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.

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (August 28, 2010) - As the school year gets off to a speedy start, so do Top Fuel Dragsters at the biggest race of the year, the MAC Tools U.S. Nationals.  Expo® Dry Erase Markers is taking to the track as an associate sponsor of driver TJ Zizzo, who with Expo's backing, is racing to support the Kids in Need Foundation, a national, non-profit organization dedicated to providing free school supplies to economically disadvantaged school children and under-funded teachers.

This Labor Day weekend, Expo Dry Erase Markers will donate 1000 feet of markers (the length of every race) for every round won by Zizzo, including qualifying rounds, to Teachers Treasure, a local Kids in Need Foundation affiliate.

JOLIET, Ill. - After rain, rain, and more rain on Friday, TJ Zizzo started his weekend off with a personal best run of 3.874 at 311.27 mph, which was good enough for a number five qualifying spot after day one. 

 

"We were super pumped about our pass on Friday," Zizzo said. "Carrying over what we did in Atlanta to our first run in Joliet was a boost to the team, because with time off between races you always worry about picking up where you left off. To run a personal best on the opening day of qualifying at our home town track was a great feeling, especially when you can receive a standing ovation after the run from rain soaked die hard fans."

 

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."

After consistent improvements during qualifying sessions on Friday and Saturday, TJ Zizzo and his team maintained their solid position and qualified in the ninth spot for Sunday eliminations at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals. 

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 -- T.J. Zizzo and the PEAK/HERCULINER Top Fuel team made the most of their 2010 debut at the O'Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals this past weekend. The team qualified 12th, improving their position during Saturday's sessions.

"We were happy to be back on the racetrack again," Zizzo said. "It was great meeting new fans and reintroducing myself to the media."

Mike Kern, crew chief of the Illinois based team was also happy with the team's first outing. "After a six month layoff we pulled out of the trailer with a number five qualifying position," Kern said. "After the nitro settled we ended up 12th."

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.

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. - Zizzo Racing announced today that Old World Industries' will rejoin and expand its roll as the major marketing partner with its PEAK and HERCULINER brands on the team's NHRA Top Fuel dragster driven by T.J. Zizzo. The two year, 14 race deal begins this season and marks the beginning of Zizzo Racing's 31st year in drag racing.

"We're excited about the opportunity to continue representing PEAK and HERCULINER for the seventh consecutive season," Zizzo said. "We enjoy providing value for them in our NHRA program and the retail programs PEAK does with O'Reilly Auto Parts. "My off-season was busy," states Zizzo. "It started with an appearance for PEAK at the AAPEX/SEMA show in November and continued throughout the winter with great appearances at customer events and at World of Wheels shows. These events are exciting for us as we become a bigger part of PEAK's marketing efforts going forward."

"2010 is starting off to be an exciting year. TJ is a great brand ambassador for PEAK Performance Products and his accessibility to the fans is quickly making him a favorite at his stops on the tour.  We're excited to continue our involvement with Zizzo Racing for the next two years and having the expanded schedule will allow us both to achieve bigger goals with this program," states PEAK's Motorsports Marketing Manager Brian Bohlander. 

CHICAGO -- Zizzo racing will display their PEAK / HERCULINER Top Fuel dragster this weekend at the O'Reilly Auto Parts World of Wheels show held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center March 5-7. Driver, T.J. Zizzo will sign autographs in the O'Reilly display from 12PM-3PM then from 5PM-8PM on Saturday. 

The auto show features all forms of vehicles, from classics, to street rods and the ultimate 8,000 horsepower machine, piloted by T.J. Zizzo.

"It's been an exciting winter," Zizzo said. "We've been having a lot of fun on our off season tour, doing displays for PEAK. The World of Wheels in Chicago will be extra special since it's so much like a hometown event for us. I know we'll see lots of friends, family and fans this weekend."

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. - T.J. Zizzo, driver of the PEAK/HERCULINER/O'Reilly Top Fuel Dragster participated in Celebrity Readers Day at Fairhaven School in Illinois. Zizzo read from his favorite childhood book "Little Turtle's Big Adventure".

"My mom used to read that book to me when I was a kid," Zizzo explained. "The book has been around. It's all taped up, I even read it to my kids."

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill.- If you haven't tuned in to one of the Access Hollywood type celebrity TV shows lately, now might be a good time to start. We're expecting a T.J. Zizzo sighting on the red carpet sometime soon.

First it was back stage at the O'Reilly Manager Conference with Danica Patrick and Tony Stewart, now these photos surface with Zizzo, driver of the PEAK, HERCULINER / O'Reilly Top Fuel Dragster, sharing the stage with 'da Bears' Hall of Fame player and coach Mike Ditka and Indiana All-American and 1965 first round draft pick of the Detroit Lions, Tom Nowatzke.

LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. - August 2009 marked a first for Zizzo Racing and if you ask Tony Zizzo, it won't be the last. Tony Zizzo, team owner of the PEAK, HERCULINER / O'Reilly Top Fuel Dragster that competes in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series, made his rookie trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats last summer more than memorable.

While Tony is no stranger to speed of the quarter-mile variety, he did find the 159 square mile salt flats of northwestern Utah a different challenge. "It's a different world out there," Zizzo said. "Bonneville is the place for old drag racers that lose their reaction time," he joked.

A few of the differences in racing for Land Speed Records and Drag Racing became evident to Zizzo shortly after his first licensing pass on the three short track. "The officials told me not to go over 125 mph even though I have drag racing experience at least twice that fast," Zizzo explained. "It's really hard to tell how fast you're going out there. There's no grandstands or finish line to give you a sense of speed. I felt like I was on a Sunday drive." 

Zizzo's 217 mph rookie pass landed him in hot water with track officials. "They wouldn't even give me my time slip," Zizzo said. "I really didn't feel like I was going that fast." The compromise that kept Zizzo at 2009 Speed Week was to 'leave the track' and return the next day as if had never been there and start all over again. Just a rookie mistake. 

NASHVILLE, Tenn.  - Zizzo Racing's Tony and T.J. Zizzo put the PEAK, HERCULINER / O'Reilly Top Fuel Dragster on display yesterday during the 2010 O'Reilly's National Managers Conference at The Gaylord Opryland Resort And Convention Center. The opportunity gave Zizzo a chance to meet O'Reilly team members from around the country. It also gave T.J. a chance to trade racing stories back stage with IRL driver Danica Patrick and NASCAR's Tony Stewart.

"Having a chance to meet Danica and Tony for a few moments back stage was fun," T.J. explained. "There are a lot of differences in how we each get a race car down the track, but in the end, we all just want to compete and drive fast."

Zizzo would face Cory McClenathan in round one of eliminations. Both teams experienced tire shake, McClenathan with the lessor of the two got the win and moved on to round two.

"It was a tricky situation," Zizzo said. "The cooler overcast conditions on Monday were like nothing any of us had seen all weekend. I think the track was a lot tighter than anyone thought it would be."

The O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals marked the fifth and final race of 2009 for Zizzo Racing.

"We had a great time meeting O'Reilly team members during the PEAK promotions," Zizzo said. "It's always fun to be a part of and we hope we get a chance race and represent them in the future."