When two-time World of Outlaws champion Jason Meyers retired from full-time, competitive sprint car racing in 2012, he knew he wanted to maintain a presence in the motorsports industry. He remains involved in sprint car racing as a team owner, but that alone didn’t scratch the itch. In 2023, he found the outlet he was looking for when he purchased wheel manufacturer Sander Engineering from longtime friend and founder Glen Sander.
[Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared in DI #191, the 30 Under 30 Issue, in November / December of 2024.]
Meyers, whose stepfather was a tool and die maker, grew up in a machine shop learning how to fabricate and use CNC machines to turn raw materials into finished products. He raced micros before stepping up to sprint cars, and his stepfather was adamant that he would use only the best products, including Sander wheels. Meyers started using Sander wheels in 1996, and through his retirement in 2012, all of his cars rode on Sander wheels. He also became good friends with Glen Sander, a “drag racer who made sprint car parts.”
“One thing I’ve always respected about Glen is, having grown up in a machine shop, I know quality materials and quality parts,” Meyers explains. “Glen has just always made the best possible part that he could make, whether it was choosing the best material, the best processes, the best finishes. He has always worked to make the very best parts that he could.”
Meyers and Sander first discussed a potential sale when Meyers retired, but things didn’t line up right away. The two would revisit the conversation every year until 2022, when Meyers was seriously considering adding a motorsports-focused business to a portfolio that had grown to include a large construction company. Sander and his wife, Mindy, were ready to sell, and they all came to an agreement. Meyers was named the new owner in early 2023.
“I’m excited to have this opportunity to carry on a brand that I think has that reputation for quality and innovation,” Meyers says, “and also just to carry on the legacy of a man who I highly respect, who always treated me with the utmost respect, even when I was young and coming up through the ranks. I really respect Glen and Mindy as people and as businessmen and women. It’s really an honor for me to have this opportunity.”
It’s a multi-faceted opportunity for Meyers, one that checks a lot of boxes both personally and professionally.
“Yes, it’s a business decision and I’m buying a business and there’s all the business mathematics that go around it, but for me more than anything, it’s the idea that I’m getting to be involved in a sport that I love,” Meyers says. “We’re involved in motorsports, not just in the open wheel side, which I’ve spent most of my career in, but also in drag racing, where I have lots of friends and relationships and really admire what they do. It’s also bringing me back to my roots of manufacturing. Plus, it’s carrying on a legacy of someone who I really think is just a really neat human being.”
Meyers was handed the keys to a company that had an established reputation in the world of sprint cars and open wheel racing, as well as a growing position in the drag racing market. His goal is to continue building those reputations while adding innovations when possible, but always operating with integrity.
“There’s two things I told Glen when I bought the company,” Meyers says. “One, I’m not going to take it and sell it. I’m not looking to flip it. I give you my word. Secondly, I won’t take it overseas. I won’t lessen the product in any way. I won’t make it out of cheaper materials. I won’t weaken the integrity. I will continue your legacy of making the very best parts that we can possibly make, knowing where materials are coming from, and making sure we’re providing the best customer service we possibly can in your name. This is not just a company he started. This literally is his name. That means a lot to me, and we pay very close attention to that in everything that we do.”
Though Meyers comes from the sprint car side of motorsports, he’s no beginner to drag racing. He counts Funny Car world champions Gary Scelzi and Ron Capps – fellow dirt racing enthusiasts – as longtime friends, and he used to lease a race shop from John Force.
“I love the sport,” Meyers says. “I love what the sport is about and the intensity of it. It’s something I have a ton of interest in. I think they do a great job. The history is amazing in drag racing, and the technology and the way the teams work together to push everything, I just think it’s an amazing sport. I’m excited to be a part of it and to have a reason to go to more races.”
Meyers is committed to serving the company’s existing customers in drag racing while also helping potential customers learn more about their line, which includes front wheels and rear wheels for use on anything from weekend warrior bracket cars up to 12,000-horsepower Top Fuel dragsters. Meyers enlisted the services of longtime motorsports industry sales executive Vic Wood to continue building relationships in the straight-line sport.
“One legacy that Glen had is everybody knew Glen,” Meyers says. “When you called to order parts, you got Glen on the phone. That’s who answered the phone. While I’m not quite as available as Glen, our team is. That’s why I brought Vic on board because he believes in that same mentality that I have. We want to have relationships with our teams. We’re not just selling you product. We feel like we’re a part of your team and we want you to feel like we’re a part of your team and we’re helping you to win championships.”
Sander Engineering wheels are used by numerous NHRA Top Fuel and Funny Car teams, as well as Top Alcohol Funny Car standouts like Sean Bellemeur and Maddi Gordon. But they’re also used by the sportsman racers who fill the world’s dragstrips every weekend.
“You don’t have to be the guy that is the No. 1 top NHRA driver or midget champion,” Meyers continues. “You join our team when you buy our product, and we’re accessible, we’re at the track, and we’re here to answer your questions, help you solve problems, and help you make new ideas reality.”
To learn more about Sander Engineering, visit www.SanderEngineering.com, where you can configure a set of Sander wheels to fit your specifications. To speak to Sander’s knowledgeable customer service staff, call 310-534-1210.
This story was originally published on January 3, 2025. 
The post Sprint Car Champion Jason Meyers Entrusted with Carrying Sander Engineering Into the Future first appeared on Drag Illustrated.