Teen Helio Meza Captures Third Straight Win; Andres Perez de Lara Goes Runner-up in His TA2 Series Debut; Alon Day Rallies from 25th to Third in Second TA2 Outing
Overview:
Date: March 14, 2026
Event: Mission Foods Racing America Road Atlanta (Round 2 of 12)
Series: Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli
Division: CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series
Location: Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta
Layout: 2.52-mile, 11-turn road course
Format: 40 laps or 75 minutes
Weather: Sunny, low-70s
TA2 Winner: Helio Meza of TeamSLR
TeamSLR:
● Helio Meza – Started 1st, Finished 1st (Running, completed 40/40 laps)
● Andres Perez de Lara – Started 2nd, Finished 2nd (Running, completed 40/40 laps)
● Alon Day – Started 25th, Finished 3rd (Running, completed 40/40 laps)
● Lanie Buice – Started 10th, Finished 19th (Running, completed 40/40 laps)
● Naz Olkhovskyi – Started 30th, Finished 14th (Running, completed 40/40 laps)
M1 Racecars:
● Jared Odrick – Started 12th, Finished 15th (Running, completed 40/40 laps)
Noteworthy:
● Meza, the 18-year-old from Houston, remained unbeaten through three career CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series starts and delivered TeamSLR’s ninth consecutive win dating back to the team’s victory last June at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington by eventual 2025 champion Tristan McKee. Like he did in the 2025 season finale last November at the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) in Austin, Texas, then again two weeks ago in the 2026 season opener at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway, Meza started on the pole and led every lap.
● Perez de Lara, the 20-year-old fulltime NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competitor from Mexico City, kept pace with Meza from the drop of the green flag and was never threatened for the runner-up spot. It was his first career TA2 Series start.
● Day, the 34-year-old from Ashdod, Israel, who made his TA2 Series debut two weekends ago at Sebring, rallied from 25th on the starting grid to the final spot on the podium Saturday. The four-time NASCAR Euro Series champion did not qualify Friday as the team made repairs to his racecar after an accident in final practice earlier in the day. He was thus placed last on the grid among the TA2 Series entries.
● Naz Olkhovskyi, the 38-year-old from Ukraine, drove his No. 48 Stand With Ukraine/SLR Chevrolet Camaro to his best finish in three TA2 Series outings. His 14th-place overall result was fourth-best among his fellow Pro-Am Challenge-class competitors.
● Buice, the 19-year-old from Jackson, Georgia, made her fourth career TA2 Series start in a backup car put into service after her midrace accident in the Sebring season opener two weekends ago. She was battling for a finish inside the top-10 during the closing laps Saturday when she ventured off course while tangling with another competitor. She made a quick trip to pit lane to clear the grille and returned to the race to finish 19th, under caution.
● Odrick, the 2025 TA2 Series Pro-Am Challenge-class champion, finished 15th overall and fifth in Pro-Am after battling back from an early race incident in his No. 00 Black Underwear/M1 Racecars Camaro for Troy Benner Autosport.
Helio Meza, Driver, No. 28 Alessandros Racing/Chevrolet/SLR-M1 Racecars Camaro:
“Man, that felt really good leading the whole race and just kind of really taking control. I’m just kind of speechless. Last year, I went to my first race at COTA, my debut, not really expecting much, and here I am, having won for the third time in a row. I can’t thank Chevrolet and TeamSLR enough. They worked really hard in the offseason to get these cars super fast, and obviously it shows. We got 1-2-3 here. They worked really hard on Alon’s car all night to get him back on track after he had his moment yesterday. I just wish he was up there with me at the beginning because I feel like we would’ve had a good battle all race. This is one of the first times ever that I’ve been a part of a team like this that works really hard and wants nothing but the best for me. And I’m just super grateful for everyone in my corner – Alessandros Racing, Chevrolet, TeamSLR, CUBE3 Architecture, the series sponsor, and Pirelli. There are a lot of people involved that make these weekends possible and I can’t thank everyone enough. And thanks to Racing America for all that they’re doing for us this year.”
Andres Perez de Lara, Driver, No. 8 Chevrolet/SLR-M1 Racecars Camaro:
“It was fun. We finished second, so that’s a good result for the team, and obviously a great day finishing in this order. Just happy for the progress we made during the weekend. I wish I could find that little bit extra, but it was a good weekend overall. Thank you to all the team and everybody that made this possible. I really enjoyed the whole weekend and the process and just getting to learn this car, this track – the whole experience. I think we got better every session, so I’ve got to thank the team. Obviously, a 1-2-3 finish is pretty cool, so I’m really happy.”
Alon Day, Driver, No. 17 JSSI/SLR-M1 Racecars/Entry:
“I’m speechless. There are a couple of people I really need to say thanks to. First of all, JSSI for giving me the opportunity to be here. Without them, I wouldn’t be here. And TeamSLR, I mean, they worked really hard. Yesterday, we had a bad crash in practice and I couldn’t qualify, and so that’s the reason why I started from the back. Those guys, each one of them, they did a hell of a job giving me a fighter jet. That’s what it felt like.”
Lanie Buice, Driver, No. 27 Sunoco/Guthrie’s Garage/SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro:
“Yeah. I’m really proud of the hard work that TeamSLR has put in to bring my No. 27 Sunoco Race Fuels, Guthrie’s Garage, M1 Racecars Chevrolet to the racetrack, just putting in the effort they put in during the past two weeks to get me another racecar to the racetrack after I made a mistake at Sebring. Just super proud of everybody and the adversity we fought through during the race. I have some things to work on, but I’m continuing to learn every single weekend. And we put a whole race together this week, so super proud of that and the effort. So I’ve just got to keep my head down and keep learning and figure out how to manage all of the things I need to manage and just get better. I was around a slower car for quite a while, and we ultimately both went around. It was so unfortunate because we were running for a top-10 finish, which would’ve been a really good finish for us. We’ll just look at the data and figure out where we can be better and continue our progress.”
Nas Olkhovskyi, Driver, No. 48 Stand With Ukraine/SLR Chevrolet Camaro:
“The goal was to stay out of trouble, and I think I achieved it. I thought if I get top-20 I’ll be happy, and I got top-15, P4 in class, so that’s just an amazing achievement, the cherry on top. This is an old car that I practiced in for half a year, and then I’ve now raced three times with it, but there’s new one that’s coming soon, an M1, and it’s going to be a good one. So between continuing to build on what we’ve learned so far with this car, I’m excited thinking about the future in the new car.”
Next Up:
Rounds three and four of the 2026 Cube 3 Architecture TA2 Series season come by way of a Saturday-Sunday weekend doubleheader April 23-26 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway. The weekend begins Thursday (April 23) with a pair of TA2 test sessions set for 11:25 a.m. and 5:40 p.m. PDT. Official practice and qualifying are set for Friday (March 24) at 10:40 a.m. and 3:55 p.m., respectively. Saturday’s 40-lap, 75-minute race around the 2.52-mile, 11-turn Sonoma circuit is set for 1:30 p.m.. Sunday’s 40-lap, 75-minute race is set for 2:30 p.m. Both races will be broadcast live on RacingAmerica.tv and the GoTransAm page on YouTube.
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 devel
