Longtime team leader of Foley Lewis Racing, Tim Lewis, has passed away, the team revealed Monday afternoon.

Lewis was a successful businessman who in the late 1990s attended Doug Foleys drag racing school. It was there that the duo formed an almost 30-year relationship.

We started competing in Alcohol Dragster in the late 90s and made the leap to Top Fuel in 2004, Foley said in a statement. This was an unattainable dream that Tim made happen. We travelled the country in our motorhome like we belonged in this class we won, we lost, but most importantly, we always laughed.

Tim had a great personality and didnt take life too seriously. He taught me to dream big and he literally changed mine, Shelaghs and the boys lives in so many ways, and for that we will always be grateful. No matter my crazy ideas, he was always encouraging and enthusiastic about tackling my vision whether it was for the team, my business or my family, Foley continued.

It has been hard racing this year without him at the track with us, but now to lose him, knowing he will never be at the track with us again after 25-plus years is truly heartbreaking.

The last race he attended was Charlotte in the fall, where we went to the finals, which now I look at as a gift from God on what would be our last race weekend together. The team and I will race this season in his honor and we will miss him dearly.