Pat Musi has spent decades building horsepower that has powered championships across drag racing. This weekend at Bristol Dragway, fans will get the chance to meet the man behind many of those winning combinations while taking a close look at one of his latest creations.
The legendary engine builder will headline a fan autograph session during the Red Line Oil PDRA Drag Racing Series Thunder Valley Throwdown presented by Larry Jeffers Race Cars. His appearance will coincide with the public display of the “Back in Black” 1969 Camaro, a new addition to the Musi Muscle restomod lineup powered by an Edelbrock Musi 555 crate engine.
The event marks another chapter in Musi’s long association with the PDRA, where his engines have become synonymous with success since the series launched in 2014.
“Pat Musi has been a key ‘power broker’ in the PDRA since the series began in 2014,” said Mark Beatty, a member of the PDRA leadership team.
“This is a great opportunity for fans to meet Pat, swap stories, and pick his brain on all things horsepower. Everyone knows Pat for building these massive nitrous engines that power many of our Pro Nitrous racers, but he also pours that same knowledge and experience into his crate engine program with Edelbrock. I’ve seen the ‘Back in Black’ car myself, and it’s a real show piece that will really stand out on our midway this weekend.”
Long before becoming one of drag racing’s premier engine builders, Musi earned his reputation behind the wheel. He collected multiple Pro Street world championships before shifting his attention to building and tuning engines that would go on to win titles throughout the sport.
His engines have powered PDRA champions in Pro Nitrous, Pro 632, Super Street and Elite Top Sportsman, while his influence also reached No Prep racing through his late daughter, Lizzy Musi, who became the first woman to win in both PDRA Pro Nitrous competition and the No Prep Kings series.
For Musi, the Bristol appearance offers a chance to connect with the racers and fans who have followed his career while showcasing the company’s latest street-performance program.
“I can’t say enough about PDRA and I’m excited to have a presence on the midway this weekend,” Musi said. “I’m always at the PDRA races supporting our customers throughout the season, but this is a cool opportunity to meet the fans and show them what we’re doing with our Musi Muscle restomod line and our Edelbrock Musi 555 crate engine program.”
The autograph session is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at the Musi Racing booth, where Musi will also make appearances throughout the weekend.
The featured “Back in Black” Camaro represents the latest collaboration between Musi and Edelbrock, a relationship that has spanned decades. The Edelbrock Musi 555 crate engine is offered in both electronic fuel injection and carbureted configurations, with each engine assembled by Musi’s team in Mooresville, North Carolina, using Edelbrock cylinder heads produced inside the Edelbrock Race Center located within Pat Musi Racing Engines.
“Pat has been making big power with Edelbrock products for decades, so the Musi 555 program is a natural extension of that relationship,” said Trent Goodwin, Edelbrock Group Brand and Motorsports Marketing Manager. “We’re excited for fans at Bristol to meet Pat, check out the ‘Back in Black’ Camaro, and see what this engine can do in a car built to be driven and enjoyed.”
