Pat Musi Racing Engines’ 903 EFI powerplant has been nominated for Race Engine Technology magazine’s North American Race Engine of the Year. The nomination was revealed in Race Engine Technology issue 81, September/October 2014.
The nomination for this prestigious award caps off a year of unprecedented success in nitrous-assisted Pro Modified drag racing for veteran engine builder Pat Musi.
“This year has been unreal,” Musi said. “We won a lot of races, won a lot of championships, and set records across the board, but being recognized for a global honor like this is truly special.”
Musi’s 903 cubic inch masterpiece is the only drag racing engine nominated for the award, sharing the spotlight with engines from IndyCar and sports car racing. The engine propelled doorslammer legend Rickie Smith to the 2013 NHRA Pro Mod championship, and Smith’s success carried over into 2014 as he set the quarter-mile records for a nitrous-assisted car in both elapsed time and speed. With one race remaining, Smith is also in prime position to claim back-to-back championships.
The fuel-injected, 14.8 liter V8 engine also dominated the eighth-mile drag racing circuits, powering Pro Nitrous racer Jason Harris to the final round of all eight Professional Drag Racers Association (PDRA) events. He was victorious in six of those final rounds and was the undisputed Pro Nitrous world champion. Fellow Pro Nitrous racer Tommy Franklin set the division’s elapsed time record and Pro Nitrous rookie Lizzy Musi, Pat’s daughter, finished the season with the speed record. Franklin and Musi were also the only racers to defeat Harris and claim event wins in 2014.
Fifty practicing professionals in the diverse world of race engine design and development participate in the judging for the North American Race Engine of the Year and overall Race Engine of the Year awards. The winners will be revealed in Race Engine Technology issue 83, with a cover date of December 2014/January 2015.
Photos by Ian Tocher & Mike Carpenter
This story was originally published on October 28, 2014. 
