LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. – At his home race at Route 66 Raceway in June, Chicago native TJ Zizzo edged his way into the field, qualifying 16th, but made a lot of noise when his PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel dragster took out No. 1 qualifier Spencer Massey in round one. The run put an end to 40-straight A-to-B runs for the Don Schumacher Racing pilot and gave Zizzo Racing a much-needed boost of confidence.
This weekend, the team heads to Indianapolis for the 57th Annual Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals. The historic venue is another site where the small, family-owned team scored an upset when they beat Doug Kalitta in E1 last year on a holeshot. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, Zizzo is looking for round wins this weekend.
“We have more parts for this event than we have ever had in the past,” Zizzo said, taking a break from working on the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner rail with his team. “(Crew Chief) Mike Kern had a wish list for Indy and we were able to accommodate half the items he had on his list. We have more ammunition than any other race in our Top Fuel career.”
The history of the Big Go is legendary within the sport of drag racing and the Zizzo family has their own memories of this track. “Indy has always treated us very well,” he said. “I still remember 20 years ago when I made my first pass there in my families top alcohol dragster. How time flies when you are having fun!
“This is only our fourth race of the season, but we’re expecting it to be our biggest. Anytime you can race Top Fuel at the U.S. Nationals, it’s awesome. The team is jacked. They’re looking forward to getting out of the shop and back to the track.”
Zizzo will have an additional crew member this weekend. Kyle Keck, a longtime friend of the team, is making his way from Oklahoma to attend his first-ever U.S. Nationals. TJ surprised Kyle earlier this year by showing up at his high school graduation. “Kyle Keck is a friend of mine from Tulsa, Okla. Check out Team Kyle. He is attending his first U.S. Nationals along with his dad and a friend and he is very excited.”
This weekend begins a stretch where the team will get to spend a lot of time at the drag strip. In addition to Indy, Zizzo Racing will compete at three of the final six races of the season (Concord, N.C., Las Vegas; and Pomona, Calif.).
This weekend, the team heads to Indianapolis for the 57th Annual Mac Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals. The historic venue is another site where the small, family-owned team scored an upset when they beat Doug Kalitta in E1 last year on a holeshot. With nothing to lose and everything to gain, Zizzo is looking for round wins this weekend.
“We have more parts for this event than we have ever had in the past,” Zizzo said, taking a break from working on the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner rail with his team. “(Crew Chief) Mike Kern had a wish list for Indy and we were able to accommodate half the items he had on his list. We have more ammunition than any other race in our Top Fuel career.”
The history of the Big Go is legendary within the sport of drag racing and the Zizzo family has their own memories of this track. “Indy has always treated us very well,” he said. “I still remember 20 years ago when I made my first pass there in my families top alcohol dragster. How time flies when you are having fun!
“This is only our fourth race of the season, but we’re expecting it to be our biggest. Anytime you can race Top Fuel at the U.S. Nationals, it’s awesome. The team is jacked. They’re looking forward to getting out of the shop and back to the track.”
Zizzo will have an additional crew member this weekend. Kyle Keck, a longtime friend of the team, is making his way from Oklahoma to attend his first-ever U.S. Nationals. TJ surprised Kyle earlier this year by showing up at his high school graduation. “Kyle Keck is a friend of mine from Tulsa, Okla. Check out Team Kyle. He is attending his first U.S. Nationals along with his dad and a friend and he is very excited.”
This weekend begins a stretch where the team will get to spend a lot of time at the drag strip. In addition to Indy, Zizzo Racing will compete at three of the final six races of the season (Concord, N.C., Las Vegas; and Pomona, Calif.).
