DRIVER SPOTLIGHT: THOMAS MESERAULL

Thomas “T-Mez” Meseraull

RMS Racing – EnviroFab/Response Management Services Toyota Spike

Hometown: San Jose, Calif.

Thomas “T-Mez” Meseraull is one of the most talented, and popular, drivers in dirt racing. To date in 2022, he’s already won four races in four different cars, including his primary RMS Racing Toyota Midget where he won the opening night of USAC’s two-night Shamrock Classic in March. The connection with his die-hard fans has advanced to another level in 2022 with the debut of the TMezTV channel on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/tmez57.

Let’s talk to Meseraull as he gears up for eight USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship events in 10-night span to kick off June starting this Thursday night, June 2, at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Ill., then leads into the 18th annual edition of Indiana Midget Week.

TMez, how did your racing career begin?

I started racing in 1990 when I was nine years old. We started quarter midget racing and then you just end up at the sprint car track. We raced at Baylands in San Jose and at Madera where they had super modifieds and pavement midgets. I remember seeing Kasey Kahne winning midget races there when he was 14 or 15.

Having raced since 1990, what was your most memorable win?

TM: Probably the Four-Crown Nationals just because Eldora was such a big race and it happened to be my first national USAC win with the sprint car. Winning at Eldora is just tough and to do it in my first national win was pretty special.

What’s it been like being with the RMS Racing team from the start?

TM:  It started at the indoor races back in 2018. They bought cars to take Dave Darland to the Dome and then decided if they were going to go, they would build two cars and I was able to drive the other. It’s been pretty cool to see RMS grow like it has. We have a beautiful shop. Dave (Estep, team owner) has really put a special team together. He gives us everything we need. We’re living out our dreams and the fans have been great. I’m really excited with the outlook for this season. The way Justin (Grant) really picked it up at the end of last season and then coming out as strong as we did this year (winning five of the first six USAC events). I feel like we have a good shot at the championship and, hopefully, picking up some more wins. Personally, I was on the verge of seven wins last year, but only ended up with four due to some racing incidents, so we’re going to look to build on that.

You really made your name in sprint cars, what’s it like running a midget full-time?

TM: Running a midget is intense. It’s ten-tenths every lap of every race. It’s all out, every lap. Midgets have changed where you used to drive it down the straight and lift and roll it into the corner. Nowadays, it’s just attack all the time. Our Toyota motors are putting out over 400 horsepower. It has power to weight ratio. It’s like racing a sprint car now and it didn’t used to be like that. The suspension, the tires, the motors have gotten to be so advanced to what it was. We’re running a second faster than we used to.

Why should fans come out to Midget racing?

TM: I think they just need to experience it once. I met some young fans in California on the Western Swing last year, who came out one night just because they love Chase Elliott and Kyle Larson, and they said they never experienced anything like it. They had such a good time that they continued to come back. It’s really one of the few places where you can come out and get close to the drivers, talk to them, and enjoy it right from the fence. They’re sprint races, so everything happens fast, and they aren’t four-hour races. There’s really nothing like watching speed right in front of you and getting covered in dirt.

What are your thoughts on the upcoming Indiana Midget Week?

TM: In my opinion, Indiana Midget Week and Indiana Sprint Week are the two highlights of the year. I have said it time and time again to all of my fans that Indiana Midget Week is the best of both worlds because you get all of the midget racers and some of the best non-wing sprint car drivers all in one spot for a week of amazing racing.

And what’s your favorite Indiana Midget Week track?

TM: Indiana has so many awesome racetracks. I would have to say Lawrenceburg. It’s so fast and high-banked. It’s intimidating. It really took me five nights in a sprint car just to not be scared to drive it into the corner the way you need to there. It’s so banked that you’re racing down the straightaway flat and then it just banks and bowls into the corner. It’s like nowhere else we race at. It allows you to run 10/10ths and just haul it - running 130 mph. It’s a neat place.

You’ve mentioned fans a couple of times, I understand you’ve introduced something new for your fans in your TMezTV channel on YouTube. How did that come about?

TM: My dad sent me a video called ‘Crushing It’ by Gary Vee. He pushes social media platforms and the fact that it’s free to advertise on. I listened to the video and realized I already had all the tools to start a YouTube channel – I just wasn’t turning on my GoPro and putting them on the racecar and filming. So, I put some on my RC cars and filmed at the skate park just trying to figure out how I could put it all together and make videos.  I learned how to edit and one by one they just continue to get better and better. I make a living off a percentage of the race winnings and selling T-shirts. With all the support they provide, I needed to give my fans better content.

What’s something people don’t know about T-Mez?

TM: I play a pretty big role in setting the cars up. I take care of all the shocks, and I pick what springs go on the car. They pretty much let me set the car up and I enjoy that side of it. I’ve been doing this since I was a kid building RC cars and then taking apart and putting them back together and now, I’m doing it with race cars. I get to feel it out and make changes and I try to make gains and speed. I like to be a bigger part of the team than just being a driver.

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Up Next:

Thursday, June 2: Tri-City Speedway – Granite City, Ill.

Friday, June 3: Bloomington Speedway – Bloomington, Ind.

Saturday, June 4: Lawrenceburg Speedway – Lawrenceburg, Ind.

Sunday, June 5: Tri-State Speedway – Haubstadt, Ind.

Wednesday, June 8: Circle City Raceway – Indianapolis, Ind.

Thursday, June 9: Lincoln Park Speedway – Putnamville, Ind.

Friday, June 10: Gas City I-69 Speedway – Gas City, Ind.

Saturday, June 11: Kokomo Speedway – Kokomo, Ind.

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Media Contacts:

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