INDIANAPOLIS (September 1, 2025) — The Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster team owned by Anthony “Tony” Zizzo and piloted by his son TJ Zizzo relishes every opportunity to compete at the highest level of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. There is no race bigger or more prestigious than the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals and Zizzo was in the mix today when final eliminations got underway.
The team that competes at only a handful NHRA national events annually has become a feared opponent when they roll into the pits. Last year Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum team turned heads grabbing the No. 3 qualifier spot and they duplicated that effort this weekend rolling off the trailer on Friday and running 3.695 seconds at 333.08 mph to earn two qualifying bonus points and the No. 3 spot again after the first day of qualifying. This run was also a new personal best elapsed time for the team. Over the next two days they held their own against sixteen other tough competitors and came into race day with confidence and momentum after running the quickest qualifying pass of the final qualifying session.
TJ Zizzo and the Rust=Oleum Top Fuel dragster posted a career quickest elapsed time during the NHRA U.S. Nationals, photo credit Auto Imagery
THANKFUL TJ ZIZZO TAKES POSITIVES FROM SHORT NHRA U.S. NATIONALS RACE DAY
INDIANAPOLIS (September 1, 2025) — The Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster team owned by Anthony “Tony” Zizzo and piloted by his son TJ Zizzo relishes every opportunity to compete at the highest level of the NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series. There is no race bigger or more prestigious than the Cornwell Quality Tools NHRA U.S. Nationals and Zizzo was in the mix today when final eliminations got underway.
The team that competes at only a handful NHRA national events annually has become a feared opponent when they roll into the pits. Last year Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum team turned heads grabbing the No. 3 qualifier spot and they duplicated that effort this weekend rolling off the trailer on Friday and running 3.695 seconds at 333.08 mph to earn two qualifying bonus points and the No. 3 spot again after the first day of qualifying. This run was also a new personal best elapsed time for the team. Over the next two days they held their own against sixteen other tough competitors and came into race day with confidence and momentum after running the quickest qualifying pass of the final qualifying session.
TJ Zizzo and the Rust=Oleum Top Fuel dragster posted a career quickest elapsed time during the NHRA U.S. Nationals, photo credit Auto Imagery
“I am so proud of all these guys on the Rust-Oleum team,” said Zizzo. “It was impressive to come off the trailer and run a 3.69 second pass in the first round of qualifying. We do so much work just to get to the races and I am thrilled to see those results play out on this stage. The NHRA U.S. Nationals is the biggest race of the season, and every team wants to be a part of it. We are running numbers that have impressed a lot of people.”
In the first round they squared off with Jasmine Salinas who was making her return to the Mission Foods Drag Racing Series after a lengthy hiatus from competition. When the tree flashed both 12,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragsters blasted off the starting line and as Zizzo’s race car accelerated it drove into major tire shake. Zizzo was forced to lift as Salinas made a smooth pass down her lane. It was a surprising turn of events for Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel team.
“That was some of the worst tire shake I have ever experienced,” said Zizzo. “We are looking at what happened, but I am so thankful to be able to race on Monday. I appreciate all our sponsors giving us this opportunity. We do our best to represent them on and off the track.”
Zizzo was busy every day of the U.S. Nationals on and off the track. In addition to the five qualifying passes Zizzo was a featured driver at the Cruz Pedregon Racing Open House on Thursday night, on Friday he spent time with the fans in the Top Eliminator Club and on Saturday he was a highlighted driver with NHRA announcer Hannah Rickards talking with fans about what it takes to race at the highest level on a part time schedule. “These fans have been so amazing all weekend,” said Zizzo. “You hear the roar when you come back up the return road and that is so special. I have to give it up to them because they packed this place every day.”
The Rust-Oleum Top Fuel team will be back in action at the Midwest Nationals, September 25-28, at World Wide Technology Raceway outside of St. Louis, Missouri.
