ and Zizzo Racing can be found at YouTube.com/TJZizzo.

Zizzo is racing his PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel dragster this weekend at zMAX Dragway in the 4^th Annual O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals. Eliminations are expected to begin Sunday at Noon EDT with pre-race ceremonies scheduled for 11 a.m. Spectator gates open at 9:30 a.m. For more information on this weekend's event or for tickets, click HERE.

Career Day for Zizzo, PEAK Motor Oil Team in the Carolinas

2011-09-17T03:49:17Z

The weather may not have been perfect for race fans at zMAX Dragway Friday for Day 1 of the 4^th Annual O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals, but it made super heroes out of several drivers. Chicago native TJ Zizzo and his PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team were able to take advantage of 75-degree track temps for their fastest-ever pass, a 316.23 mph pass in 3.860 seconds. The lap puts them solidly in the top 12 in ninth entering the final two rounds of qualifying on Saturday.

"There were a lot of hotdog runs out there tonight that's for sure," Zizzo said after the run. "It was a hero session as (NHRA announcer) Bob Frey called it and we were right there with them. It's fantastic. All the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner guys did a good job. The car was put together well. (Crew chief) Mike (Kern) and TS (clutch specialist Tony Smith) put a great clutch setup in the car. It was a nice 3.86. It was fun, no oil, a clean run."

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The longest-tenured member of the team with more than 20 years under his belt, Smith felt the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner team did exactly what they were supposed to do when it's time to race. "We're going to do what we always do when we come to the track and that's try to make small improvements every run," he said. "We made a couple changes after we got bumped out of the top 12. It feels good. We want to be in the top 12. That's one of the goals we set every race weekend is to be in the top 12 so we can try some things on Saturday."

Larry Dixon earned provisional top qualifier honors Friday night with a 3.784 second pass, the only ET in the .70 second range. Over in the Funny Car class, Matt Hagan made history when he became the first driver in NHRA Full Throttle Series history to run a three-second pass. The Don Schumacher Racing driver made a lap of 3.995 seconds, earning him a standing ovation from the hearty crowd.

Get Zizzo Stuff: Want some great race-used items from an NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel team? Have a friend or relative who's impossible to shop for? Look no more! Head over to the Zizzo Racing page on eBay by clicking HERE!

Fans of TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing can find updates and photos of the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team by checking out ZizzoRacing.com, Twitter.com/ZizzoRacing, and Facebook.com/ZizzoRacing. Videos of TJ and Zizzo Racing can be found at YouTube.com/TJZizzo.

Zizzo is racing his PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel dragster this weekend at zMAX Dragway in the 4^th Annual O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals. Saturday's qualifying rounds begin at Noon with Q4 at 2:30 p.m. Eliminations are expected to begin Sunday at Noon. Spectator gates open at 7:30 a.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m. Sunday. For more information on this weekend's event or for tickets, click HERE.

Nothing Can Be Finer Than Zizzo in Carolina

2011-09-14T02:43:42Z

At the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, TJ Zizzo and the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team showed why they're among the best in the business. After a strong run on Saturday, a blown engine Sunday night in the final round of qualifying created some extra work for the Chicago-based NHRA Full Throttle Series team. They came out of the box strong Monday morning in the first round of eliminations against fellow second-generation star Brandon Bernstein, falling by only .02 seconds in the best race of E1.

This weekend, they return to zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C., for the 4^th Annual O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals. Last year, Zizzo entered Sunday's eliminations sixth, his highest-ever qualifying effort since he began racing in the NHRA in 2003. Only by a mere .005 seconds was Steve Torrence able to earn his way to E2. This year, Zizzo has no plans to leave early.

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"Last year we lost to Steve Torrence by the slimmest of margins. This year we want to AVENGE that loss in the first round no matter who our opponent is."

Zizzo will get some extra practice at the "Bellagio of Drag Strips" Wednesday. "I will help host the O'Reilly customer race on Wednesday night at the drag strip," he said. "I will warm up my driving skills behind a Ford Fusion."

Get Zizzo Stuff: Want some great race-used items from an NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel team? Have a friend or relative who's impossible to shop for? Look no more! Head over to the Zizzo Racing page on eBay by clicking HERE!

Fans of TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing can find updates and photos of the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team by checking out ZizzoRacing.com, Twitter.com/ZizzoRacing, and Facebook.com/ZizzoRacing. Videos of TJ and Zizzo Racing can be found at YouTube.com/TJZizzo.

Zizzo is racing his PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel dragster this weekend at zMAX Dragway in the 4^th Annual O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals. The first round of nitro qualifying kicks off Friday at 4:30 p.m. EDT with the second scheduled for 7:30. Saturday's qualifying rounds begin at Noon with Q4 at 2:30 p.m. Eliminations are expected to begin Sunday at Noon. Spectator gates open at 8 a.m. Friday, 7:30 a.m. Saturday, and 9:30 a.m. Sunday. For more information on this weekend's event or for tickets, click HERE.

Zizzo Racing Fast Facts:

·         Zizzo has piloted the PEAK/Herculiner Top Fuel dragster in the NHRA Full Throttle Series since 2003.
·         Zizzo's career-best ET is 3.851 (1000 ft.) achieved in 2010 at the U.S. Nationals in Clermont, Ind. His career-best speed is 314.90 mph (1000 ft.) which came in earlier this year at the O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals in Houston.
·         The highest qualifying effort for TJ and Zizzo Racing was sixth, earned last season at the second race at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C.
·         This will be Zizzo Racing's second appearance at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C. After qualifying sixth in this event last year, Zizzo fell to Steve Torrence by a mere .005 seconds in the first round of eliminations.

Zizzo Racing Makes Its Mark on Indy With Great Run

2011-09-05T19:07:42Z

The Big Go was eventful for TJ Zizzo and the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel team. It saw Zizzo make a strong lap Saturday night to get into the field of 16. It saw the Chicago native's rail burst into flames in the final qualifying round of the weekend. But most importantly, it saw Zizzo, facing fellow second-generation racer Brandon Bernstein in the first round of the 57^th Annual Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals, lay down an ET of 3.880 seconds at 313 mph, his fastest pass of the weekend.

Bernstein, though, was just .02 seconds faster and earned the E1 victory in what was easily the most competitive drag race of the round in Top Fuel. Additionally, it provided a shot of confidence to the team who worked hard Sunday night to replace their dragster's engine.

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A bigger positive for the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner team is the fact they are racing again in less than two weeks. The NHRA Full Throttle Series returns to action at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C., for the O'Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Nationals.

"That last run was a huge confidence booster to get us to the next event and that's only eight or nine days away now. So we're excited; we're ready to go. We'll work on this thing and work on all our parts and in Charlotte, we'll go for it."

Get Zizzo Stuff: Want some great race-used items from an NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel team? Have a friend or relative who's impossible to shop for? Look no more! Head over to the Zizzo Racing page on eBay by clicking HERE!

Fans of TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing can find updates and photos of the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team by checking out ZizzoRacing.com, Twitter.com/ZizzoRacing, and Facebook.com/ZizzoRacing. Videos of TJ and Zizzo Racing can be found at YouTube.com/TJZizzo.