Full-Season Drivers Lanie Buice, Helio Meza and Alon Day Welcome NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Regular Andres Perez for TA2 Round Two
ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (March 11, 2026) – From victory among the orange groves of South-Central Florida to the scenic hills of Northeast Georgia, a quartet of TeamSLR drivers and their M1 Racecars brethren are ready to take on the 2.54-mile, 11-turn Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta circuit this weekend for round two of the 2026 CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series campaign.
The team kicked off the season two weekends ago on a winning note at the hands of 18-year-old Chevrolet development driver Helio Meza, who in just his second TA2 Series start wheeled the No. 28 Alessandros Racing/SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro to his second consecutive win, this time on the grueling Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway layout. The Houston native closed the 2025 season with a win in his series debut at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, giving TeamSLR seven consecutive wins at the hands of four different drivers.
Meza will be joined for Saturday’s 40-lap, 75-minute race by fellow full-season drivers Lanie Buice and Alon Day, and joining the TeamSLR camp for the first time will be NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series regular Andres Perez, who’ll be making his first career TA2 Series start. Augmenting the M1 Racecars effort in the field of 34-entries is defending Pro-Am Challenge-class champion Jared Odrick, who picked up where he left off in 2025 by powering his way to the class victory in the March 1 race at Sebring in his Troy Benner Autosport Chevrolet Camaro.
Before bursting onto the Trans Am scene last November, Meza enjoyed successful 2025 runs in both the NASCAR Mexico Challenge Series and Mazda MX-5 Cup. Driving for Alessandros Racing under the guidance of veteran Ruben Rovello, Meza was a two-time Mexico Challenge Series race winner. In Mazda MX-5 Cup, Meza earned Rookie of the Year honors behind a pair of runner-up finishes and another pair of top-fives that placed him fifth in the final standings. He’s part of the stable of Chevrolet development drivers under the direction of Josh Wise, Scott Speed and Lorin Ranier, as is a long list of past and present TeamSLR drivers, including Buice. TeamSLR is an official driver development partner of Chevrolet Motorsports.
For Buice, the 18-year-old from Jackson, Georgia, some two hours south of Road Atlanta, Saturday’s race carries an added measure of excitement. She got the first taste of her home road course when she was part of the Lowcountry Motorsports lineup for a World Racing League (WRL) endurance event last July, and looks to put that experience to work to jumpstart her effort this weekend in her No. 27 Sunoco/Guthrie’s Garage/SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro. This weekend marks Buice’s fourth TA2 Series outing, dating back to last September’s race at Virginia International Raceway (VIR) in Alton, and November’s season finale at COTA.
Day, the 34-year-old from Ashdod, Israel, brought his diverse and highly successful racing background into his TA2 Series debut behind the wheel of the No. 17 JSSI/SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro at Sebring. He’s the winningest driver in NASCAR Euro Series history with 32 victories to go with his championships in 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2022, and is making his full-season TA2 Series run in partnership with Chicago-based aircraft maintenance support and finance company Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI). Day 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 he’ll visit during this year’s TA2 Series campaign.
At Sebring two weekends ago, Day started fifth and showed speed in the early laps of the race, fighting for second place at its midpoint before a pair of incidents not of his doing derailed his efforts.
The 20-year-old Perez, who hails from Mexico City, joins the TeamSLR lineup this weekend in the midst of his second full NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season with the Niece Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado team. He’ll take the reins of the No. 8 Chevrolet/SLR-M1 Racecars Camaro for his first career TA2 race and first race of any kind at Road Atlanta. Despite his relative youth, Perez has waged championship campaigns in multiple disciplines. He started racing go-karts at age 11, then went on to win the Mexico-based NASCAR Mikel’s Truck Series title at 15. In 2022, he became the youngest winner in NASCAR Mexico Challenge Series history enroute to that year’s championship. And in 2024, he earned the ARCA Menards Series championship with Rev Racing, becoming the first foreign-born driver to do so.
Riding along with TeamSLR drivers and their M1 Racecars once again this season are Guthrie’s Garage, CUBE 3 Architecture and longtime supporters Franklin Road Apparel Company and Kallberg Racing.
The weekend at Road Atlanta kicks off Thursday with a pair of TA2 test sessions set for 11:40 a.m. and 3:45 p.m. EDT. Friday begins with official TA2 practice at 10:45 a.m., followed by qualifying at 4:05 p.m. Race time Saturday is 12:45 p.m. with live television coverage available at no charge at RacingAmerica.TV, as well as the official Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli YouTube channel (@gotransam).e at RacingAmerica.TV, as well as the official Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli YouTube channel.
Lanie Buice, Driver, No. 27 Sunoco/Guthrie’s Garage/SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro:
Safe to say there’s a little extra excitement for you this weekend as you take on your home track on the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series schedule for the first time with TeamSLR?
“Yes, I am really excited. I’ve only been there one other time for a WRL race last summer, and it’s actually one of my favorite places. Obviously, I haven’t been to that many road courses, but I’m very excited about going to Road Atlanta. I have lots of friends and family that are coming and it’s just cool to be racing in my home state.”
How was your experience in the WRL race?
