Zach Meziere DragChamp Racer Spotlight

Division 7 ace Zach Meziere is in the DragChamp Racer Spotlight this week!

Division 7 competitor Zach Meziere practically grew up at the race track and has been driving race cars since his early teens. In this time he has racked up wins at every level of competition. This includes victories in bracket racing, ET Finals, NHRA competition, and track championships.

Recently Zach drove his Meziere Enterprises / Lucas Oil sponsored dragster to his third Division 7 ET Finals championship in the Super Pro class. We grabbed a few minutes of his time to learn more about the Division 7 ace.

Racer Spotlight with Zach Meziere

How long have you been racing?

I started racing in the Jr. Drag Racing League when I was 13 years old. Once I turned 16, I made the transition into a full sized dragster and have been racing Super Comp/Super Pro for 10 years now.

How did you get introduced to the sport?

Racing has been a huge part of my family for several generations, so you could say I was born into it. I spent a good amount of my childhood at the race track and hanging around race cars at the shop. My dad (Dave Meziere) has been behind the wheel of a race car for the better part of 40 years and has had the opportunity to drive some really cool things.

He has spent most of his time in a drag car, but also raced in some road course and circle track cars. He put his racing on hold when me and my brother got junior dragsters and really instilled in us a love for the sport of drag racing.

He is a former National Event Champion (4x) and Division 7 Super Gas Champion, so the knowledge he passes along to us is as good as it gets. I have loved racing my whole life and to have the opportunity to do what I get to do now is something that is really a dream come true.

Which class or classes do you compete in?  Where do you normally race?

I have pretty versatile dragster and am able to run it in several categories. I typically run Super Pro and Super Comp with it, but have run it in Top Comp and Top Dragster on occasion.

My schedule varies year to year, but we normally run the NHRA Division 7 Divisional Series, a handful of NHRA Nationals, and a mix of big bucks bracket races and local Super Pro/Super Comp races. The few tracks closest to us are Auto Club Dragway, Barona Dragstrip, and The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Tell us about your current race car.

My current car is a 2011 Mullis Dragster with a 582 Sunset Big Block Chevy. It’s backed by Meziere Enterprises, Lucas Oil, FTI Performance, Hoosier Tire West, and Allegiance Clothing.

Please list your major racing accomplishments.

• 2016 NHRA World Finals Super Comp Champion
• 3x Division 7 Super Pro ET Finals Champion (2019, 2018, 2012)
• 2x NMCA WEST Series Champion (2016, 2017)
• 4x NHRA National Open Event Champion
• 2x Barona Drag Strip Track Champion (2016, 2019)
• 2x Top 5 Finisher in Division 7 Super Comp Standings (2015 – #3, 2013 – #5)
• Jr Drag Racing League Divison 7 ROC Champion (2011)
• Jr Drag Racing League Division 7 ET Finals Champion (2010)

What is your favorite race car, and why?

Absolutely the dragster I am driving right now. Me and my dad have put a lot of time and effort into this combination and I know the car like the back of my hand. I have won a lot of rounds with it and know that it’s a car that’s capable of winning every time I pull into the race track.

Tell us what you do for a living?

Right now, I work at Meziere Enterprises as a Service Tech with some Sales and Tech Support mixed in. I also work the SEMA and PRI shows for the company. Meziere is a large CNC shop that is owned by my dad and his two brothers.

A lot of our work is racing related, so I get to talk to a lot of racers and people in the industry every day. It’s pretty cool to be a part of what’s going on in all kinds of motorsports across the country.

Who do you hate to see in the other lane, and why?

I can’t really say that there is anyone I “hate” to see in the other lane. One of my old basketball coaches once said “respect every opponent, fear none” and I have always applied that to my racing.

I enjoy competition and lining up next to someone that I know is going to throw it down. It brings out the best in both competitors and that’s the way it should be! At the end of the day, I just focus on doing my job regardless of who is in the other lane.

What’s the hardest part of drag racing?

Going to work on Monday after having a rough weekend. That’s always a bad way to start the week.

What do you enjoy the most at the racetrack?

I really enjoy everything about it. The racing, the people, the atmosphere. No where else I’d rather be.

Do you love to win or hate to lose?

Thats a great question. There’s nothing quite like the feeling of winning. That moment when all the preparation and countless hours you’ve put into your program result in a victory, that’s what its all about. It’s even better when you get to share it with the people that have helped you get to that point.

Which are you better at the starting line or the finish line?

I think those things go hand-in-hand. I have a specific gameplan for every round and to execute it the way I want to, I know I need to be good on both ends of the race track.

What motivates you to continue racing?

