Dr. Jamie Meyer: The Heart Doctor of GM Performance Parts

Dr. Jamie Meyer could be considered the heart and soul of GM Performance Parts. His tireless effort to promote and develop new speed parts direct from GM are done out of a far greater desire than just that of a paycheck; this guy actually loves cars!

That being said, calling him the “heart and soul” of GM Performance Parts is not all that far off base. His Doctoral degree is actually a medical one, meaning Dr. Jamie is actually a doctor! He earned a Ph.D. with honors in Anatomy and Cell Biology from the SUNY Upstate Medical University, the medical school in Syracuse, NY.

His doctoral thesis there was titled “The Anatomical and Biochemical Analysis of NADPH Oxidase in Human Endothelial Cells: Possible Therapeutic Target for Atherosclerosis.”We can’t say we entirely understand what that means either, but it does not take a lot of brains to deduce that Jamie is a smart guy, indeed.

After completing his education he completed an eight year post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. Many would question why a successful physician would change careers in the middle of a promising career, but Jamie just couldn’t keep his hands and mind off of things with four wheels.

By day, he was studying cardiovascular disease, but by night he was devoting time to writing for car magazines, and announced drag races on the weekends. One thing led to another, and in 2005 GM offered him a chance as the Product Integration Manager for GM Performance Parts and he simply couldn’t say no.

Jamie presents $67,000 check to S.E. Michigan Heart Association

The lineup of engines, components and transmissions available through GM Performance Parts is one that he is very proud of, and has every intention in continuing to see it grow. Today people with new GM cars or those with classics can find almost any crate engine and performance part under the sun in the GMPP catalog, but as far as Jamie’s concerned they’re really just getting started.

GM North America President Mark Reuss has given direction to develop more vehicle specific parts, meaning it might be possible to buy just the single GMPP part you’d want for your late model GM car over the counter instead of having to buy the entire high performance version of a car itself.

As an example of what that really means, Jamie said, “We’re looking to release ZL1 parts for the thousands of Camaro owners out there that want that heavy-duty rear end or that race suspension or big brake kit. So watch for GM Performance Parts to start becoming more vehicle focused in the future.”

Believe it or not, before his time with GM Jamie was was loyal to the blue oval. He founded MOMS Racing in 1995 upstate NY. The acronym MOMS stands for Mustang On Mustang Shootout, and is a series dedicated to owners of Mustangs 1979 to present to drag race heads up. Jamie is an NHRA-licensed drag racer, but it was his experience in witnessing street racing that inspired him to find a safer way to race.

On the topic, Jamie said, “One night I was out in Syracuse, on Erie Boulevard, watching the street races, and there were two races going on in opposite directions. They both came by the crowd at 120 miles an hour, and I realized watching from the back of somebody’s pickup truck that was about the dumbest thing I’d ever seen.” He formed MOMS as a result to provide other people with an alternative to illegal street racing, giving them a safe place to go race, hang out, and talk about cars. MOMS is still in full swing today.

Even though his career is no longer in the medical field he does still have an interest in the continued research on heart disease. GM Performance Parts donated a LSX454R crate engine to the Barrett-Jackson car auction earlier this year, the proceeds of which were dedicated to the American Heart Association (AHA). The engine itself was won my Greg Mauzy of Texas for $67,000.  He added the engine to his collection of vintage cars and automobilia. Dr. Jamie recently presented the proceeds of the sale at the Southeast Michigan AHA Go Red For Women luncheon.

Look for Jamie to continue pushing GM Performance Parts to the top of the mountain. You’ll likely see him at car shows, events like the LS Shootout, SEMA, and everywhere in between. He lives, eats, and breathes the development of speed parts, and we’re glad he’s the captain of the ship!

About the author

Robert Kibbe

Robert Kibbe is the owner of TheMuscleCarPlace.com and host of the weekly Muscle Car Place podcast show. He's based in Ames, IA, is married with 3 kids, and still thinks the General Lee is cool.
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