Lizzy Musi was more than just a racer; she was a trailblazer and an inspiration. From a young age, she was drawn to drag racing, following in the footsteps of her legendary father. Lizzy carved out her own legacy in the racing world, becoming a fierce competitor and a beloved figure in the community.
Her accomplishments on the track were numerous and impressive. From her early days in the ADRL to the PDRA, Lizzy most recently found success in the Discovery show Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings. She has also been featured numerous times in Drag Illustrated for her accomplishments and was the cover star of DI #84, the Hottest issue, in February 2014. But beyond the accolades, Lizzy was known for her unwavering determination, infectious enthusiasm, and genuine love for the sport and its people.
A Legacy of Strength and Courage
Lizzy was also known for her incredible strength and courage off the track. In April 2023, she was diagnosed with triple-negative stage 4 breast cancer, which had spread to her lymph nodes and liver. Despite this challenging diagnosis, Lizzy remained open about her journey,
sharing her story with honesty and bravery. She underwent various treatments in the United States and, most recently, announced that her final-round NPK appearance at Empire Dragway would be her last for at least the next few events as she traveled to Germany for a special cancer treatment.
Early Life and Move to North Carolina
Born and raised in New Jersey, 23-year-old Lizzy Musi moved south late in 2012, as her father, doorslammer legend Pat Musi, relocated his family-owned-and-operated horsepower factory to Mooresville, North Carolina. Though not quite ready to declare herself a newly minted southern belle, the second-generation racer says she’s happy with the change in scenery.
“The weather is definitely nicer, especially in the winter, and I like the southern-type attitude, a lot of people are very friendly,” Musi says. “But what’s really cool is there’s so much racing going on down here; it’s incredible. We’ve got Mooresville Dragway about 12 miles from us and if I walk out of my house sometimes they’ll be racing or testing there and I can hear the burnouts. Or sometimes I’ll be standing outside the shop and hear the other race shops near us running their dynos. I just think that is so cool.”
Running the Family Business
With her dad stepping away from front office duties to concentrate on building horsepower out back, Musi has largely taken over day-to-day operations at Pat Musi Racing Engines (PMRE), which counts among its clients Pro Nitrous veterans John Hall, Tommy Franklin, and Robert Patrick, as well as 2013 ADRL Dragstock winner Jason Harris and defending NHRA Pro Mod World Champion Rickie Smith.
“It’s really a family effort, a family team here,” Musi explains. “I handle mostly the parts and part orders and invoicing and e-mails and all that; my sister and my mom do the paperwork stuff and my dad gives me the orders. So it’s basically like a big teamwork deal.
Dedication to Racing
For the last couple of years, Musi has been bringing that same sense of dedication to the track. Five years removed from making her last competitive drive down a drag strip—at 16 in a Jr. Dragster, no less—Musi made her Top Sportsman debut at the 2012 ADRL season opener in Houston, where she proved to be a quick learner, qualifying team owner John Lee’s 1969 Camaro fifth and even winning her first round of eliminations before suffering a surprising spinout at the end of her burnout that disqualified her from round two.
“I’m mad, but I’m also embarrassed,” a visibly upset Musi admitted at the time. “Something happened with the chip that’s supposed to control the RPMs for the burnout. I don’t know if it wasn’t turned on or something went wrong with it, but I heard and felt the engine just keep going up and I tried to ease out of the throttle, but it just got away from me. I was mad because I wanted to go a lot farther.”
Viral Fame and Racing Success
Then came the incident that for a brief time made Musi one of the most famous drag racers on the planet. While qualifying for just her second Top Sportsman race at Tennessee’s historic Bristol Dragway in April 2012, her car crossed over from the right lane and wound up on top of the left guardwall where it made a perfect pirouette before taking out the top-end TV camera as it ended up on the wrong side of the wall. That the camera caught all the action—even after its operator jumped over the wall to safety on the track—made for the perfect viral video.
