Entries tagged with “Post Race” from Zizzo Racing
MILAN, Mich. - In March of 2007, Zizzo Racing started their quest for the Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam Top Fuel Championship. After traveling thousands of miles criss crossing the country from San Antonio, Texas to Edmonton, Alberta, TJ Zizzo and his PEAK Antifreeze / O'Reilly Auto Parts Top Fuel team find themselves right where they started, all even.
After nine of 11 events, Zizzo maintains a four point advantage, the narrowest of margins, over veteran Bruce Litton. Scotty Cannon adds his team to the hunt (48 point deficit), with Lagana and McMillen facing long odds for their first championship.
"We've come this far and the season really starts today," Zizzo commented. "As close as the points are, it's really a two race shoot-out. No one can afford to make a mistake."
After nine of 11 events, Zizzo maintains a four point advantage, the narrowest of margins, over veteran Bruce Litton. Scotty Cannon adds his team to the hunt (48 point deficit), with Lagana and McMillen facing long odds for their first championship.
"We've come this far and the season really starts today," Zizzo commented. "As close as the points are, it's really a two race shoot-out. No one can afford to make a mistake."
Continue reading Season starts now for Zizzo's PEAK Antifreeze team.
CAYUGA, Ont. - TJ Zizzo, pilot of the PEAK Antifreeze / O'Reilly Auto Parts Top Fuel dragster and IHRA points leader, made his fourth final round appearance of the year at the Toronto Motorsports Park. It also highlighted the IHRA debut of Zizzo Racing's partnership with PEAK Antifreeze, O'Reilly Auto Parts.
The IHRA Canadian Nationals would also provide the Illinois based team a chance to reset their personal and track elapsed time records on Saturday night when they blistered the Canadian quarter mile (4.576 ET /321.27 mph). That run would not only would assure Zizzo a spot atop the Top Fuel field, but also earn him an additional five points with the Last Man Standing award. Their weekend efforts would expand their points lead over veteran Bruce Litton by another 26 points, bringing their total margin to 54 points with just three races remaining.
"It was a good weekend," Zizzo said. "The rain-delayed elimination rounds made things interesting. When Monday rolled around and every team was missing some guys that had to go back to work, it heightened the intensity a little bit. Our team did a great job getting this car prepped and into the final round."
The IHRA Canadian Nationals would also provide the Illinois based team a chance to reset their personal and track elapsed time records on Saturday night when they blistered the Canadian quarter mile (4.576 ET /321.27 mph). That run would not only would assure Zizzo a spot atop the Top Fuel field, but also earn him an additional five points with the Last Man Standing award. Their weekend efforts would expand their points lead over veteran Bruce Litton by another 26 points, bringing their total margin to 54 points with just three races remaining.
"It was a good weekend," Zizzo said. "The rain-delayed elimination rounds made things interesting. When Monday rolled around and every team was missing some guys that had to go back to work, it heightened the intensity a little bit. Our team did a great job getting this car prepped and into the final round."
LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. - Coined by the ancient Romans, the term "Dog Days" was named after Sirius (the "Dog Star"), the brightest star in the heavens. The term conjures up the hottest, most sultry days of summer. For Zizzo Racing, the dog days of summer can only be cured with one thing; water.
It started in Martin, Michigan in a region that needed rain water. Water not only played a roll in the delay of the race but also TJ Zizzo's last qualifying attempt. The earth shaking top fuel dragster had rattled a drain plug loose from a cooler in the starters box, sending a stream of water into TJ's lane. The water would cause the team to shut off the Race News Magazine dragster, delaying their final qualifying run. "That made for an interesting evening," Zizzo said. "My team had to really work hard to service our car an additional time and they did a great job." But the extra effort wouldn't help Zizzo's uneventful final qualifying attempt. "Unfourtenly we had to run a little bit later in the evening. It could have affected the outcome, you never know. That's just how it goes sometimes."
