There are big races in drag racing, and then there is Indy.
For TJ Zizzo and the Zizzo Racing team, the 72nd NHRA U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park represents another shot at the race every driver wants on their résumé. Winning the Big Go is a career-defining accomplishment, and doing it during NHRA’s 75th anniversary season would make the moment even bigger.
Zizzo will bring the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster to Indianapolis with plenty of confidence, a program that has continued to improve over the past several seasons, and one of the largest Top Fuel fields in recent memory standing between him and Monday’s winner’s circle.
Indy Means More To Zizzo Racing
Zizzo is a second-generation drag racer, and NHRA competition has been part of his family for longer than he has been alive.
That history makes competing at the U.S. Nationals especially meaningful.
“NHRA drag racing has been a part of Zizzo Racing and my family for longer than I have been alive,” said TJ Zizzo, a second generation drag racer. “Indy is a magical event and to be a part of the 75th anniversary season at the U.S. Nationals will be awesome. We have run well at this race, and we are looking forward to building on our momentum from the Chicago race earlier this season. This Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster will be ready to make some noise for sure.”
The spotlight at Indy only adds to the opportunity. Tens of thousands of fans will be in the grandstands, while a national television audience on FOX will see the biggest race of the NHRA regular season. For a part-time team, that kind of exposure makes every hour spent in the shop worthwhile.
Chicago Gave Zizzo Something To Build On
Zizzo Racing’s previous 2026 appearance came at the Gerber Collision and Glass Route 66 Nationals outside Chicago. That race carries its own importance for Zizzo because it puts him in front of his hometown crowd, family, friends, and sponsors.
The Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster qualified No. 10 in a deep field before drawing four-time world champion Antron Brown in the opening round. Zizzo made a competitive pass, but Brown managed to drive around him near the finish line. The win light didn’t come on in Zizzo’s lane, but the weekend still gave the team a solid baseline heading toward Indianapolis.
Twenty-One Top Fuel Teams Will Fight For 16 Spots
Qualifying at the U.S. Nationals is never easy, this year it could be brutal.
Twenty-one Top Fuel teams are expected to compete for 16 positions in the field, meaning five dragsters will go home before Monday eliminations even begin.
“This is the biggest field of Top Fuel dragsters we have ever faced in qualifying in recent history,” said Zizzo. “Everyone wants to qualify and race for the U.S. Nationals Diamond Wally trophy. The 75th anniversary design is so cool I would love to be able to say Zizzo Racing won one of those trophies. It would be an awesome accomplishment. I know everyone on the Zizzo Racing team will be focused on that goal.”
More Than 2,000 Hours Went Into The Rust-Oleum Dragster
The Zizzo Racing team didn’t spend the offseason sitting around.
Crew chief Mike Kern and the rest of the operation invested more than 2,000 hours into improving virtually every part of the Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster and the overall race program. That work continues a progression that has already produced No. 1 qualifying efforts and impressive elapsed times over the past couple of seasons.
The team’s biggest result remains a runner-up finish during the 2020 season, a race delayed by weather and eventually completed at the U.S. Nationals.
“We have been steadily improving the past few years even though we haven’t won a race,” said Zizzo. “Thanks to the late Don Schumacher, we upgraded across the board in 2022 and the rest is history. You must have a passion to compete out here and you also need to take risks, in a good way. The U.S. Nationals coming up is an opportunity to really go for it and try and make some history.”
Rust-Oleum Is Part Of Zizzo’s Life Away From The Track
Zizzo’s relationship with Rust-Oleum also runs deeper than a decal on the side of the dragster.
When he isn’t racing, Zizzo operates an auto body business, where Rust-Oleum products are part of everyday life.
“It is cool be to be a part of the Rust-Oleum family on and off the track,” said Zizzo. “Our body shop uses all sorts of Rust-Oleum products every day and our customers can see our Rust-Oleum Top Fuel dragster when they come to the body shop because it is also our race shop. The dragster is a great conversation starter, and we could not be more proud to have a company like Rust-Oleum on the side as well as all our other marketing partners.”
That authentic connection makes the sponsorship fit naturally. Customers walking into the body shop can literally see the Top Fuel dragster they’re helping support. Not many businesses have a 12,000-horsepower conversation piece sitting nearby.
The pieces are there. The team has spent thousands of hours improving the car. Zizzo has shown he can qualify in tough fields. The Rust-Oleum dragster has produced the kind of performance necessary to compete with full-time Top Fuel operations.
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