applications ,” Meziere says . “ As far as I know , there ’ s nobody else that works that hard to put quality materials and size things appropriately for these big cubic-inch , high-compression engines , which are just really tough applications to start .”
One of the lesser-known products that Meziere offers is heat-exchanging transmission pans . It ’ s another product born out of the brothers ’ racing experience and the feedback they receive from fellow racers .
“ They ’ re very expensive , and they ’ re tough to make ,” Meziere begins to explain , “ but for somebody that ’ s making a lot of horsepower and putting a lot of heat into a transmission , or for somebody that ’ s making a lot of passes backto-back , it can really stabilize the transmission temperature . As far as a unique thought aimed at a difficult problem , that ’ s one that we ’ re proud of as well .”
The Meziere brothers have each been successful in the NHRA ’ s Lucas Oil Series sportsman classes going back to Dave ’ s string of victories in Super Gas in the late ‘ 80s through ‘ 90s . Don didn ’ t pick up his first national event win until 2014 when he broke through in Super Comp .
“ I think that ’ s the win I ’ m most proud of because it showed that if you work on your personal skills , and kind of test what ’ s humanly possible , what you can achieve off the track , then those results show when you get to the track ,” Meziere says . “ That was an affirmation that I was capable of it . I Just never did the work required to get there until that first win . After that , when I jumped into Top Sportsman , all of that groundwork that was laid has been just really helpful in continuing to be successful there .”
Meziere started racing in Top Sportsman in 2015 . He ’ s won there on the national event level six times , twice per season in 2016 , 2020 , and
2022 . The Escondido , California-based driver finished fourth in the national points standings last season .
Meziere usually runs around a dozen races per season between national events and divisional races . More than just a personal hobby , it ’ s a proving grounds for Meziere products , as well as an opportunity to network with potential customers and provide on-site support for current customers .
“ I think the racers here in Southern California were supportive of our product from the very beginning ,” Meziere says , “ and we ’ re really thankful for that , but a lot of them were friends . So when we had a new water pump out in the mid-to-late ‘ 90s , they weren ’ t afraid to try it because they knew us . The relationships are really important .
“ Now , almost every time I go to the track , there ’ s a couple of people that need help ,” Meziere continues .“ Usually , it ’ s with starters and wiring issues that they just can ’ t quite get rid of . I ’ ll go over and help them . I always make sure I ’ ve got a few water pumps with me in case somebody needs help with that . You just never know who you end up talking to , and another relationship is forged . That ’ s the best part of being both a
manufacturer and a racer .”
Along with representation at many of the NHRA events across the country , Meziere also tries to have somebody at all eight PDRA races for technical support and product sales . The company is also a PDRA contingency sponsor in five pro classes and four sportsman categories .
“ We just try to forge relationships and make sure that people know who we are and that they ’ re comfortable knowing that we ’ re there to truly try to help them ,” Meziere says . “ The racing that we do is fun , and it ’ s something we put our passion into , but equally important is trying to help other people with accomplishing their goals as well . We really enjoy that part of it too .”
While Don has been the one racing in the limelight in recent years , he points out that his two older brothers and mentors are equal partners in the business . Each plays a significant role . Dave leads all engineering for their products as well as products done on a contract basis for other companies . The middle brother , Mike , also has quite a bit of racing experience , leads the dayto-day operations of their manufacturing plant , and frequently travels to races and other events to represent the brand .
Meziere ’ s design and engineering team relies on feedback from racers to improve its existing line of products and to develop new ones , like custom flex plates for unique applications .
“ We just keep our ear to the ground and see what our customers are looking for ,” Meziere says .“ We try to fulfill that , and that ’ s the direction of our company . Whether it ’ s in the cooling system arena , in the starter arena , in the drivetrain arena , or whatever it may be , we just try to make sure that our solutions are good solutions , and clearly better than anything else .” DI
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