Lincolnshire, Ill. - Zizzo Racing has been hard at work during their time off between their last race weekend in June, which produced the fastest run to date for the team, and this weekend's upcoming MAC Tools U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, Ind.

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill - Fresh off a good showing in Atlanta, Zizzo Racing continues to prepare this week for a home town event at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill. "This is a home town race for Zizzo Racing and PEAK Performance Products so the pressure is on," TJ Zizzo said. "There will be a lot of support from family and friends at the track and we look forward to having the entire PEAK Entourage in our pits this weekend."

 

One of those family members at the track this weekend will be experiencing her first NHRA National event. TJ's daughter Madeline could potentially be the third generation of Zizzo's to drive a dragster. "She has three years to go, but I assume she will have a pink junior dragster waiting for her when she turns eight," Zizzo said. "She already subscribes to Jr. Dragster and after this weekend if she's anything like her grandfather or dad, she'll be totally addicted."

ATLANTA  - T.J Zizzo and the Zizzo Racing, PEAK/HERCULINER Top Fuel Dragster will make their first appearance at the Atlanta Dragway for this weekend's NHRA Southern Nationals.

"It's our first time ever to this track," Zizzo said. "Hopefully this track can produce some luck for us." Zizzo, like every driver, hopes for a little, but since Lady Luck can be a fickle mistress, his team is making sure the car is ready. "Mike Kern and Tony Smith have been working closely together to get us a more consistent race car," Zizzo added. "We'll take what we learned at the Houston race and try to apply it here in Atlanta."

While hard luck and good work always play a part in drag racing, Zizzo knows just having the opportunity to race is half the battle. "I have a better chance of winning the event when I am there, than when I'm sitting on my couch watching it on ESPN2," Zizzo said. "We're just really happy to be racing in Atlanta."

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.