The last 10 days in the drag racing community has been a true mental test for a lot of us. Whether it be John Force’s crash at VMP, the passing of photography legend Roger Richards, or the untimely passing of superstar Lizzy Musi.

As someone who grew up watching Lizzy’s father Pat battle against the likes of Tony Christian, the two of them had me absolutely enamored with drag racing. I always wanted to see what was going to happen when they raced. You never knew if it would be a congratulations or an argument. For years it seemed like I was watching them battle it out in some way shape or form.

Almost ten years ago Ellen and I started this media outlet which some of you have grown to love and others have grown to loth. I have voiced my strong opinions regarding a lot of things in the drag racing world. The good, the bad, and the what in the actual hell moments and decisions. It has given me the ability to share news with you, as well as share my feelings. This time I am going to share my feelings.

Very early on in the days of E3xtreme, just like I do now, we covered all types of drag racing. Things like Pro Mod, Radial, Small Tire, NMRA, NMCA, NHRA, PDRA, and so much more. When you do as much as we have at the track, there are a lot of racers, fans, promoters, track owners, and other photographers that become what you would consider friends. They might be inner circle friends that you call at 3 am or friends that you keep up with online and chat with at the race track.

Fortunately for me, both Pat and Lizzy became people that I consider friends. Not those 3 am friends, but friends that would share a smile, a hug, and some conversation at the track when I saw them. To me it means a lot as a photographer when you grow those friendships, not only as part of the job, but part of your life. I’m not going to sit here and say that I have Pat on speed dial, or that Lizzy and I hung out beyond the race track as social friends, but they have always made me feel welcome in their presence.

Luckily for both Ellen and I, we were able to watch Lizzy from the beginning of her Pro Mod career and watch her learn each and every race. We witnessed firsthand how she overcame the obstacles she faced in racing Pro Mod. If she had a bad day at the track she certainly didn’t show it as much as others do. If fans were around, so was Lizzy’s infectious smile that would light up a stadium.

I have fond memories of watching Lizzy compete in PDRA Pro Nitrous and at other stand alone events. The memory that I will never in my life forget, as a fan, and a photographer, is the staging duel that she and Jay Cox had one evening. I swear we were standing there for ten minutes waiting for either of them to roll in the beams. It became so entertaining that Lizzy kicked the door open and hung her foot out the door while waiting on Jay to take the tree.

Lizzy was great with the fans. Didn’t matter who you were, she would offer a smile and a photo. Later on in her career she made the transition to racing in the no prep world. Some on the street and some at the track. This is the point that her career took off like a rocket ship. There was no turning back and no denying the star power that Lizzy brought to the table. While I was never a fan of the no prep scene, I certainly had plenty of friends that were and still do partake in that scene. Lizzy brought that scene to another level.

She wasn’t the first woman to go no prep racing, but she was arguably the most popular woman out there. Men, women, and children all wanted to watch Lizzy race. As that rocket ship continued higher and higher, she was forced to deal with the scrutiny of being on that level in the day and age of social media, and she seemed to take it in stride. Continuing to do it her way, while also being a woman that girls of all ages looked to as a role model and continuing to prove that she was just as good if not better than the boys.

When I received a phone call about Lizzy’s diagnosis before it was public knowledge, I remember sitting back in shock and sadness. I couldn’t believe that a woman so young, that really seemed to take care of herself would be going through this. For months I followed along online as she fought the good fight and tried to keep her sprits as high as she could muster. Being hopeful in my mind that she would conquer this disease, but also knowing that sometimes I have to be honest with myself in what may happen.

Last week while I was sitting at dinner with some friends, one of them received the call that Lizzy had taken a turn for the worse and was most likely going to get called home soon. When I was told, I immediately lost my appetite and was barely picking at my food. I thought about Lizzy’s mom, dad, and sisters. As an only child, and someone that doesn’t have kids, I couldn’t image the pain that the family was forced to endure. Within a couple hours we were all back at the hotel and the call came that Lizzy had left us. A few of us just sat there and tried to hold back the sadness that we felt. Only 33 years only, with a lifetime of experiences ahead of her, and she was gone.

We in the industry talk about people that leave an indelible mark on the industry and other people’s lives. Lizzy has done just that, she has left an indelible mark on not only her family and friends, but the entire drag racing, and motorsports world. She has left an indelible mark on the tens if not hundreds of thousands of fans that she shared her public life with, her struggles, her battles, her ups and her downs.

Lizzy leaves a legacy that I not sure will can be duplicate by anyone. She touched many and many of us morn in our own ways the life of an amazing young woman that was taken away entirely too damn soon! I really hope that the legacy of Lizzy Musi and what she accomplished on and off the track will continue to live on the decades to come. While we morn the loss of Lizzy, we must also celebrate all that she accomplished in her short time on earth. The time that we all got to be a part of.

Thank you Lizzy for creating a legacy that will live on. Both Ellen and I were proud to be able to say that we knew you and that you were in our lives, even if it was in a small way, you still had an affect on both of us. And to Pat, Liz, Tricia, Rose, Jeffery, and the rest of the Musi family, our thoughts and prayers go out to you, along with a thank you for sharing your Lizzy with the rest of the world!