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2013 NHRA: Zizzo Upbeat Despite Second DNQ Of ‘13
About an hour after the NHRA Gatornationals at Auto Plus Raceway here, it began to rain. Had the weather turned south the previous day, TJ Zizzo and the PEAK Motor Oil Top Fuel team would have made their first race of the 2013 NHRA Mello Yello Series season. Unfortunately for the Chicagoland native, they instead DNQed their second race, once again qualifying 17th.
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Friday started strong for the second-generation drag racer, finishing Q1 fourth and ending the first day of qualifying 12th, allowing him to carry his 3.90 ET into Saturday. Unfortunately, that was their best time of the weekend as the field got progressively faster. As the sun set in Gainesville, Zizzo realized he was heading home a day earlier than he had planned.
Ever the optimist, Zizzo recognized the positives the weekend in Florida represented. “Seriously, we did way better than we did in Pomona,” he said. “A minor turn there and there and we should be good. We’re looking forward to our first 4-Wide Nationals in Charlotte. We struggled in Pomona and we are battling back.”
The race was eventually won by defending class champion Antron Brown with Clay Millican, a fan favorite whose partnership with Bob Vandergriff is already paying dividends, finishing in the runner-up slot. The Top Fuel class is easily the most competitive in the NHRA this season and Zizzo said he wouldn’t have it any other way.
“We enjoy racing in the NHRA’s premier class. It’s the hardest class right now.”
The next race for Zizzo Racing and the PEAK Motor Oil Top Fuel dragster is the 4th Annual Dollar General 4-Wide Nationals at the Bellagio of Drag Strips, zMAX Dragway in Concord, NC. Nitro qualifying begins Friday at 3:15 p.m. local time and resume Saturday at 1 p.m. Saturday. Eliminations are scheduled to begin at Noon Sunday.
PaddockTalk Perspective
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