Dirt
No-Prep
Queen
Lizzy Musi adds third consecutive
No Prep Kings win at Firebird
By Josh Hachat
credible 2019 season. She became the first female
to win a No Prep Kings event after her triumph in
Epping, N.H., and it’s been remarkable watching
the project come together.
Jerry Bickel delivered a stunning Camaro that
has been a step ahead of the competition, while
Musi’s father, Pat, has provided his expertise and
tuning skills on the nitrous-powered engine. In
the process, he’s become a fan of the series, taking
in an electric atmosphere where his daughter has
thrived. “The excitement, the crowd, the atmo-
sphere, it’s pretty incredible,” Pat Musi said. “And
we’re working for it. There’s not any gimmes. We
were really thrashing on it. It was a whole team
effort. Kye put this deal together and it’s really
been working out.”
In the midst of the weekend, Lizzy fought the
frustration of the slow start. It took some work
– both mentally and on the car – but the team
came on in a major way. “For the people who
know me, I know I am pretty hard on myself,”
Musi said. “Racing is my passion and I made it
my living. I live and breathe it. I haven’t been
feeling my best lately and (I’ve) been trying to
push through.
“The beginning of this race we struggled hard
with Aftershock. Going from winning two races
and (the) car running killer to this race, the car
(was) hell on wheels to drive. I was determined
to find out why.”
By the end of the weekend, there was no de-
nying they had things figured out. Next up is a
trip to Route 66 Raceway, as Musi will look for a
fourth straight win. With the way the team came
together to win $40,000 for a third consecutive
victory, Pat Musi knows another victory isn’t out
of the question.
“We were struggling a little bit and it took a
couple runs to get it,” Pat Musi said. “Lizzy was
down on herself, but I told her just to drive and
we’ve got the rest. You have to pedal those things
sometimes, and, flat-out, she’s been great.”
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I l l u s t r a t e d | DragIllustrated.com
Issue 147
T
he end result was the same as it
has been the last two races, as Lizzy
Musi continued to tear through the
Street Outlaws: No Prep Kings ranks,
this time at Firebird Raceway in Eagle, Idaho.
The journey, though, was far different this time.
Musi battled through a litany of issues on her
Edelbrock-equipped “Aftershock” Camaro early in
the weekend, but by the end, she was back to her
usual dominant self. That meant a third straight
No Prep Kings victory for Musi, continuing her
unprecedented run in the series. “For me to win
three in a row, I did not think it was possible,”
Musi said on social media. “This race was, for
sure, a struggle.”
After a slow start, Musi and her team came on
strong at Firebird Raceway, beating Ryan Martin
in the final round to collect another $40,000
prize. It followed up victories at New England
Dragway and Gateway Motorsports Park, as Musi
has run roughshod over a talented group of com-
petitors on the No Prep Kings scene.
But this one took some traversing through
rough waters, as Musi dealt with racing in al-
titude on hot track and at a new facility for her.
Kye Kelley’s “Shocker” seemed to have the
car to beat, but Musi delivered when it counted,
showcasing some impressive perseverance along
the way. “I could have sworn Kye had the car to
beat this weekend,” Musi wrote. “His car was
running strong ‘A’ to ‘B’ passes in the heat, where
mine would break loose and (I) had to wheel the
hell out of it to get the first few wins.
“(I) can’t thank my whole team enough for all
their hard work through the heat and all the fast
turnarounds, not on just one car but two.”
It made the weekend even more impressive,
adding another impressive stroke on Musi’s in-