how do i become a professional drag car racer

He’s had a license to drive a race car since high school. (Another former Redbird, Matthew Blager ’98, is Zizzo Racing’s supercharger technician.) And for Zizzo, it’s also a genetic passion, because of his dad. It’s a precision sport – like his other love, golf – and the one motorsport where fans have tremendous access to the pit area where Zizzo and his 12-person team tweak their machine. You are adapting to the situation at the time, so it feels really slow, believe it or not. “You slow your mind down, and your reflexes are at your highest. “You have adrenaline rushes like you can’t imagine,” Zizzo said.

So what’s it like to drive what’s essentially a 10,000-horsepower rocket car?

That return enabled him to continue working on his real passion – drag racing. After graduating college, he returned to his family-owned body shop, Zizzo Enterprises, which he now helps manage with his father, Tony, also a racing veteran.

The Lincolnshire native followed his girlfriend (and now wife), Jennifer (Wallner) Zizzo ’98, to Illinois State after meeting her his senior year of high school. “It was the best thing I ever did, because the social skills you learn in college are tremendous.” “Going to Illinois State made me well-rounded enough to be able to deal with Corporate America,” Zizzo said. That’s where all those communication classes from Illinois State come in handy. Not a lot of drivers on the NHRA Top Fuel Series have college degrees, Zizzo says, and that’s given him a huge advantage in a business that requires corporate sponsors and the ability to schmooze, sell products, and mingle with fans.

How do i become a professional drag car racer