“It was good. My team qualified on the pole in one of the stock car type classes. Unfortunately the equipment didn’t hold up in the race, but it was a good experience for one of my first road-course things and getting me ready for the Trans Am stuff that came later in the year. I felt like it was one of the better places that I’d been, so I feel really excited to go back there because I’ll feel more confident, having the track down a little bit better than some places, and I really, really love the track. It was a lot of fun.”
Based on that experience, describe the highlights when it comes to turning a fast lap around the Road Atlanta circuit and your overall impressions of the track.
“I would say the biggest thing is the elevation there. I mean, we’re going from a completely flat track at Sebring to Road Atlanta, which has so much elevation change and different banking, which is really neat, so it’s going to be a change going from Sebring to Road Atlanta and I’m excited about it. I feel like the track is super dependent on where you put your car and all those things just because the banking plays such a factor. Now that I have a few more tracks under my belt, it’s cool to go back to Road Atlanta and really pay more attention to the specifics and the different things that really make for more speed. It’s funny, back in 2021 or 2022, I actually raced across the street from Road Atlanta at Lanier Raceway in Legend cars. I knew Road Atlanta was there, but I really had no idea what it was. I remember driving by it as a kid, but I never really paid close attention to it. It’s an amazing place and I’m looking forward to the experience this weekend.”
Now that you’re three races into your TA2 Series career, do you feel like you’re getting closer to that breakthrough result at your home road course?
“Absolutely. I feel like Sebring was such a good weekend for us to build on and for me to learn from. I feel like it’s super important go out and compete the way we have these first three races together, and sometimes in the early part of it you’re going to make mistakes. There were just so many different ways that I learned at Sebring, things that I will never take for granted. Those are things I feel like I can continue to carry on throughout my career, which is one of the most important things that I’m trying to do, to just learn as much as I can every single weekend. Obviously I want to compete and I want to be up front and I want to win races, but all that will come by really diving deep into the learning aspect of it. So I’m just trying to prepare as best as I can and continue to learn and just take in as much as I can every single weekend. This being my fourth TA2 race is still crazy to think about. I’m just trying to find a balance of competing in the series and trying to just do the best that I can every time I hit the track.”
Helio Meza, Driver, No. 28 Alessandros Racing/Chevrolet/SLR-M1 Racecars Camaro:
Thoughts on making your third career TA2 start at Road Atlanta this weekend?
“I raced there in MX-5 Cup last year, and then the year prior I drove there in a spec MX-5, so I’ve been there two times and have a little bit of experience there. I would say it’s probably one of my favorite tracks that I’ve gone to so far, so I’m looking forward to it. It’s like the perfect sized track for any car and it has every kind of corner you would imagine. It has elevation, slow corners, technical corners, high-speed corners, a little bit of everything all in one track. There’s really not much time to rest other than the backstraight, which relative to other tracks isn’t very long, so you’re always doing something. It’s really cool, especially when you get into a flow state there because it just feels like you’re in your own little world.”
Road Atlanta is night-and-day different than the Sebring circuit where you opened the season with your second consecutive victory. What kinds of things will you need to be mindful of this weekend?
“I feel like I do a good job of approaching every track similarly. I try and respect the limits of every track because I know if you’re flirting with those limits, you might end up in a tire barrier or gravel trap. Road Atlanta has some more runoff, but there are also some areas, like when you go down through the esses, if you make a mistake, even though it seems like there’s a lot of runoff, you have a lot of speed going through those sections. So, I feel like for a lot of drivers it’s a little deceiving and they kind of flirt with that edge and I’ve seen where it’s gone bad, where they’ll drop a tire, get loose and overcorrect down the esses, and then before you know it they’re in the tire barrier.”
You had a successful start to the season with your victory from the pole at Sebring. What were your expectations going into that weekend?
“Looking back at it, we pretty much had close to a perfect weekend. We didn’t get to qualify again, which was a bummer because I still want to get the outright pole position, but I’ll take it however it comes. Going back to the January test there, I felt really comfortable there, not only with the car, but just with the track and the team, and I knew going into the race weekend that we were going to have a good shot at having a good result. Like I’ve said in the past, I try not to put expectations on myself because I feel like that just leads to unnecessary pressure for me. It’s good to have a goal, like striving to go for the win. But I wouldn’t say I try and make that the priority. I just try and do every corner the best that I can and, whatever happens, happens. Obviously it helps when TeamSLR provides you a rocket ship, it just makes your life a whole lot easier because you just have to go out there and drive. I always felt like the car was super – I almost want to say it was perfect during the race. We made a couple of changes to help with a few things, but we were never searching or confused or scratching our heads on anything.”
What advice would you have for your former fellow NASCAR Mexico competitor Andres Perez as he runs his first TA2 Series race this weekend?
“We’ve talked when we’ve seen each other at the GM tech center. First of all, I would say to just go and enjoy it as much as he can. He has a lot of road-course experience, which is great because it’ll help him get up to speed a little bit quicker. But also to just take it one step at a time and that the speed will come. And obviously it helps that he’s with TeamSLR because he can have confidence knowing that he’s going into Road Atlanta with good people and good equipment. It’ll be one less thing he has to worry about and he can devote more time to fixing his lines and just getting used to the track. I’ll be there to help him out as much as I can. I’m not going to hide anything, especially from my teammates because I want us as a whole finish well in the championship, not only myself. I feel like when we help each other, we all get better together.”
