Chevrolet Development Driver Joined by Four-Time NASCAR Euro Series Champ;
2025 COTA Finale Winner Helio Meza Returns for Six Rounds
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (Jan. 22, 2026) – TeamSLR’s mission to deliver a second consecutive CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series driver championship will be in the hands of a pair of fulltime drivers for 2026 – 18-year-old Chevrolet development prodigy Lanie Buice of Jackson, Georgia, and four-time NASCAR Euro Series champion Alon Day of Israel.
They’ll tackle the 12-race campaign with an eye on building upon a banner 2025 run by TeamSLR and M1 Racecars, which netted seven consecutive victories to close out the season, the TA2 national driver championship for teen Tristan McKee, and the Pro-Am Challenge-class and TA2 Western Championship titles by M1 Racecars competitors Jared Odrick and Brody Goble, respectively.
In addition, the team’s most recent race winner, 17-year-old Helio Meza of Houston, is the first of TeamSLR’s part-time drivers to be announced for 2026.
“I’m excited to start the year. I think we’ve got as good of a lineup as we’ve ever had, and our group’s probably better prepared than we’ve ever been,” said TeamSLR and M1 Racecars co-owner Scott Lagasse Jr., whose operation rolled to three championships, seven national series race wins (four for McKee, and one apiece for veteran Mike Skeen, teen Carson Brown, and Meza) among 20 total wins, 38 podiums and 23 pole positions in 2025.
“Last year was amazing. We had a ton of talent in our cars, and a couple of those guys moved on to the next step, which is how this program works. Change is a part of it, and we’re proud to play our part of the development process with Josh Wise, Scott Speed and Lorin Ranier at Chevrolet. So now we’re on to this year, and I think we have an excellent mix of youth and experience.
“Lanie impressed everyone last year, and her work ethic over the winter has been incredible. Alon brings a ton of stability from a veteran driver’s standpoint week in and week out. And Helio shocked us all at COTA (Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas), obviously. Everyone’s focused and we’re ready to benefit from the momentum we built last year.”
Buice, driver of the No. 8 Sunoco/Chevrolet SLR-M1 Racecars Camaro, returns after a taste of TA2 Series competition last season. She showed speed at both the Sept. 20 race at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in Alton, where she qualified sixth, and the Nov. 2 finale at COTA, where she qualified ninth.
“I’m just super excited and grateful for the opportunity to race for TeamSLR with the support of Chevrolet and all the people that I’ve had behind me to be able to run the full season,” said Buice, who will also contest five ARCA Menards Series races in 2026, as well as a mix of Late Model weekly series events.
“I’m excited to compete fulltime in the TA2 Series. It’s just a really good series to be a part of. I’m motivated by the challenge of trying to figure out all the different places we go to across the country and trying to be the best that I can behind the wheel every single weekend. I always reach really high and shoot for the stars, so I feel like as long as I do what I’m supposed to do behind the scenes, and with all of us at TeamSLR where we just work really well together, the possibilities are endless.”
Day, the 34-year-old from Ashdod, Israel, brings a diverse and highly successful racing background into his rookie TA2 Series season. He’s the winningest driver in NASCAR Euro Series history with 32 victories to go with his championships in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2022. He was on an open-wheel path at the start of his career, which featured an Israeli national karting championship and a Formula Renault Asian Championship title, followed by a six-race run in the North American-based INDY NXT Series in 2012 before the lion’s share of his attention turned to stock cars.
Over the last decade, the former Athlete of the Year in his native Israel has also run a dozen races across NASCAR’s top-three series – Cup (two), O’Reilly Auto Parts (formerly Xfinity, four), and Craftsman Truck (two) – and the ARCA Menards Series (four). Six of those races took place at tracks Day will visit during this year’s TA2 Series campaign.
“While this is my first year in a TA2 car, the fundamentals remain the same – it’s four wheels and a steering wheel,” Day said. “Having raced everything from single-seaters and Indy NXT to stock cars, I’m comfortable and confident in my ability to adapt quickly. Driving for a top-tier program with TeamSLR, and with the incredible support of Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI), the Chicago-based aircraft maintenance support and finance company, I know I have the right environment and equipment to get up to speed immediately.”
