One could argue there are drivers with more talent and some with a bit more polish, but few are as interesting as Thomas Meseraull.
Whether it is through his You Tube channel TmezTV, or his entertaining and sometimes provocative on-track interviews, Meseraull rarely says the commonplace. He is what he is and that includes important matters that few fans consider as they file out of the grandstands.
Meseraull is a professional racer. This is how he puts food on the table. Yet, he is also a father and has all the responsibilities attendant to that role. Given his large personality he realizes it might be easy for people to confuse perception with reality.
“All the fans love to go racing and they enjoy it,” he said. “Well, I don’t go there to party and drink and have fun. I go there trying to put on my A-game and try to be an athlete.”
It seems like such a glamorous life. Perhaps it is, but it is also demanding.
“We race so much now,” he said. “We race 100 nights a year and the night before we prep for the race or are traveling. You end up doing all of this and also trying to juggle your life. I live out of my gear bag and suitcase and when I’m home I still live out of my suitcase because I am trained that way. I am always on the road and am always on the go.”
When it comes to his vocation, Meseraull is in so many ways a purveyor of a lost art.
Few today can routinely jump into an unfamiliar car and somehow make it go faster. To illustrate, in the 2017 season Meseraull captured three USAC AMSOIL National Sprint car wins for three different owners. While this represents a valuable skill set, it is one born of necessity. To make a living he has been forced to piece a robust schedule together from a variety of sources.
At times it can be exhausting. Consider the end of his 2023 season.
Meseraull had been a steady member of Dave Estep’s RMS midget racing team, including logging considerable time in the shop. It was a trying year. Meseraull helped work the kinks out of a new Ford engine and the results were not forthcoming.
Finally, he struck gold in the BC39 at the Dirt Track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and watched his teammate Justin Grant take the big money on Saturday night. By the end of the year Estep had decided to focus his energy on Grant’s title chase next season and Meseraull was on the outside looking in.
Now what?
As a gesture of friendship Estep offered a midget to engine builder Tim Engler, affording Meseraull a landing spot. He was happy to put in the work necessary to turn this car into a winner. The USAC western swing did not go well, but there is hope for better days ahead.
“Last year I would say we were prototyping the Ford,” he said. “But I’m done saying that. This thing is badass.” While there are no plans to chase points, he does feel a 30 to 40 race schedule is possible.
That’s nice but it isn’t nearly enough. He can’t provide for his family based on what one earns in a midget.
“The hardest thing for me is I live check to check, which for me is race to race,” he said. “You can’t have a steady income from midget racing unless you are Buddy Kofoid or Logan (Seavey).”
Meseraull has been successful in owner Kyle Simon’s non-winged sprint car and they will be back together for select dates. Beyond that, he is prepared to take his career in a different direction. Where his schedule had previously hinged on his midget obligations, next year his primary focus will be the Maverick Winged Sprint Car series.
To take this step, Meseraull is turning to a familiar face. Thomas has collaborated with Michigan owner Don Whitney for years and the relationship goes beyond the race track.
“He is my good friend,” Meseraull said. “He is the guy I call when I am struggling with life to give me some guidance. I tell him that he is my life coach. I am an emotional guy and you have your ups and downs. We deal with high adrenaline and when your body is in fight or flight mode so much it just wears you out. Sometimes I’m all twisted. You race for people that become your friends, but some want to be your friend more than others. Some people just want to help you out.”
For Meseraull, Whitney is that guy.
Meseraull has won traditional sprint car races with Whitney, which begs the question why move to winged racing? The answer isn’t all that complicated. This is something Meseraull felt he needed to do, and true to form Whitney was willing to lend a hand.
“I have been living like a gypsy too long,” Meseraull said. “Whatever I had available to me is where I went. Now I want to push to where I need to be. I need to go winged racing and Don has some winged cars. I think it won’t take long to get a bigger ride and Don knows that. Our goal is to get me a bigger winged ride. He really is a non-winged guy through and through, but he’s my friend and he knows this is what I need.”
Both parties understand it won’t be easy. Meseraull guesses he has raced about 30 winged races and the last time he made a concerted effort to add winged racing to his schedule it was tough sledding.
“I think about eight years ago I ran about 15 shows in Ohio at places like Fremont and Attica,” he said. “It was tough because I would travel a minimum of five or six hours to get there and be a 12th-place car. If you don’t have a good winged car you are never going to be in the top five. It was hard to make money and I knew I could go non-winged racing on the local scene and be a top three car.”
On the surface it seems risky, but what gave Whitney and Meseraull a glimmer of hope was their performance at the inaugural Maverick race on a frigid October night at Indiana’s Lincoln Park Speedway.
It was an odd experience because shortly after they arrived in Putnamville they were discouraged to find 49 cars on the grounds.
“We got there and saw all the competition and we thought, ‘Damn, we aren’t even going to make the show,’” Meseraull acknowledged. “It was our first race with a new motor and I hadn’t driven a winged car since the year before.”
Meseraull’s fears were unfounded. He started 12th in the 22-car field and crossed under the checkered flag in sixth.
“We had a good run,” he said. “I got up to third or fourth and stuck to the top when I should have seen the track went to the bottom. But I haven’t run a winged car enough, so I gave up some spots.”
It was enough to get him fired up about a new adventure and he feels the time is perfect to take the plunge.
“I need to pursue the winged thing because of all the drama in winged racing now,” he said with a laugh. “The talent pool is very narrow when you get two giant series coming together and then you have all the local races, like in Pennsylvania and all the other places. If all the heroes do the big stuff, I feel there is room for T-Mezz in the winged world.”
Given previous experiences he knows he needs to have the right equipment at his disposal to have a fighting chance. The good news is the team should have two complete cars ready to go. With a little luck he may get some additional help.
“We really need a better motor to go to Terre Haute to be perfectly honest,” he said. “There are only three races on the Maverick schedule there but I’m still hoping I end up with a thumper.”
The thought of T-Mezz, in a winged car, at Terre Haute with a stout engine should sell some tickets.
It all comes down to seat time.
“I am excited to get some back-to-back races and back-to-back weekends,” he noted. “that will help me.”
He’s more than ready to give this a go.
“It is exciting to me,” he said. “Because the winged car is so much faster and you can’t even explain it to the normal person because it just defies the law of gravity every lap of the race. It is mind-blowing and I am intrigued by that and excited to get a chance.”
He knows the biggest mistake he can make is to get ahead of himself. This is a learning year.
“If we go to Terre Haute and are decent there, we will try to go to a local show at Knoxville,” he said “We will do the normal baby steps. You don’t want to jump all in and go Outlaw racing when you have run 10 winged shows in five years.”
Overall, he’s optimistic.
“Everyone knows I’m a wheelman,” he said. “I just need an opportunity and we will be there.”