Doorslammer legend Pat Musi is recuperating in a North Carolina hospital after undergoing major heart-bypass surgery earlier this week. 

"The surgery went well and smooth," confirmed daughter Lizzy Musi. "It was actually a bigger surgery than my dad was expecting to get done.  The facility here at Carolina Medical Center have been taking really good care of him, all the nurses are nice and he’s doing really well day by day -- he’s getting better.  Today he’s actually getting some tubes out of his chest so that should be a little more relieving for him."

Musi had four of his arteries blocked as much as 95-percent, Lizzy confirmed. 

Lizzy said her father treated chest pains pretty much the way most people do, by not expecting it to be a warning from his body. On the outside, she said her dad didn't appear in bad health and had taken all of the necessary precautions to ensure he was taking all the necessary examinations. 

"He had been having chest pains for a while," Lizzy explained. "He’d been having really severe chest pains and he’d wake up in the middle of the night with bad ones.  Always thought it was acid reflux, so had been taking acid reflux medicines and did all the stress tests, all different tests and everything came back good.  He still kept getting what he thought was acid reflux, so he stayed away from all the spicy foods. The pains kept coming."

Musi knew something just wasn't right, so he made an appointment with his doctor. During the examination,  a previous lesser blocked artery was brought up from an examination dating back to his days in New Jersey. One artery was blocked 45-percent then. 

"The tests came back and said that they were now blocked 95%, so it was that all along," Lizzy said. "Thank God that he went in to find out what was wrong because they said that he was close to having a heart attack."  s

Lizzy, who in addition to being a Pro Nitrous frontrunner, is also a fitness buff. She said this health scare means her father will undergo an extreme dietary makeover. 

"He’s got to watch what he eats now," Lizzy explained. "I’m huge on the health stuff.  I do a lot of research on vitamins and all that.  He’s going to be taking a multivitamin and eating a lot better than he is.  I’m going to be on him, we’re all going to be on him."

Lizzy added the outpouring of support from the drag racing community has been a blessing not only to her father but the family as well. 

"We are just honored to know we are surrounded by such a great community," Lizzy said. "Your prayers and support have been incredible and appreciated."