(Photo by NHRA Media) After nearly two years away, TJ Zizzo returned to his home track at Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill., Sunday, earning a semi-final berth. For the third time at the facility, Zizzo and the Rust-Oleum Rocket qualified 16th and beat No. 1, this time Mike Salinas, to advance. With one useable … Continue reading Zizzo Sets Personal Record in Return to Home Track
(Originally published at DragIllustrated.com 5/12/23) With both 4-Wide Nationals events in the rearview, NHRA takes its travelling circus to the newly-reopened Route 66 Raceway in Joliet, Ill. (I see you Ziz!) Before we hit Q1 near the Windy City, let’s take one more look at Speedway Motorsports Inc’s drag racing novelty. So…is 4-wide racing sustainable? … Continue reading Op-Ed: Is 4-Wide Sustainable?
(Originally posted at DragIllustrated.com 7/29/21) It’s a poorly-lit room in a non-descript basement. A small group of folks are milling around the large, silver coffee maker. Most of them have a death grip on their cup of joe, life preservers in a sea of anxiety. After some small talk and superfluous chatter, they take their … Continue reading Steve T. Is Addicted To Winning
(Originally published at DragIllustrated.com 6/4/21) “When I left you, I was but the learner. Now I am the master.” –Greg Anderson to Warren Johnson, probably. Greg Anderson was the first drag racer I interviewed. It was 2005 and I was the co-host of a weekly motorsports radio show in St. Louis. I was a NASCAR guy and the straight-line side of … Continue reading Greg Anderson Isn’t Human And We Have Proof
(Originally published at DragIllustrated.com 5/13/21) Three races into the 2021 NHRA Camping World Series season, Funny Car standout Bob Tasca III finds himself at the top of the class standings, 60 markers ahead of Gainesville winner JR Todd. A semi-final finish at the season-opening Gatornationals followed by back-to-back wins at the 4-Wide Nationals at Las … Continue reading BT3 Is Back: Bob Tasca III On Leading Funny Car Points, John Force, State Of NHRA
(Originally published at DragIllustrated.com on 5/5/21) I was the PR director at Gateway International Raceway (now World Wide Technology Raceway) across the Big Muddy from St. Louis when Warren Johnson earned his final NHRA Pro Stock win. It was one of the most bizarre victories I’ve seen in any form of motorsports, similar to Frankie “The Madman” … Continue reading ‘No Good Losses, No Bad Wins’: The Story of WJ’s Final Wally
(Originally published at DragIllustrated.com 4/26/21) Sunday, April 18th, at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Erica Enders won the NHRA Camping World Series Pro Stock race in her 300th career start. It was her eighth win and second straight at Vegas and her 30th overall in the class. She is currently at the top … Continue reading OPINION: Enders Isn’t ‘Just a Girl,’ She’s the Best in the Business
(Originally published at DragIllustrated.com 10/2/20) There are times in our sport when life gets in the way of racing. This was the case for Zizzo Racing after the NHRA US Nationals in September. Team owner Tony Zizzo was scheduled for brain surgery to remove a longtime tumor. Any plans to resume racing the Rust-Oleum Rocket … Continue reading Tony Zizzo: ‘We’re Going To St. Louis’ Team Owner Adamant To Race After Brain Surgery
(Originally published at DragIllustrated.com 5/19/20) I met Shawn Gann in the spring of 2008. I was the PR director at what was then Gateway International Raceway and was about to work my first NHRA National event. Over the course of Race Week, any number of people will come through your office for any number of … Continue reading Shawn Gann: 1978-2020
(Originally appeared on DragIllustrated.com 1/16/20) The life and career of NHRA Pro Stock legend Warren Johnson is being chronicled in a new biography set to hit the shelves towards the end of this year. Former National Dragster writer Kelly Wade has been tabbed for the monumental task of condensing the accomplishments of arguably the greatest doorslammer pilot … Continue reading Warren Johnson Biography to Hit Shelves in Late 2020
The Incredible Blog of Brandon Mudd 