Tomas Mezera

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.

The pair won the jewel in the crown, the 1988 Tooheys 1000 in their Benson & Hedges backed Ford 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 for the Holden Racing Team or for Perkins Engineering. He finished third with Larry Perkins in the 1990 Bathurst 1000, and the pair won the 1990 Nissan Sydney 500 at Eastern Creek Raceway.

This led to racing a Porsche 962 for fellow Aussie Vern Schuppan in the All Japan Sports Prototype Championship and a drive in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1990 finishing 15th with co-drivers Eje Elgh and Thomas Danielsson. He had five races in the British Touring car Championship in 1989 and 1990 with two podium finishes.

When Win Percy returned to England after the 1991 season, Mezera was asked by Tom Walkinshaw to replace Percy as the manager of Holden Racing Team, a job he continued for two seasons. It was Mezera who put HRT on the path to what it became in the late 90's.

Mezera was actually the first pole sitter when the ATCC became what we know today as V8 Supercars in 1993 at Sydney's tight Amaroo Park circuit. He continued to race for HRT as team mate to Peter Brock until the end of the 1995 season before being replaced by Craig Lowndes. He started 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 the Holden Racing Team as an endurance driver and finished third in the 2002 Bathurst 1000 and fourth at the Queensland 500.

He retired from racing in 2004 and is now a Driving Standards Official for CAMS and V8 Supercars Australia

The Reynard FF83 with which Mezera won the 1985 Motorcraft Formula Ford Driver to Europe Series

The Ford Sierra Mezera drove to win 1988 Tooheys 1000

Complete Asia-Pacific Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete British Touring Car Championship results

(key)

‡ Endurance driver.

† Not eligible for points due to being an endurance driver.

Complete Bathurst 1000 Results

Year	Car #	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1985	44	Peter Williamson Toyota	Peter Williamson	Toyota Celica Supra	B	32	DNF	DNF
1988	25	Benson & Hedges Racing	Tony Longhurst	Ford Sierra RS500	A	161	1st	1st
1989	16	Holden Racing Team	Larry Perkins	Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV	A	158	6th	6th
1990	11	Perkins Engineering	Larry Perkins	Holden VL Commodore SS Group A SV	A	161	3rd	3rd
1991	11	Mobil 1 Racing	Larry Perkins	Holden VN Commodore SS Group A SV	1	65	DNF	DNF
1992	15	Holden Racing Team	Brad Jones	Holden VP Commodore	C	131	15th	2nd
1993	15	Holden Racing Team	Win Percy	Holden VP Commodore	A	107	DNF	DNF
1994	05	Holden Racing Team	Peter Brock	Holden VP Commodore	A	138	DNF	DNF
1995	05	Holden Racing Team	Peter Brock	Holden VR Commodore		32	DNF	DNF
1996	05	Holden Racing Team	Peter Brock	Holden VR Commodore		160	5th	5th
1997	47	CDB Bottle Magic	John Trimbole	Holden VS Commodore	L1	25	DNF	DNF
1998	32	Tomas Mezera Motorsport	Alain Menu	Holden VT Commodore	OC	0	DNF	DNF
1999	32	Tomas Mezera Motorsport	Tony Ricciardello	Holden VT Commodore		41	DNF	DNF
2000	21	OzEmail Racing Team	Brad Jones	Ford AU Falcon		159	DNF	DNF
2001	2	Holden Racing Team	Jason Bright	Holden VX Commodore		126	DNF	DNF
2002	2	Holden Racing Team	Jason Bright	Holden VX Commodore		161	3rd	3rd
2003	8	Castrol Team Perkins	Paul Dumbrell	Holden VX Commodore		155	14th	14th
2004	75	Toll Racing	Anthony Tratt	Holden VY Commodore		157	18th	18th

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans Results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
1990	Team Schuppan Omron Racing	Eje Elgh Thomas Danielsson	Porsche 962C	C1	326	15th	15th