PHOTOS : MARTY JOHNSON , GREG BURROW , MUSI FAMILY ARCHIVES pass down the quarter-mile strip . There is only a small tool box and a tire pressure gauge . A few sponsor decals are emblazoned across the red , white and blue paint job on the Camaro , which also bears Musi ’ s name on the door panel . This scene – simple and straightforward – was the norm for Musi as he was coming up and racing with names like Johnson , Glidden and Shepherd .
“ In the old days , we drove the crew cab , we put the car together – we did it all ,” Musi says . “ I come from the Warren Johnson / Bob Glidden days . We did it all ourselves – everything . And yes , you worked . Now the game is so hard . It takes a lot of people .”
Today , Musi keeps a low-key presence compared to some of the mega-haulers that fill the pits at PDRA and NHRA events , but it ’ s also a far cry from the bare-bones set-up he used to bring to the track . Musi ’ s trailer is a mobile version of his engine shop , stocked with anything and everything he ’ ll need over the course of any given race weekend . He ’ s joined by a complete team of crew members , each with a specific duty on the car .
“ Running one of these cars takes a lot of people ,” Musi asserts . “ I have a crew that I ’ ve developed . They all really work hard . Like Ronnie ( Viccaro ) – no way I could replace Ronnie . Everybody has their place . I can do it all if I have to , but it ’ s nice to have a team with dedicated roles . You have to start giving some jobs out . It ’ s hard to do it all yourself .”
Viccaro joined the Musi team after Musi Racing Engines relocated from New Jersey to Mooresville , North Carolina , home to just about every team that competes under the NASCAR umbrella . Viccaro enjoyed an illustrious career in the circle track world , including building engines for the late NASCAR Winston Cup champion Alan Kulwicki , before switching to the straight-line sport with Musi .
“ Ronnie walked in the door one day and hasn ’ t left since ,” Musi recalls . “ He ’ s been great . He ’ s really a good guy . He can go through the motor and maintain the motor . He ’ s learning more and more every day . In NASCAR , of course , the cars are completely different , but a lot of what they do over there applies here .”
Moving to NASCAR country , which also happens to be a hotbed for racing in general , has been a game-changing move for Musi . He ’ s within reasonable driving distance of every stop on the PDRA tour – no more than four hours from tracks like GALOT Motorsports Park , Virginia Motorsports Park , and Darlington Dragway – and just across town from zMAX Dragway , host of two NHRA Pro Mod events . Mooresville is also a great place to be if you ’ re in need of a skilled employee to work in your engine shop or help you campaign a top-flight Pro Modified . This location has conveniently allowed Musi to assemble an all-star team .
“ I know if a guy is good the first week out ,” Musi says of his hiring process . “ I always look at it as if I can get 75 percent of what I want
PRO STOCK DAYS
Pat Musi graduated high school in 1970 . Less than five years later he was racing Pro Stock , competing against the likes of Bob Glidden , Lee Shepherd , Ronnie Sox and Bill “ Grumpy ” Jenkins . He didn ’ t quietly step his foot into the waters , either . In typical Musi fashion , he came to crash the party and prove he belonged .
“ In the ‘ 70s , we used to do a lot of match racing and all the hitters were there ,” Musi says .
Musi raced Pro Stock in both IHRA and NHRA , making a noticeable impression in both places . He finished as runner-up to Glidden at his first IHRA race in 1976 , having immediate success right away in the NHRA as well .
There weren ’ t any event wins in the NHRA , but Musi always ran near the front with his small-block engine , giving the likes of Glidden and Shepherd a run for their money throughout the late 1970s and early ‘ 80s . More importantly , it was where Musi learned his craft , developing an expertise and work ethic that has been hard to match the past four decades .
“ Back then , it wasn ’ t a millionaire ’ s club in those days ,” Musi says . “ You could take one guy and he could do everything . You couldn ’ t just go buy an engine . It was all your own deal , just working hard at it . We ran pretty good , but we just had to work hard at it .”
Musi ’ s NHRA Pro Stock debut came in 1981 , bringing a big reputation from his IHRA success . Anyone thinking he would be humbled against the NHRA stars was quickly
Musi in the NHRA Pro Stock staging lanes with his wife , Elizabeth , in the late 1980s .
FAMILY BUSINESS : For Pat Musi , racing has always been about family . Here he ’ s flanked by his father on the right and his brother , Ralph , on the left early in his Pro Stock career .
mistaken , as he advanced to the finals at his first appearance in Pomona , going to a second final round at the next race in Gainesville .
Musi proved his worth that year , finishing fourth in points in a loaded class , but his days in Pro Stock were numbered . Big money and big sponsors were coming to the class , and that was never the way Musi operated .
He ran the 500 cubic-inch engine for three races in 1982 , but Musi soon realized that Pro Stock wasn ’ t going to be the place for him . Still , he left the class with a number of fond memories , laying the groundwork for future success elsewhere .
“ I was reading about those guys in high school and then I ended up racing them ,” Musi remembers . “ It was pretty good and it taught me a lot about work ethic . But when the money came around , that changed it .”
- JOSH HACHAT
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