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Zizzo to Face Sarge at Seattle Sunday

Topics: O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals

Zizzo to Face Sarge at Seattle Sunday

Brandon Mudd
High Side Media
Zizzo Racing
August 3, 2013

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

CONTACT:
Brandon W. Mudd
PR@HighSideMedia.com

KENT, Wash. – TJ Zizzo was jacked up Saturday at Pacific Raceways near Seattle and it had nothing to do with the area’s famous coffee. After Day 1 of qualifying for the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals was washed out Friday, Saturday saw the PEAK Motor Oil Top Fuel team take advantage of more great weather and track conditions in order to lay down a lap of 3.851 seconds.

The run, good for 14th for Sunday’s eliminations, is the most recent of the consistent passes made by the rail. The car was cranky at the beginning of the season, leaving the Zizzo Racing team, led by crew chief Mike Kern, scratching their heads. But now, as the team is in the midst of four-straight events, the dragster is waking up and providing great passes.

“That was a wheels up charge right there,” Zizzo said of the last lap of the day. “Left the starting line and the front tires were way up in the air and kept on carrying them. (The PEAK Motor Oil Top Fuel dragster) ran pretty good. Overall, I think that’s our tenth (clean) run in a row. I think we’ll take it.”

The second-generation racer will face fellow Chicago native Tony Schumacher Sunday. With runs such as the ones Zizzo has made of late, competitors know they can’t count the part-time team as an automatic E1 victory.

“It helps for tomorrow, for sure,” Zizzo said regarding his round Sunday against The Sarge. “When you have a consistent race car, other competitors start noticing that. They start thinking, ‘We’ve got to get down the race track,’ and if they make a mistake, we go right by them.”

But even with the team, and the car, firing on all eight cylinders, Zizzo Racing isn’t ready to call it good. “I mean, there’s room for improvement on our car. We’re not satisfied with the .85 and .86 at all.”

Last week’s NHRA Mello Yello Series Top Fuel winner, Shawn Langdon, earned the pole for tomorrow’s finals, laying down a lap of 3.765 seconds. He will face Troy Buff in the first round. Terry McMillen and Ron Smith did not qualify for the field of 16.

TJ in the Media: TJ is featured on this week’s Starting Line Edition of PRN’s Nitro Notes. To hear his comments regarding his debut at Pacific Raceways near Seattle, click HERE.

Fans of TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing can find updates and photos of the PEAK/Herculiner Top Fuel team by checking out ZizzoRacing.com, Instagram.com/ZizzoPEAK, Twitter.com/TJZizzo, and Facebook.com/TJZizzo.

Zizzo Racing and the PEAK Motor Oil Top Fuel dragster are racing at Pacific Raceways near Seattle this weekend in the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Northwest Nationals. Eliminations are scheduled for 11 a.m. Sunday.

-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.