“We are excited to partner with Alon Day for a third consecutive year,” said Neil Book, JSSI Chairman and CEO. “Alon is a champion on and off the track, and having joined him at every race last season, I’ve seen firsthand the excellence, grit, and relentless preparation he brings to his craft. These are the same values we strive to embody at JSSI. I am thrilled that Alon will be driving for TeamSLR this year, led by Scott Lagasse Jr., whose high‑performance culture strongly resonates with our own. Scott is a proven powerhouse in this sport and a mentor to the next generation. Joining such a championship‑caliber team will provide Alon with the elite infrastructure necessary to compete at the highest level.”
Meza is another of the stable of young Chevrolet development drivers alongside Buice and McKee. He made his TA2 Series debut at last season’s finale Nov. 2 at COTA, where he led from pole to checkered flag to become the fourth TeamSLR driver to occupy the top step of the podium over the final seven races. Meza is slated for six TA2 rounds this season beginning with the March 1 opener at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway, with a mix of drivers including TeamSLR’s 2021 and 2022 championship contender Connor Mosack expected to run the remaining events in that car. Meza will also contest the full NASCAR Mexico Challenge Series schedule for the second consecutive year, as well as a mix of CARS Tour and other short-track events, and an occasional appearance in Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup, where he earned Rookie of the Year honors in his first full season on that circuit in 2025.
“I really didn’t know what to expect when I stepped into the TA2 car last year at COTA, but everyone at TeamSLR just made it super easy for me, and obviously it doesn’t hurt to have great equipment underneath you, either,” Meza said. “TA2 is probably the most fun I’ve had driving a racecar. I don’t know what it is about it, but I just love how raw the car is – no traction control, no ABS, really good power – so I’m really looking forward to doing more races this year. I have Chevrolet, Alessandros Racing, some of Alessandros’ partners on board, as well, and Telmex jumped on board to help me chase my dreams. It’s going to be a good year.”
Riding along with the TeamSLR contingent and its M1 Racecars this season will be partners CUBE 3 Architecture, Guthrie’s Garage, Sunoco, Franklin Road Apparel Company and Kallberg Racing.
Following the March 1 season-opener at Sebring, the 2026 CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series continues March 14 at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta, April 15-16 with a doubleheader weekend at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, May 23 at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Connecticut, June 21 on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, June 28 at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, another doubleheader July 18-19 at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International, Sept. 5 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, Sept. 20 at VIR, and concludes Nov. 8 at COTA.
About TeamSLR:
TeamSLR (Scott Lagasse Racing) competes fulltime in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli in a multifaceted effort that includes dedicated entries in the TA2 division, customer programs, driver coaching and car construction. Its history dates back to 1985 and covers a wide spectrum of motorsports, including NASCAR, IMSA, SCCA, ARCA and ASA. TeamSLR is a family-owned organization run by Scott Lagasse Sr., and Scott Lagasse Jr. The father-and-son duo have combined to win more than 130 races and eight championships across a variety of series and styles of racecars, from paved ovals to road courses to dirt tracks. TeamSLR would like to thank its supporters CUBE 3 Architecture, Franklin Road Apparel, Kallberg Racing, and Guthrie’s Garage. For more information, please visit us online at www.TeamSLR.com, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and on LinkedIn.
About M1Racecars:
M1 is an Official Chassis Supplier to the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli. M1 Racecars are professionally engineered for the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series, SCCA Competition, and Track Day events. We offer chassis only, rolling chassis and complete race-ready builds in Camaro, Mustang, and Challenger body styles. We utilize only the highest quality materials and our race-winning technology to produce the most stable and predictable racecar on the track today. The proprietary chassis design by M1 has been CAD-perfected by our engineering staff to ensure that each completed chassis is identical and performs as expected. Our chassis materials are CNC Mandrel bent and cut to our exacting standards, which results in the most precise and cost-effective build. M1 has selected Scott Lagasse Racing to be the exclusive distributor for M1 Racecars worldwide. The race team also provides M1 with vital technical assistance and on-track feedback to support our performance development efforts. This combination is a powerful asset to M1 and to every M1 customer.