I really enjoy the challenge of racing and the company of the people I get to race with. I also am fortunate to be able to race with a lot of my family members and it makes for a great time regardless of the outcome.

If money were no object, what would your racing operation look like? 

I wouldn’t change I thing. I love what I have been blessed with at the moment and wouldn’t have it any other way. I remember being 16 and borrowing my dad’s truck so I could haul my dragster out to the track on our family’s flatbed. I would have said the same thing then!

How often do you use a practice tree?

Pretty much every day that’s not a race day. Once I am at the races, I am confident that my preparation will get my where I want to be. I have specific goals for each Port-A-Tree session and use them to prepare for every race.

I have a spot in my room that I have my practice tree setup and it’s one of my favorite spots in the whole house. I can really get into the zone and focus on my craft.

I do a lot of swapping between Pro Tree and Full Tree (often times in the same race weekend), so the more prepared I am the more I can trust myself as the rounds progress.

What is your daily driver?

My daily is also my tow rig – a Silverado 2500HD Duramax Diesel. I love that truck!

Favorite movie or TV show?

Sportscenter, Shark Tank, and Street Outlaws

What is your favorite sport?  Favorite team?

I love watching sports and often have games going on when I am working on the cars or doing things around the house. We are a Lakers/Rams/Padres household!

Besides racing, what do you do in your free time?

I spend a good amount of time in the gym and enjoy the challenge of constantly improving myself. I am also a huge fantasy football fan. I love statistics and watching football, so I guess its natural that I am drawn to fantasy football. I am in a couple leagues that are full of mostly guys I race with.

Name one thing most people don’t know about you?

San Diego has an awesome craft beer scene, one of the largest and most iconic in the nation. After I graduated with a Business Management degree, I went back to school at SDSU and graduated from their Business of Craft Beer Extended Studies program.

I wanted to have an in-depth understanding of an industry that is starting to become a staple of where I live. I worked in a brewery for some time after that and really enjoy going to breweries in the area and also when I travel for races.

Would you rather hang out with a crowd or have a quiet evening at home?

I enjoy both!

What’s your favorite thing to eat?  Individual item, meal, or restaurant?

In Southern California, we are pretty spoiled with fantastic Mexican food. We have some really good taco shops and Mexican restaurants out here that we frequent.

Who would you like to thank, who helps you the most?

My family has always been incredibly supportive of my racing endeavors and without them, I would not be where I am today. As I mentioned earlier, my dad has been a huge part of my racing career. I really enjoy being able to race with him now and I cannot thank him enough for the the things he has taught me and continues to teach me.

I have raced with my brother Chandler every since the junior dragster days and it is always a great time. We really push each other to be the best racers we can be. My mom has always supported us in whatever we want to do and makes sure that we are fed and hydrated whenever we go out racing.

Meziere Enterprises is obviously a huge part of my program and I am thankful that they give me the opportunities to pursue my passion, wherever it takes me. It’s a pretty cool thing when I’m able to get the days off needed to chase a division title or race a big bucks race, then look at the pit next to me and have the owners of the company (my dad Dave and uncle Don) racing as well.

I am very fortunate to get to work for them and race with them. I never take it for granted that I get access to the highest quality components in the industry and get to work with those components daily. I never worry about the car starting or cooling and know first-hand the quality craftsmanship that goes into every part.

Lucas Oil has been a supporter of mine for over 10 years and they are flat out some of the best people in the racing industry. They produce a world-class product and back it up with outstanding support in all facets of motorsports.

FTI Performance is  a critical piece to my racing program and is the only company I trust when I want my converter to be absolutely perfect. Troy and the gang really know their stuff and have always nailed the setup perfectly.

Hoosier Tire West is a new addition to my group of supporters this year and I can’t thank them enough for their help. I have been running Hoosiers for several years and am always amazed with how consistent the car is, even when track conditions start to get tricky.

Allegiance Clothing is a San Diego based, family-owned apparel company that has supported me for many years. They have grown exponentially over the past several years and it has been awesome to watch them succeed. They are fantastic people, love motorsports, and have a passion for producing the highest quality products on the market.

I’d also like to thank my girlfriend Aly, who’s been a huge part of my racing for many years. She’s a racer herself, so she understands the time and commitment it takes to race week in and week out (even if it comes at the expense of date nights)! She’s an amazing supporter and always there to help when I need it.

I also have a great group of friends that in reality are more like family. A lot of them I grew up racing with in juniors and we are a tight knit group to this day. We push each other to be the best racers and people that we can be.

For more NHRA Lucas Oil sportsman racing news and drag race results, click here.