Zizzo would end the Torco Race Fuels Northern Nationals earlier than he had hoped for with a first round loss to J.R. Todd. Todd would go on to a runner-up finish to Bruce Litton's victory. Litton would take a over the top spot in points from Zizzo for the second time this season. Litton will have a 21 point advantage going into the next race.
It started in Martin, Michigan in a region that needed rain water. Water not only played a roll in the delay of the race but also TJ Zizzo's last qualifying attempt. The earth shaking top fuel dragster had rattled a drain plug loose from a cooler in the starters box, sending a stream of water into TJ's lane. The water would cause the team to shut off the Race News Magazine dragster, delaying their final qualifying run. "That made for an interesting evening," Zizzo said. "My team had to really work hard to service our car an additional time and they did a great job." But the extra effort wouldn't help Zizzo's uneventful final qualifying attempt. "Unfourtenly we had to run a little bit later in the evening. It could have affected the outcome, you never know. That's just how it goes sometimes."
Zizzo would end the Torco Race Fuels Northern Nationals earlier than he had hoped for with a first round loss to J.R. Todd. Todd would go on to a runner-up finish to Bruce Litton's victory. Litton would take a over the top spot in points from Zizzo for the second time this season. Litton will have a 21 point advantage going into the next race.
Continue reading Dog Days of Summer perfect fit for Zizzo Racing.
GRAND BEND, Ont. - For three out of four races, Zizzo Racing has remained atop the point standings at the Knoll Gas Motorsports Nitro Jam Drag Racing Series. Now, make it four out of five.
Despite the fact that the competition continues to get tougher and a bullseye has been placed on the Race News Magazine team, TJ Zizzo manages to out pace the field.
The MOPAR Canadian Nationals were no different. Zizzo's Friday night qualifying attempt would earn him the Last Man standing honors and five additional points when he posted an elapsed time of 4.662 seconds at 314.83 mph.
Despite the fact that the competition continues to get tougher and a bullseye has been placed on the Race News Magazine team, TJ Zizzo manages to out pace the field.
The MOPAR Canadian Nationals were no different. Zizzo's Friday night qualifying attempt would earn him the Last Man standing honors and five additional points when he posted an elapsed time of 4.662 seconds at 314.83 mph.
Continue reading Zizzo Maintains Points Lead.
EDMONTON, Alberta - The CARS RV & Marine & Motorsports Rocky Mountain Nationals presented by Torco Racing Fuels marked a weekend full of mixed emotions for the Race News Magazine Top Fuel team driven by TJ Zizzo. The first qualifying attempt on Friday gave Zizzo’s team great expectations for the weekend when their dragster rocketed to 326.16 mph run, setting the Castrol Raceway speed record and earning them a provisional number one qualifying position along with five additional championship points with the Friday "Last Man Standing" bonus.
"We were all pretty happy Friday about setting the track speed record and the extra "Last Man Standing" bonus points." said Zizzo. "It certainly felt like things were going our way early."
The Race News Magazine team would go on to qualify in the number two position and fall to Jeff O,Neill during the first round of Sunday eliminations. "We would have loved to gone a few more rounds in Edmonton," said Zizzo. "But it was good to see a couple of new guys in the finals with Jeff [O'Neill] and Terry [McMillen]. Congratulations to Terry and his team for getting their first win."
"We were all pretty happy Friday about setting the track speed record and the extra "Last Man Standing" bonus points." said Zizzo. "It certainly felt like things were going our way early."
The Race News Magazine team would go on to qualify in the number two position and fall to Jeff O,Neill during the first round of Sunday eliminations. "We would have loved to gone a few more rounds in Edmonton," said Zizzo. "But it was good to see a couple of new guys in the finals with Jeff [O'Neill] and Terry [McMillen]. Congratulations to Terry and his team for getting their first win."
Continue reading Zizzo sets track speed record at Castrol Raceway.
