Most of you know who Patrick Budd is. What many people do not know about is the fact that Budd was a racer first before he became an NSCA official. One thing is for sure Barry Meguiar would have no problem certifying this guy Car Crazy. In his new ProCar enterprise with Randy Jewell you see a whole different side of Pat, almost the mad inventor, but looking at John Stanley’s performance this year maybe he’s not so mad! Enjoy taking a look at the Pat most of you don’t know.

WHEN DID YOU START RACING: 1987

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST RACECAR: I raced a 1977 Chevrolet Impala around the streets of Rochester- it was ridiculous looking, but it went 12.50’s with a 283 headed, hydraulic cammed 350- all 4000 lbs. of it. It was pretty quick for the mid-eighties. We hadn’t discovered nitrous yet, but we chose our races well and never lost with it. Hell, most couldn’t stop giggling at it. It was a hoot- we had it suspended so loose to hook up on the street, it was like steering an oil tanker to the cruise nights. It only lasted a summer though, it became tougher to get races against the ducks as the reputation grew.

WIERDEST THING EVER IN RACING: On what level? Getting my wallet picked in a bar full of racers by a homeless person I was buying drinks for was pretty out there. I still have no idea why I started a conversation with that person. Kevin McCurdy made a run in Virginia when we raced Super Chevy (97 or so and Camp was his crew chief) where it looked like he’d hit the wall handing over the final to the dude who blanked me earlier. Anyway, after inspecting the car and the wall, there was no damage to either. I mean- the car MOVED, we saw it. The paint proved otherwise. He went from an over driving jack-ass to a hero in a 1/16th of an inch. (Just kidding Kevin…)

MOST SATISFYING MOMENT IN RACING: Watching Camp’s son John get to the semi’s in Orlando this year. It really validated what we do at our shop- that car was built on a budget (and it shows in some ways) but it went out and ripped all season, good tracks and bad ones. It’s easy to build a fast six-figure car, harder to do the same when there are limitations. Monty’s win against Kevin in Canada is a solid number two. Seeing a guy who trusted you to build his stuff look that pleased is a great feeling. Winning the Top Street deal as a car owner/crew chief was great, it showcased Randy’s abilities as a driver and Gary’s value as a phenomenal wrench. It will be more fun if we can repeat, we want to face more of the good cars more often. Professionally with the NSCA, there was a race in 2001 where NPS had 20+ cars and the top 14 were within something like .12- that was very cool. Too bad it didn’t last. Signing Corteco to the long-term deal is right up there, that single signing went so far toward re-establishing our credibility.

MOST INFLUENTIAL PERSON IN YOUR CAREER: My father. He runs construction projects for the NYSDOT, the really big ones in our region. He is a bad-ass hombre when he needs to be, the guys he deals with aren’t guidance counselors. Most of the time though, he’s as tender and compassionate as a monk. He taught me intensity is something that is only effective if you’re not spouting off all the time, use it like a change up pitch. He’s also 6’5 and hovering around 250, so that helps him a bit.

YOUR PERSONAL FAVORITE RACECAR: The HeadsUpReview Y2Korvette. That was and is the car that gave Randy and I the confidence to build these things professionally. It’s getting a nice update this winter, she’s certainly earned it. The Firebird tested our abilities at the time, but the Vette was the first car we really flogged shocks, springs, anti-roll bars, tires and other components through trying to define the changes/effects. Even though we did it a full five years ago, it still holds up as a well-crafted car. Gotta admit, it still has some cheesy beginner stuff on it, like plastic wheelie bar wheels… Cobbler’s kid has no shoes, eh?

YOUR BIGGEST RIVAL: Now that we’re racing Top Street, it has to be Jerry Albert. He’s cocky enough to get under your skin a little but talented enough to screw up your day. He isn’t all agitator however, he’s a great guy after the grills and beers come out. ‘In the day’ there was Jim McManis, a Rochester guy that had a pretty fast street Chevelle when I ran the Firebird. He had a much more elaborate motor, but we had a 2x3 front clip, hence the feud. For the record, we were faster, but he did indeed earn style points for the full body/ladder bar backhalf construction of that Chevelle.

THANKS TO: First, the obvious- My Wife (the strongest woman I’ve ever met), my 3 children and all extended family and friends, Randy Jewell, my professional ‘other half’ and all the employees and families affected by ProCar, and anyone from back home that tolerates our racing addiction. First individually, Tony DePillo has to be thanked for keeping the ship headed in the right direction. Without his guidance, we’d all be in trouble- nowhere to race, no cars to build for NSCA racers. I’ve seen his personal sacrifice, and heard the devastating numbers we sustained years past. He’s bulletproof. Richard Earle may not be the most well known chassis builder, but he is among the brightest. Thanks for the mentorship. Camp Stanley and I became friends in the early nineties, and he has been a great information resource both in racing and managing my business, ProCar or otherwise. Kelly Campbell (IHRA Team Torch, TEK headers) has heightened my awareness of not only the science of racing, but introduced me to many of our most valuable contacts. There is a side to Pat Musi most will never get to see, but I’ve been lucky enough to see it and learn a lot from him. First and foremost and above all else, he is a competitor and not a camp counselor. He’s not out to win a personality contest. He accepts nothing but success, and it’s impressive to watch the inside work that goes into that New Jersey machine. That’s probably the only reason he and Marc have lasted as a team. Marc is equally bright and unbelievably motivated, and manages a racecar from the flywheel back with as much finesse as anyone. He’s no slouch under the hood, but his success doesn’t stem from that, I think. The information he and Pat have shared has been invaluable. Scott Merkel flat out inspires me. He always has, classy, smart, determined. It’s the same with Tony Bischoff. Nick Scavo has become a pretty close friend. His viewpoint virtually always differs from mine, and he’s opened my thinking because of it. I don’t want to jump on a bandwagon here, but I too want to thank the late, great Steve Grebeck for helping a nerdy tech guy build his first 6-second car over the phone. He was the coolest guy I ever met. Competition Transmission has been virtually limitless in their support. We owe them huge. NX, Corteco, GRP, M/T, Moroso, Pro-Filer, Reher-Morrison, Safecraft, Goodyear-all great companies that treated us great as racers. Thanks.

WHAT’S IN THE FUTURE: It’d be nice to taste the fruit of the hard work that’s been invested in the NSCA. We’re still above water, so I ain’t bitching, believe me. Besides, I’ve been able to meet and listen to some of the greatest minds in the sport working this job. The fact remains the success Tony and several other staff members deserve from this deal has eluded them so far. We’ve got the racers and sponsors in place- the best in the industry- but we need some weather to get the fans back involved.

ProCar has been the best thing that’s happened to me professionally, and I think it will continue to prosper. I owe that to my wife’s urging, Randy Gary’s and Shannon’s perseverance and the ‘college’ that has been the NSCA. The SFI meetings and connections gained there grew our two-car garage operation to a full-time endeavor. I’ve been able to hire a staff that I can trust and races hard on the weekends to promote our work. We’ve built some neat cars for some picky customers, and to date we’ve had more success with them than even I expected. I hope we can continue to enjoy the learning and growth curve as much in the future as we do now.