TJ Zizzo Makes Most of Early Exit at Brainerd Nationals (1 Viewer)

[4onthefl4]

BRAINERD, MN (August 22, 2021) --- Following two days of qualifying at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals TJ Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster entered race day as the No. 10 qualifier with a tough first round race with No. 3 qualifier Mike Salinas. The team has been away from the highest level of competition for almost a year, but they have been preparing for this race for months. The addition of world championship crew chief Rahn Tobler to the team to work with crew chief Mike Kern and the rest of the Rust-Oleum team was a strategic move by Zizzo to keep his team competitive in the national stage.
“We will call this a successful weekend,” said Zizzo, from the cab of his Rust-Oleum race rig. “My dad and I have about a ten-hour ride back to Chicago. This sport is full of highs and lows. Yesterday was brutal and today we went out there and ran 3.77. We wish we could have done that in Q3 but wishes are what they are. I am seeing a lot of fans walk by who are telling us how much they enjoyed the show we put on for them. I want to thank them for coming out. This place was packed. People miss us up here in Brainerd, Minnesota, which is super cool. I was able to get out to the Zoo last night and that was interesting. I had never been out there. The fans love this Rust-Oleum Rocket, they really do.”

TJ Zizzo and Rust-Oleum Rocket (photo credit Auto Imagery)​

Coming into race day Zizzo felt confident he could turn on win lights and go rounds no matter who was in the other lane. Facing Salinas for the second time in his career Zizzo was eager to even his head-to-head record against the driver from California.
Zizzo was first off the line with a .090 to .093 reaction time advantage and was accelerating down the track. When the Rust-Oleum Rocket crossed the finish line the scoreboard flashed 3.777 seconds at 327.35 mph which was his quickest and fastest run of the weekend. It was a monster improvement and a testament to the team’s efforts following a challenging final day of qualifying. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to advance to the quarterfinals as Salinas posted a 3.701 second pass.
“Taking ten months off made it tough for us,” said Zizzo. “We will certainly be in a much better spot going into St. Louis. That 3.77 against Mike Salinas was a good smooth pass. We didn’t hurt anything which is always important.”
At the end of the day Zizzo reflected on how far the team has come in the last ten months and where they can continue to improve. Zizzo, the team owner, was pleased with the on-track performance but the driver in Zizzo knows he might have missed an opportunity to put more prep time in prior to the Brainerd Nationals.

TJ Zizzo with Brainerd fans (photo credit Auto Imagery)
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“I am going to take some time between races in the shop and work on my reaction times,” said Zizzo. “They were OK for someone who has taken ten months off, but I know I can do better. Truth be told, we were working on the car so much I forgot I also needed to be working on driving it.”
The Rust-Oleum Rocket will be back on track for the NHRA Midwest Nationals in St. Louis, September 24-26. Between now and then the team will work on continuing to perfect their tune-up and race day applications.
“We have a great game plan for St. Louis,” said Zizzo. “Having Rahn Tobler, Mike Kern and Tony Smith working together was great. It is a strong trifecta of talent. Tony has been with us for 29 years working on our clutch. That is a critical component. We have some new information now and they will do their thing with it. I am super proud of everyone on this team and can’t wait for the next race.”

Qualifying Results
Q1: 3.861 sec, 317.87 mph, No. 6
Q2: 6.745 sec, 89.62 mph, No. 9
Q3: Did not run, No. 10
Bonus Points: 0

Race Results
First Round
Driver Qual R/T ET MPH
TJ Zizzo 10 .090 3.777 327.35
Mike Salinas 3 .093 3.701 324.59 (W)

Camping World Drag Racing Series Top Ten - Top Fuel
1. Steve Torrence, 1212
2. Brittany Force, 829
3. Antron Brown, 791
4. Mike Salinas, 631
4. Leah Pruett, 631
6. Shawn Langdon, 620
7. Clay Millican, 579
8. Justin Ashley, 578
9. Billy Torrence, 510
10. Doug Kalitta, 503

About Rust-Oleum
For more than a century, Rust-Oleum has been a global leader in manufacturing innovative coatings that empower do-it-yourselfers and professionals alike across categories including small project paints, cleaners, primers, automotive, industrial, high performance coatings and wood care. Its wide breadth of brands and products include such trusted names as Rust-Oleum, Stops Rust®, Painter’s Touch®, Universal®, EpoxyShield®, Varathane®, Zinsser®, Watco®, MultiSpec®, X-I-M®, Krud Kutter®, RockSolid®, Wipe New®, Testors®, Seal-Krete®, Modern Masters®, Moldex®, Whink®, Miracle Sealants®, Roto-Rooter®, Mean Green®, and Gator® Finishing Products. Visit rustoleum.com for more information. Follow Rust-Oleum on LinkedIn, Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

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