Within days, Musi’s name and likeness made the rounds worldwide. The crash video was an instant hit on YouTube.com, quickly racking up multi-million views and leading to coverage from several mainstream television, print, and online news outlets, including Fox News, USA Today, and The Daily Mail in Great Britain.
“To be honest, I’m kind of glad that’s all died down. It was fun at the time doing all those interviews and appearances; it really was a great experience, thankfully because no one got hurt, but I don’t want to only be known as, ‘that chick that crashed,’” Musi says. “I want to win races and championships and be known for that eventually, instead.”
Consistent Performances and Challenges
Needing a replacement ride for Musi, Lee soon picked up a former Dewayne Silance-owned ’68 Camaro from Jerry Bickel Race Cars just a few weeks after the Bristol event. At the ADRL race in St. Louis that June, Musi made a then-career-best 4.15-seconds pass in the new car to qualify fourth, then went on to win two rounds on race day. More important to her, though, the weekend’s performance made a statement.
“I know after what happened in Houston and then the crash in Bristol, some people were wondering if I could drive a car like this, so it felt really good to make some runs like that and get that all behind me,” she says.
With a much more stable car to work with, Musi and the team then set about building experience and becoming one of the consistently quickest entries in the ADRL Top Sportsman ranks, typically qualifying their bright red, Edelbrock-backed Camaro in the top five and dialing in with 4-teens for race day. As her rookie year came to a close, Musi reached the semifinals for the first time in the season ender at Dallas and finished an impressive eighth in points.
Rising Through the Ranks
Then came 2013 and she picked up right where she left off, qualifying a career-high second at Rockingham, North Carolina, to start the season, followed by a third-place start at the next event in Cecil, Georgia, before the race was canceled by rain. Regardless, the tone was set for Musi, who made another second-place start at Cordova, Illinois, followed by her first number-one-qualifier award at Richmond, Virginia, where she again made it to the semis and left the track on top of the Top Sportsman points list.
The second half of the season began late in June at Martin, Michigan, where Musi once more started from the number-two slot and reached the semifinals, but after ADRL took the month of July off, she came back in August at Memphis with an off weekend that resulted in a first-round exit after qualifying sixth.
After that came an also disappointing return to Rockingham, where Musi redlighted away her chances in the opening round of the special-event Battle for the Belts before qualifying number four for ADRL’s prestigious Dragstock event, but made another early exit from round one. Regardless, she counts that event as one of her most memorable of the 2013 ADRL tour.
“I’ve got to say Rockingham is probably my biggest fan base out there. I mean, I had a pretty long line when I sat out there and signed posters,” They’re like the most important thing to me. Really, I love them. It’s a joy to be out there and just associate with them and give them attention because without them, you know, where would we be?”
“They still bring up the whole blue car thing (from Bristol), but I think this past year kind of made up for that whole deal,” she adds. “So it’s good to hear that. Now I can hear more about me doing good than that whole incident.”
Personal Life and Dedication
And while it’s always heartening to hear from young girls and women who gain inspiration from her on-track results, Musi admits she also gets plenty of attention from male fans, both trackside and online, but says it can be difficult to deal with at times.
“It can get a little crazy,” she says. “Some people are like, ‘Why don’t you write your number on the poster, too?’ And I’m like, ‘Oh God, no!’”
“Then on Facebook, I get ‘Do you want to go on a date?’ and these messages, I can’t even answer them; sometimes my inbox, my Facebook inbox is overwhelmed. So I just let it go right now. Then there are some that are like, ‘Hey, you’re doing good,’ and I just appreciate those types of messages. If I answer everything, I’d go nuts.”
On Her Own Terms
However, in real life, Musi insists she remains single, a state that’s likely to remain unchanged as long as she maintains her current busy schedule.
In Conclusion
Lizzy Musi’s story is one of passion, perseverance, and unwavering dedication to the sport she loved. Her journey, both on and off the track, touched the lives of many and left an indelible mark on the world of drag racing. Lizzy’s legacy will continue to inspire future generations of racers and fans alike.