Alon Day, Driver, No. 17 JSSI/SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro:
As was the case two weekends ago at Sebring, you’ll be seeing Road Atlanta for the first time this weekend, but you at least now have a TA2 Series race weekend under your belt. Thoughts about this weekend?
“I’ve never been there, but I think it’s going to be good. I’ve known the track for many years already from the simulator. It’s a well-known track, and I’m very much looking forward to race there for the first time. It’ll be like Sebring as far as being the first time I’ll see the track, but at Sebring it was my first time with the car, first time with the team, but now I’m going to Road Atlanta with a bit more knowledge of what’s going on around me and what I’m driving. I was very glad that I adapted to the car fairly quickly, and I hope that I will adapt to Road Atlanta the same way as I adapted to Sebring.”
What are your impressions of the track at Road Atlanta based on your experience on the simulator?
“One of my favorite tracks in Europe is Brands Hatch. It has extreme elevation changes – such radical elevation changes that you actually have vertical G-forces, like in an airplane, because you’re going down and up. I believe Road Atlanta is going to be the same way. It’s a very fast track with a lot of elevation changes like a European-style track and it’s completely different from Sebring, which is very flat with a lot of concrete surfaces. Road Atlanta will be like a proper European-style racetrack with its history. I think we’ll have a lot of fun. The last couple of corners, when you go up to the bridge and down to the hill to the start-finish line, I think it’s going to be very, very challenging, but very cool. Also turn one, such a high-speed corner going uphill, it’s going to be fun.”
What were your impressions driving the TA2 car for the first time at Sebring?
“I think the TeamSLR guys did a really good job helping me adapt to the car fairly quickly. Let’s be honest, I did just a few laps in practice, and also they canceled qualifying because of the weather, but I still did the second-quickest lap in the race when I was in traffic, fighting for a top-two position, so it was a very nice way to open the season. Unfortunately, the JSSI car didn’t finish where it deserved to, but I feel like the car looks and feels very similar to what I used to drive in Europe, but it’s a lot more powerful, which is something that took me a bit of time to get adapted to.”
Your plan after Sebring was to go home to your family in Israel for a time before returning for the Road Atlanta round, but recent events forced you to stay here in the U.S. between races. How has that been for you?
“I don’t know, I feel like I kind of have been floating in the air. It’s an extremely annoying feeling not being with your family during such a tough time, but I’m very glad that my wife is a fighter and she realizes the situation I’m in, and she just told me, ‘Don’t think too much, just do whatever you’re supposed to do, and keep moving forward and improve yourself.’ So when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade and I tried to make the best out of it by spending time with the team at the shop in Florida, which has been very crucial and important at this stage of our relationship. I’d rather be there than anywhere else if I can’t be at home.”
Andres Perez, Driver, No. 8 Chevrolet/SLR-M1 Racecars Camaro:
You’ll be getting your first test of TA2 Series competition this weekend at Road Atlanta. What might be your expectations?
“Overall, I’m just excited because I grew up road-course racing, so this is more of what I’m used to. I’d say the road-course races in the Truck Series are the ones that I probably enjoy the most. The Trans Am car on the road courses is a good combination because the car has so much grip compared to a NASCAR Truck. It’s just lighter than the truck, so I’m excited for that and we’ll see how it goes.”
What brings you to TeamSLR for your first taste of TA2 Series competition?
“I’m in the full development program with Chevrolet as part of my racing in the Truck Series, and obviously TeamSLR is such an important partner with Chevrolet, that Josh Wise guided me to the team to work on my road-racing craft. So, I’m here to compete. I want to do this for my development because I know there is a lot I can gain from doing Trans Am races, but I also want to go out and perform, I want to go out and be fighting for the win, and that’s my goal, to win the race and just try to learn as much as I can.”
What are your impressions of TA2 Series racing from the outside looking in?
“I’m conscious of the high level of competition that Trans Am racing is. I know it’s not going to be an easy thing. I know it’s really hard, really tough competition, but I also know that I have a lot of experience and, more than anything, the team is really good. I’ve been seeing the results and I’ve heard good things about it, so I’m excited to jump straight into a really competitive car. That’s also one of the things that motivates me for this weekend, knowing that we’re going to be really good and it’s just going to be a matter of me putting everything together. We’re with the right team and, with my experience and everything, we should be really good from the get-go. It’s just going to be a matter of squeezing the last part of the car and what it has to do to be able to have race-winning speed.”
Thoughts about the many aspects of Road Atlanta and what it takes to get around there quickly.
“The big thing everybody talks about is it definitely has a lot of elevation changes, and it has everything. It’s a very fast and flowy track, but it also has this ingredient of being tricky. It has the downhill braking, a lot of ups and downs, and I think it’s going to be really technical. You’re going to need to be really comfortable in the car to be able to be on the limit.”
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 10 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 M1 Racecars:
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.
