Tomas Mezera
| Tomas Mezera | |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Australian |
| Born |
5 November 1958 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 in 1995 Australian Touring Car Championship |
| Previous series | |
| 1982-85 1987 1988-89 1990 |
Australian Formula Ford British Formula Ford British Formula 3 All Japan Sports Prototype |
| Championship titles | |
| 1985 1988 |
Australian Formula Ford Bathurst 1000 |
Tomas Mezera (born 5 November 1958 in Czechoslovakia) is a naturalised Australian racing driver. Mezera won the 1988 Bathurst 1000, and for many years was a member of the Holden Racing Team as both a driver and team manager. Mezera's sporting career began as a downhill skier in his native Czechoslovakia, before he emigrated to Australia 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.
Mezera quickly was introduced to racing and joined the ranks of Formula 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 the 1984 Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series, and in 1985 he had won the TAA Driver to Europe series driving the Dalcar Reynard FF83 prepared by esteemed motorsport enthusiast and team owner David Haydon (with engines supplied by the Frank Gardner run JPS Team BMW). In 1987 he returned to Europe and the British Formula Ford Championship, finishing second. He had two poor years in British 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 the Ford Sierra RS500 Group A touring car team run by Frank Gardner and Tony Longhurst. As it was Gardner's protest at Bathurst in 1987 that had led to the disqualification of Ford Europe supported Eggenberger Motorsport Sierras and caused them to lose the 1987 World Touring Car Championship to BMW, Ford did not want to supply parts to Tony 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 the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 races.
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