In the interest of transparency , I ’ ve been the PR guy for his NHRA Top Fuel team , Zizzo Racing , since 2010 . I met him and his son and driver , TJ , at zMAX Dragway near Charlotte that fall and went to work for them at their next race at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway . In a sport full of interesting personalities , Tony stands out .

A Top Alcohol veteran and champion , a regular presence every summer at Bonneville , and now an NHRA team owner , Zizzo has done a little bit of everything within the sport of drag racing and it all started at a small drag strip in Wisconsin with his friend , Al DaPozzo .

“ I kinda invested in the whole operation as half partner ,” Zizzo said of DaPozzo ’ s Top Alcohol team . “ And I told him I wanted to drive the thing . He says , ‘ Ah , I dunno .’ But we ended up going to Union Grove , Wisc ., and got me started on my licensing process in 1978 , halfway through the season when I got hooked up with him partnership-wise . I made my first pass , my first half-track pass , at Union Grove in 1978 .”

While he earned his license with DaPozzo ’ s help , Zizzo ’ s first race came as the owner / driver of his own team in 1980 at Detroit Dragway .

Although he was no longer working with his former partner , DePozzo provided Tony with parts and assistance during that first race . And the results ?

“ It was the most ill-handling , uncomfortable car I ’ ve ever sat in in all my life to date ,” Zizzo said . “ Back then , we all qualified because everybody ran in the top-18 back for the final round . So , I ’ m sure I qualified , but back then , if we ran 6.20s at 200 miles an hour , we were heroes .”

A five-time UDRA Top Alcohol Dragster champion , Zizzo ’ s career as a drag racer was moving forward quickly ( pun kinda intended ). But something was rushing Tony from behind , moving

along even quicker — his son TJ .

His only son , TJ had been a staple at the strip along with his dad and mom for as long as he could remember . “ There were a lot of UDRA days , a lot of one-night stands , meaning UDRA was just a one-night deal ,” TJ said . “ You get there on a Saturday , you run Saturday night , and you get home on a Sunday .

“ My dad did a lot of winning when I was a kid . When I was starting to process what was going on in the world , when I was probably eight or nine , I think he was the multi-time UDRA champ . I saw him go to a lot of finals and beat a lot of people and race really hard . He was always determined . The guy always did what it took to get something accomplished and do it well .”

With TJ coming up , Tony decided it was time to get out of the car full time and focus on his son ’ s racing career . When TJ turned 16 and earned his street driver ’ s license , the elder Zizzo took the younger Zizzo to the track to get him licensed

PHOTOS : ZIZZO RACING ARCHIVES