| Tomas Mezera | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Australian |
| Born | (1958-11-05)5 November 1958 (age 66) Czechoslovakia |
| Retired | 2004 |
| ATCC /V8 Supercar | |
| Years active | 1992-2004 |
| Teams | Peter Williamson Toyota Tony Longhurst Racing Perkins Engineering Holden Racing Team Daily Planet Racing Gibson Motorsport Tomas Mezera Motorsport Brad Jones Racing Romano Racing Imrie Motor Sport Paul Little Racing |
| Starts | 67 |
| Best finish | 5th in1995 Australian Touring Car Championship |
| Previous series | |
| 1982-85 1987 1988-89 1990 | Australian Formula Ford Series British Formula Ford British Formula 3 All Japan Sports Prototype |
Tomas Mezera (born 5 November 1958 inCzechoslovakia) is a naturalised Australian racing driver. Mezera won the1988 Bathurst 1000, and for many years was a member of theHolden Racing Team as both a driver and team manager. Mezera's sporting career began as adownhill skier in his nativeCzechoslovakia, before he emigrated toAustralia to be a ski instructor. Mezera retired from racing in 2004 but continues to hold roles in motorsport, most recently as a driving standards advisor to several domestic motor racing championships.
Born in 1958 incommunist Czechoslovakia, Mezera was a skilled tennis player and skier in his youth - qualifying for and placing in national level ski events under the tutelage of his father, a ski coach in his own right. Mezera had an interest in motor racing at a young age and took part in amateur hillclimbs in the familyŠkoda. Mezera took up a Physics course at university after leaving school and joined their ski team, escaping toHungary during an event and defecting toAustria viaBelgrade. Having spent the second half of 1979 in a refugee camp outsideVienna, he arrived inSydney prior to Christmas where he moved in with relatives. To make his start in racing, he worked as a garbage man, a panelbeater and a restaurant hand in Kings Cross.[1]
Mezera quickly was introduced to racing and joined the ranks ofFormula Ford in 1982. In November 1983 he was offered a drive for the 1984 FF season in a Reynard FF83, after being spotted by David Haydon of Dalcar Industries. Mezera finished 5th in the1984 Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series, and won the1985 Motorcraft Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series driving the Dalcar Reynard FF83 prepared by motorsport enthusiast and team owner David Haydon (with engines supplied by theFrank Gardner runJPS Team BMW). In 1987 he returned to Europe and theBritish Formula Ford Championship, finishing second. He had two poor years inBritish Formula 3 compromised by lack of budget. He found work as driving instructor to stay in Europe with hopes of reaching his goal as a professional in Europe.
During 1988 while working as a driving instructor in England, Mezera was able to secure much needed parts for theFord Sierra RS500Group A touring car team run by Frank Gardner andTony Longhurst. As it was Gardner's protest at Bathurst in1987 that had led to the disqualification ofFord Europe supportedEggenberger Motorsport Sierras and caused them to lose the1987 World Touring Car Championship toBMW, Ford did not want to supply parts toTony Longhurst Racing team manager Gardner, and Mezera was asked to buy the needed parts for the team. As a reward Mezera was given the job of Longhurst's co-driver for theSandown 500 andBathurst 1000 races.
The pair won the 1988 Tooheys 1000 in theirBenson & Hedges backedFord Sierra RS500, with Mezera driving the car across the finish line. He then returned to Europe to continue his pursuit of racing professionally overseas, returning to Australia for the endurance season, racing forPerkins Engineering from 1989 until 1991. He finished third withLarry Perkins in the1990 Bathurst 1000, and the pair won the1990 Nissan Sydney 500 atEastern Creek Raceway.
This led to racing aPorsche 962 for fellow AussieVern Schuppan in theAll Japan Sports Prototype Championship and a drive in the24 Hours of Le Mans in 1990 finishing 15th with co-driversEje Elgh andThomas Danielsson. He had five races in theBritish Touring car Championship in 1989 and 1990 with two podium finishes.
WhenWin Percy returned to England after the 1991 season, Mezera was hired to drive for the Holden Racing Team. He was briefly assumed the role of team manager in 1993 after the departure of Neal Lowe untilJeff Grech was recruited.
Mezera was the first pole sitter when the ATCC becameV8 Supercars in1993 at Sydney's tightAmaroo Park circuit. He continued to race for HRT as teammate toPeter Brock until the end of the 1995 season before being replaced byCraig Lowndes. He was briefly part of John Trimbole'sDaily Planet Racing before starting his own team in 1998 with the help of Derek van Zelm and on limited budget ran in the V8 Supercars Championship from 1998 until 2001. His full-time racing career wound down at that point although he continued to get drives as a hired gun for many teams.
In 2001 he made a return to theHolden Racing Team as an endurance driver and finished third in the2002 Bathurst 1000 and fourth at the2002 Queensland 500.
He retired from racing in 2004 and later served as a Driving Standards Official forConfederation of Australian Motor Sport andV8 Supercars Australia.[2]
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Benson & Hedges Racing | Ford Sierra RS500 | BAT 1 | WEL | PUK | FJI | 7th | 20 |
(key)
| Year | Team | Car | Class | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | DC | Pts | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Trident Motorsport | Maserati Biturbo | A | OUL | SIL | THR Ret | DON | THR | SIL DNS | SIL | BRH | SNE | 42nd | 4 | 16th | ||||
| Labatt's Team | Ford Sierra RS500 | BRH 3 | BIR | ||||||||||||||||
| JQF Engineering | DON Ret | SIL 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| 1990 | Labatt's Team | Ford Sierra RS500 | A | OUL | DON 3‡† | THR | SIL | OUL | SIL | BRH | SNE | BRH | BIR | DON | THR | SIL | NC | 0 | NC |
‡ Endurance driver.
† Not eligible for points due to being an endurance driver.
| Year | Team | Co-drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Team Schuppan Omron Racing |  Eje ElghThomas Danielsson | Porsche 962C | C1 | 326 | 15th | 15th |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Ron Barnacle | Winner of theMotorcraft Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series 1985 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Winner of theBathurst 1000 1988 (with)Tony Longhurst | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Winner of theNissan Sydney 500 1990 (with)Larry Perkins | Succeeded by |
