LINCOLNSHIRE, Ill. – Racers race and when they don’t, they tend to get, well, cranky.
“It’s been a long time since Pomona,” said PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel pilot TJ Zizzo. “Do I remember how to drive a 300-mph fire-breathing beast?”
The question is rhetorical, but Zizzo Racing is champing at the bit to get back on the track. This weekend’s NHRA Full Throttle Series event at Royal Purple Raceway is just what the doctor ordered.
In years past, Houston and the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals represented the team’s first race of the season. Zizzo Racing kicked off its 2011 campaign at Pomona this year, so it’s a hungry team with a race under its belt arriving at Baytown this week.
“The team is fired up,” Zizzo said. “This year we got our first race out of the way at Pomona. Because we don’t test, that first race of the season is nice to get out of the way so we can be a little more aggressive at the next event.”
In conjunction with this weekend’s event, Royal Purple Raceway and the Houston Astros have joined together for “NHRA Night at the Ballpark” Thursday night a Minute Maid Field. The Astros will face ten-time World Series champs and current National League Central leaders, the St. Louis Cardinals. Defending event Funny Car winner Matt Hagan is scheduled to throw the ceremonial first pitch at approximately 7:05 p.m. and a number of NHRA drivers, including Zizzo, will be on-hand for an autograph session.
“The baseball game will be fun,” said Zizzo, a Chicago native. “I have not been to a professional MLB game in at least ten years. Astros and St. Louis; hopefully the Astros kick the Cardinals’ butt. I am a sotto Cubs fan.”
Meet TJ:The pilot of the PEAK/Herculiner NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel dragster will be at the O’Reilly Auto Parts location at 7416 Garth Rd., in Houston Thursday at 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Zizzo will also appear at the O’Reilly Auto Parts store at 3029 North Main St., at 12:45-2 p.m.
Fans of TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing can find updates and photos of the PEAK/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.
Zizzo will race his PEAK/Herculiner rail in the NHRA Full Throttle Series event at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas at the 23rd Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals. The first round of qualifying is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. local time Friday with the second round expected to start at 6 p.m. The final two rounds of qualifying for the Nitro classes are scheduled to begin at 11:45 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. local time Saturday. Finals kick off Sunday at 11 a.m. immediately following pre-race ceremonies. Spectator gates for all three days of racing open at 7:30 a.m. For information about the event or to purchase tickets, visit RoyalPurpleRaceway.com or call 281-383-7223.
“It’s been a long time since Pomona,” said PEAK Motor Oil/Herculiner Top Fuel pilot TJ Zizzo. “Do I remember how to drive a 300-mph fire-breathing beast?”
The question is rhetorical, but Zizzo Racing is champing at the bit to get back on the track. This weekend’s NHRA Full Throttle Series event at Royal Purple Raceway is just what the doctor ordered.
In years past, Houston and the O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals represented the team’s first race of the season. Zizzo Racing kicked off its 2011 campaign at Pomona this year, so it’s a hungry team with a race under its belt arriving at Baytown this week.
“The team is fired up,” Zizzo said. “This year we got our first race out of the way at Pomona. Because we don’t test, that first race of the season is nice to get out of the way so we can be a little more aggressive at the next event.”
In conjunction with this weekend’s event, Royal Purple Raceway and the Houston Astros have joined together for “NHRA Night at the Ballpark” Thursday night a Minute Maid Field. The Astros will face ten-time World Series champs and current National League Central leaders, the St. Louis Cardinals. Defending event Funny Car winner Matt Hagan is scheduled to throw the ceremonial first pitch at approximately 7:05 p.m. and a number of NHRA drivers, including Zizzo, will be on-hand for an autograph session.
“The baseball game will be fun,” said Zizzo, a Chicago native. “I have not been to a professional MLB game in at least ten years. Astros and St. Louis; hopefully the Astros kick the Cardinals’ butt. I am a sotto Cubs fan.”
Meet TJ:The pilot of the PEAK/Herculiner NHRA Full Throttle Series Top Fuel dragster will be at the O’Reilly Auto Parts location at 7416 Garth Rd., in Houston Thursday at 11 a.m.-12:15 p.m. Zizzo will also appear at the O’Reilly Auto Parts store at 3029 North Main St., at 12:45-2 p.m.
Fans of TJ Zizzo and Zizzo Racing can find updates and photos of the PEAK/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.
Zizzo will race his PEAK/Herculiner rail in the NHRA Full Throttle Series event at Royal Purple Raceway in Baytown, Texas at the 23rd Annual O’Reilly Auto Parts NHRA Spring Nationals. The first round of qualifying is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. local time Friday with the second round expected to start at 6 p.m. The final two rounds of qualifying for the Nitro classes are scheduled to begin at 11:45 a.m. and 2:15 p.m. local time Saturday. Finals kick off Sunday at 11 a.m. immediately following pre-race ceremonies. Spectator gates for all three days of racing open at 7:30 a.m. For information about the event or to purchase tickets, visit RoyalPurpleRaceway.com or call 281-383-7223.
