T.J. Zizzo is doing a terrible job of impersonating a part-time racer.
The Chicago native made the quickest run in each of Friday’s Top Fuel qualifying sessions to set the pace for the 24th annual Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance.
Austin Prock (Funny Car), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also set the high-water mark in each one of their prospective Mission Foods Drag Racing Series divisions.
Zizzo secured the provisional pole with a 3.753-second elapsed time at 331.77 miles per hour. He finished the day ahead of defending event champion Clay Millican, who went 3.746 earlier in the session.
Zizzo was a provisional No. 1 qualifier in 2019 in Gainesville, but it didn’t hold. This time, he’ll look to keep the No. 1 spot at his home track.
“Today has been a dream,” Zizzo said. “You have the opportunity to do all kinds of things in this world, but to do this with friends and family is really special. We have worked really hard to get this done, and it means a lot.
“I have to say that Don Schumacher was riding along with me today. He was instrumental in the success of this team. We don’t race as much as I’d like, but I have confidence that when the car runs, every nut and bolt is right. My crew is all volunteer, but they’ve all been with me for a long time and I have complete confidence in them.”
Behind Millican, defending world champion Doug Kalitta sits third after going 3.750 at 332.84.
Just like Zizzo is performing uncharacteristically as a part-timer, Prock is the same way in his freshman season as a Funny Car driver. His 3.907 at 332.43 run was enough to corral the No. 1 spot. Like Zizzo, Prock made the best run in each session, slipping past Bob Tasca to close out the evening in the Funny Car category. If his run holds, it will mark his fourth No. 1 qualifier in six races this season.
“It definitely feels good, especially after Charlotte where we weren’t happy,” Prock said. “We didn’t race smart in Charlotte, and it cost us. Here, we made two great runs. I’m getting more seat time and we changed a few components on the car as far as steering. This is just my sixth race, but I’d say I’m more comfortable in the Funny Car. From day one, I’ve been saying I’m oddly comfortable in there. Don’t get me wrong. This thing is a beast, and anyone who tells you otherwise is crazy, but I feel really good right now.”
Tasca was second with a 3.913 at 329.91, while Paul Lee’s 3.922 at 323.13 has him third.
Enders has plenty she wants to accomplish this weekend. She’s on the cusp of 50 national event wins, and her Friday 6.548 at 209.69 puts her in the driver’s seat for her second No. 1 this season and the 36th in her career. The defending and six-time world champ also made her selection for Saturday’s GETTRX Pro Stock All-Star Callout, selecting longtime rival and No. 2 seed Greg Anderson.
Dallas Glenn called out Troy Coughlin Jr., followed by Aaron Stanfield, selecting Matt Hartford as his first-round opponent. The other matchup features Cristian Cuadra against Deric Kramer, and Enders is excited for Saturday’s bonus race.
“We went to Tulsa to test this week because it’s no secret that we’ve been struggling a bit, and this race is very important to me for a number of reasons,” Enders said. “I have a lot of great memories here. Obviously, it’s where I got my first win and to think I could also get my 50th would be amazing. I know it’s a tall order, but it’s what we’re shooting for.”
“Our team talked strategy (for the Callout). We eventually decided to take Greg, and our thinking was go big or go home. When you think about it, Greg and I have battled for the top spot for the last ten years or more, and I expect we’ll go back and forth until the end of our careers.”
Coughlin is currently second in qualifying with a 6.554 at 209.75, and Anderson is right behind after his run of 6.554 at 208.78.
Smith led both sessions of Pro Stock Motorcycle with a best of 6.708 at 201.40. If his run holds, it could snap Gaige Herrera’s class-record streak of 11 No. 1 qualifiers and would also be his 53rd top qualifier if it holds up.
“I think we’re running well, and we’ve made this bike very competitive,” Smith said. “Our goal is to just keep getting better and hats off to this whole team for the progress we’ve made. We’re learning, and we’ll keep trying to improve.
“We’ve been working hard and testing to get out sixty-foot times better. I had a 1.05 in Charlotte, and the bike wouldn’t shift, and I had a 1.05 here on Q1. We put some power in it, and it stuck. Really, our goal is just to make our program better.”
Herrera, who has won seven consecutive races, is current second with a run of 6.745 at 200.17, and LE Tonglet is third thanks to a run of 6.772 at 200.44.
Qualifying continues at 11:40 a.m. CT on Saturday at the Gerber Collision & Glass Route 66 NHRA Nationals presented by PEAK Performance at Route 66 Raceway. The first round of the GETTRX Pro Stock All-Star Callout starts at 11:30 a.m. CT on Saturday, with the semifinals to follow at 1:45 p.m. and the finals at 2:55 p.m.
