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Up & Down Day Still Positive for PEAK Motor Oil Team

Topics: Big O Tires NHRA Nationals

Up & Down Day Still Positive for PEAK Motor Oil Team

Brandon Mudd
High Side Media
Zizzo Racing
October 28, 2011

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT:
Zizzo Racing
Brandon W. Mudd
BWMudd@ZizzoRacing.com
636-219-9676

Up & Down Day Still Positive for PEAK Motor Oil Team

LAS VEGAS – TJ Zizzo and the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team did not come to the Big O Tires NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to leave empty handed and proved they meant business in the first round of qualifying. The Chicago-based NHRA Full Throttle Series team laid down an ET of 3.899 seconds, good enough to put them second in the round behind Del Worsham and give them two bonus points.

The second round didn’t quite go as well as the first. In the last Pro pairing of the day, Zizzo and his PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner rail ran clean and fast until around half track when the machine started losing cylinders. By the time Zizzo crossed the finish line, the engine was in flames. The veteran dragster pilot got out of the car safely and headed back to the Zizzo Racing pit to prepare the car for Saturday’s qualifying.

“That’ll make the highlight reel, that last run, won’t it?” Zizzo said in his pit area. “It looked pretty! Nice big flame coming out of it, but unfortunately, we go from No. 2 qualifier, feeling good and confident about yourself, and now we’re No. 14. That’s a tough thing to grasp. Now it’s like we’re going to start all over again.

“It was an adequate day. We’ll start over again tomorrow and see where it ends up.”

Fortunately, the explosion did not oil down the track surface. Had that happened, the team could have lost the run altogether or, worse, been fined. While the team is currently 14^th in provisional qualifying and will have to re-establish their qualifying time, the outlook for the close-knit team is positive.

“That’s an easy deal,” said team car chief Rick Messmore regarding the repairs of the wounded dragster. “We’re going to pull this motor out, put a new one in that we already have ready to go, about 30 minutes worth of work. Then we’ll be ready to go tomorrow.”

Zizzo wasn’t the only driver who was challenged in the second round. Fellow Chicago native and seven-time NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel champion Tony Schumacher finished the day 15^th with Shawn Langdon and 2011 Winternationals winner Morgan Lucas ending their Friday at 16^th and 17^th, respectively.

For ticket information for the Big O Tires NHRA Nationals at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, click HERE. The second round of quals for nitro are Saturday at 11:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Eliminations start at 11 a.m. Sunday.

Honoring a Champion: Zizzo, along with most of the NHRA Full Throttle Series teams here, are honoring former IndyCar Series champion and two-time and reigning Indianapolis 500 winner Dan Wheldon with memorial decals on their machines. Wheldon lost his life at Las Vegas Motor Speedway two weeks ago in their series finale.

Get Zizzo Stuff: Want some great race-used items from an NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel team? Have a friend or relative who’s impossible to shop for? Look no more! Head over to the Zizzo Racing page on eBay by clicking HERE!

Fans of TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing can find updates and photos of the PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel team by checking out ZizzoRacing.com, Twitter.com/ZizzoRacing, and Facebook.com/ZizzoRacing. Videos of TJ and Zizzo Racing can be found at YouTube.com/TJZizzo.

-ZR-

About Zizzo Racing:
Zizzo Racing has been involved in drag racing at the top levels for more than 30 years. Based in Lincolnshire, Ill. and owned by Tony Zizzo, the team started racing in 1980 in the Top Alcohol Dragster class, moving to nitro with TJ in 2004 after earning his class license. In 2007, TJ Zizzo finished second in the final IHRA standings and now competes on a part-time basis in the NHRA Full Throttle Series.

About PEAK/Old World Industries:
PEAK® Performance Products are marketed and distributed by Old World Industries, which is among the largest privately held companies competing in the automotive aftermarket. The Northbrook, Illinois based company enjoys a presence in the automotive product markets, energy exploration, and chemical manufacturing in more than 50 countries worldwide. Old World's Product offering includes PEAK® Antifreeze; PEAK® Windshield Wash and Wiper Blades; PEAK® Performance Motor Oil; a full line of PEAK® Electronics; HERCULINER® Truck Bed Liner Kits; and SIERRA®, the safer antifreeze. For more information, please visit www.peakauto.com.

TJ Zizzo
TJ Zizzo is the driver of the PEAK/Herculiner NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel dragster and his family-owned team is based in Lincolnshire, Ill. TJ has raced his entire life and runs Zizzo Enterprises, Inc., when he's not racing. He and his wife, Jen, have two children -- Maddie and Nick -- and spends what little free time he has golfing and riding motorcycles. Follow TJ on Twitter at Twitter.com/TJZizzo and on Facebook at Facebook.com/TJZizzo.
Team:
Owner: Tony Zizzo
Crew Chief: Mike Kern
Clutch Specialist: Tony Smith
Utilities/Tires: Mike Adams
Event Coordinator: Cathie Gallo
Cylinder Heads: Rick Dale
Car Chief: Rick Messmore
Bottom End/Motor Assembly: Ryan Ramos
Clutch/Car Assembly: Chris Schneider
Cylinder Head (right): Joe Cluts
Utility: Matt Blager
Utility: Doug Wikell
Public/Media Relations: Brandon W. Mudd

Our mailing address is:
Zizzo Racing, Inc.
23275 North Olsen Court
Prairie View, IL 60069
Copyright (C) 2011 Zizzo Racing, Inc.

The Zizzo Racing logo and TJ Zizzo are trademarks of Zizzo Racing, Inc.