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GETTING PHILOSOPHICAL WITH T-MEZ By Ashley Zimmerman THOMAS MESERAULL is primarily known for two things - a unique driving style that even he references as “leaving it all out on the track” and a leave-itall-out-there personality that garners nothing less than incredible interviews and insights. After a roller coaster ride of a Chili Bowl, TMez spared a few moments of shop time for Dirt Empire to answer a variety of racing questions for us. Nothing short of what could be dubbed as “on brand”, he answered each one with as much honesty and flare as fans witness on the racetrack. DIRT EMPIRE (DE): After the strangeness of 2020, what are you most looking forward to in 2021? TOM MESERAULL (TM): I’m definitely looking forward to chasing a USAC title with the RMS team in the midget. There’s also a new track in Indianapolis at Circle City, and they are going to do some Thursday night shows – which is 38
Photo: David Campbell
exciting. Since I also have a wing car, I can go there and run whatever they have, too. DE: Aside from racing with RMS for 2021, do you have any other plans on the race season schedule? TM: Definitely still the same as last year. Running the 47 car; I was second last year at Kokomo in points, we missed winning by just a couple of points. Same as in previous years, the 00, it is kind of a field filler for me as far as just keeping me busy in between driving for Tom [Eades] and the RMS team. I always have a car sitting there with the wing and without a wing, so I’m always ready. DE: Do you feel like you might have shocked people with your overall speed and performance early in 2021? TM: I had a lot of people pumped about how we were running. Ya know, if I did shock them, they need to get used to
DIRT EMPIRE MAGAZINE | APRIL/MAY 2021
it. This RMS Racing is bringing nothing but the best, we’ve built all new cars, whatever we need, we get. These guys are the best, it’s a World of Outlaws caliber team racing USAC. DE: Do you feel that it is beneficial as a driver to not have many moments of down time? Do you feel it is an advantage to have other cars you can hop in and go make laps; when others might be waiting for the next race on the schedule? TM: I mean, the older I get, the more I realize at the racetrack, the guys that have more experience are the guys that I have to worry about. And, nowadays there’s not a lot of those people at the track, you know, so experience is everything. Racing for me, I’m trying to pay my bills, more nights at the track gives me more opportunities to make money. Racing is a gamble, and on average you only get half of the money won. When you have good nights, you