TULSA, Okla. - Two out of three in baseball will win pennants and make a hitter a hall of famer. The Race News Magazine Top Fuel Team, driven by TJ Zizzo, had the good fortune of racing in two of the first three final rounds during 2007 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam events. Unfortunately for Zizzo, the Skull Shine Sooner Nationals at Tulsa Raceway Park wasn't one of the events.
In the first round showdown with Scott Palmer, Zizzo would find himself behind from the start. "I probably should have pedaled the car a little sooner," Zizzo said. "I felt the tires start to shake and I thought I could just drive through it. I tried to pedal it, but when I did I just smoked the 'hoops' all three times."
"We're going to work on our warm weather set up," Tony Zizzo, team owner added. "We've got a little work to do to get used to these tires in the heat."
In the first round showdown with Scott Palmer, Zizzo would find himself behind from the start. "I probably should have pedaled the car a little sooner," Zizzo said. "I felt the tires start to shake and I thought I could just drive through it. I tried to pedal it, but when I did I just smoked the 'hoops' all three times."
"We're going to work on our warm weather set up," Tony Zizzo, team owner added. "We've got a little work to do to get used to these tires in the heat."
Continue reading Tulsa too hot for Zizzo Racing.
ROCKINGHAM, N.C. - The Race News Magazine Top Fuel team rolled into Rockingham focused on being number one in the Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam standings. As the sun set Sunday afternoon, the result were apparent; their first "Iron Man" of 2007 and an early season 45 point lead in the standings.
"This feels great," commented T.J. Zizzo after the race. "In San Antonio I needed a little luck and a great team to make it into the final round. This race was truly a drivers race."
Entering the weekend the team knew that consistency would be the key to their success. For Zizzo and crew, consistency was the word during the finals as they ran 4.77 ET's in the final two passes to bring home the victory.
"This feels great," commented T.J. Zizzo after the race. "In San Antonio I needed a little luck and a great team to make it into the final round. This race was truly a drivers race."
Entering the weekend the team knew that consistency would be the key to their success. For Zizzo and crew, consistency was the word during the finals as they ran 4.77 ET's in the final two passes to bring home the victory.
Continue reading Consistency pays for T.J. Zizzo with a win at the Rock.
SAN ANTONIO, TX – The 2007 Knoll-Gas Nitro Jam season is under way in not so typical fashion, but no one is more pleased about the results of the season opener than the Race News Magazine Top Fuel team piloted by T.J. Zizzo.
"We can sum it up as from the outhouse to almost the penthouse," said a laughing T.J. Zizzo. "It was nerve wrecking." Entering the weekend Zizzo and crew didn't know what to expect. Their apprehension was for good reason; they had not made a pass in six months. Never the less, with several modifications to the car, Zizzo's team rocketed down the track with the second fastest qualifying run.
"The first pass we felt we were under powered and the car shook," T.J. explained. "On the second pass we just spun the tires." The Race News team saved the best for the last qualifying attempt, putting themselves solidly in the field with a career best 60ft time of .831 seconds. "We were right on the edge on that third pass," said Zizzo. "I don't think anyone tracks it, but that might be a record 60ft time in IHRA."
"We can sum it up as from the outhouse to almost the penthouse," said a laughing T.J. Zizzo. "It was nerve wrecking." Entering the weekend Zizzo and crew didn't know what to expect. Their apprehension was for good reason; they had not made a pass in six months. Never the less, with several modifications to the car, Zizzo's team rocketed down the track with the second fastest qualifying run.
"The first pass we felt we were under powered and the car shook," T.J. explained. "On the second pass we just spun the tires." The Race News team saved the best for the last qualifying attempt, putting themselves solidly in the field with a career best 60ft time of .831 seconds. "We were right on the edge on that third pass," said Zizzo. "I don't think anyone tracks it, but that might be a record 60ft time in IHRA."
Continue reading Zizzo Takes Good Luck to the Finals in San Antonio.
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