Chicago native TJ Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum-backed Zizzo Racing team turned in a memorable weekend performance at their home event, the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK, advancing into race day after qualifying No. 10 in a stacked Top Fuel field at Route 66 Raceway.
Zizzo piloted the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster to a strong 3.774-second pass at 331.61 mph during Friday night qualifying, securing the team’s spot for race day and once again proving why Zizzo Racing is regarded as one of the toughest part-time operations in the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series.
In Sunday’s opening round, Zizzo squared off against four-time Top Fuel world champion Antron Brown in one of the most competitive matchups of the first round.
Zizzo lost the starting line advantage over Brown, but he stayed in contention throughout the run before Brown narrowly drove around him for the win.
“We gave Antron [Brown] a run for his money,” said Zizzo. “The car performed, and the driver did okay. Most importantly, besides giving Antron a run for the money, my dad left here with a smile. That’s always a positive in our book here at Zizzo Racing. Look around, we had fun. This is probably the most fun I’ve had at Chicago in a long time.”
For Zizzo, the weekend represented far more than just on-track performance. Racing in front of family, friends, sponsors and hometown fans made the Route 66 event one of the highlights of the season for the Chicago-based driver, who is competing in a limited schedule during the 2026 season.
Throughout the weekend, Zizzo hosted his annual Nitro Cakes pancake breakfast for fans and welcomed approximately 250 guests through the team’s hospitality and suite experience at the track.“We had roughly 250 people here,” said Zizzo. “We had a suite, we had the Kittie’s Warriors charity on the midway, we had hospitality and we had MTT Master Truck & Trailer RVs out here. We had so much going on and it was a blast.”
The weekend also served as another reminder of the consistency and professionalism the Zizzo Racing operation has become known for despite its part-time schedule.
“It’s always so cool to pull this car out, and out-qualify people who do this for a living,” said Zizzo. “When I go to other race shops to get advice or pick up parts, they say to me, ‘you guys are the best part-time team out there.’ And that’s an incredible thing to hear.”
Zizzo was quick to credit his experienced crew for the team’s continued success against the sport’s full-time powerhouses.
“My crew guys are the best,” said Zizzo. “And what they love is the nods they get from other teams, after we go out there and rip a good session. Those little nods that other teams give our team members are what keeps bringing them back. We go up there, we look professional, we act professional, and things work out in our direction most of the time.”
Zizzo Racing’s next race will be the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals on September 2-7 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park. To keep up to date on Zizzo Racing’s 2026 plans, follow TJ Zizzo on social media. And for tickets or more information on the NHRA U.S. Nationals visit www.nhra.com.
This story was originally published on May 19, 2026. 
