WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Helio Meza (No. 28 Alessandro’s Racing Chevrolet Camaro) is back on the top step of the podium in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series, after the final-lap devastation that stole a victory from the Team SLR driver last time out.
That return to the top step didn’t come without its challenges, though.
On Friday, during qualifying for the first leg of this weekend’s Trans Am doubleheader at Watkins Glen International, the Team SLR driver didn’t have first gear, which cost him his shot at winning the pole and leaving him second to Alon Day – who also benefitted from his last-lap mechanical issue at Road America.
“Man, I don’t know. Going into Turn 1 when we took the green for the first time, I knew it was going to be wet, but Alon [Day] kind of sent it, and it paid off,” Meza said post-race. “So, once I figured out it was dry to use the exit curbing, I just did my best to put pressure on him. Then we had two full-course yellows and then was able to capitalize there at the end.”
It took about half the race for Meza to find his groove, but after a couple of full-course cautions and subsequent restarts, the Spring, Texas-native found his groove – and his boldness – and made a move around the outside of teammate Alon Day entering the bus stop, somehow, completing the pass, taking the lead and running away from the pack.
“I tried going side-by-side next to Alon [Day] a couple laps prior, just to see what it would look like, and it was sketchy – our minimum speed there is like 100mph, so around the outside is… yeah,” he continued. “Just super excited, I don’t know how we keep doing it, I just give it all to the team. Yesterday in qualifying we had a transmission issue so I couldn’t use first gear in my fast lap, and we had to overcome some adversity yesterday.”
“Just glad to be on the top step after what happened at Road America and that whole last lap I was just hoping nothing would happen.”
Alon Day finished in the second position, just 5.231 seconds behind his teammate Meza.
Australian-born driver Nathan Herne, driving his No. 15, finished in the third position, standing on the podium in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series for the first time since VIRginia Motorsports Park in 2023.
Thomas Merrill finished in the fourth position with Nitro Motorsports driver Gian Buffomante rounding out the top five in the No. 95 – his first top-five result of 2026. Ethan Tovo was sixth, with Jace Denmark (who didn’t even know he’d be racing until Wednesday) finishing seventh. Jackson Tovo, Adrian Wlostowski, and Lanie Buice rounded out the top-10.
Gavin Gleitsman (No. 51 Image FX / Exron Capital Chevrolet Camaro) was running in the seventh position on the final lap, when he slid into the tire barriers, ending his quest for a career-best and his first-ever top-10 in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series.
After a top-10 last time out at Road America, Tanner Reif was involved in a mid-race accident with Jared Odrick, who, at the time was leading the PRO/AM Division. The incident happened after the two made contact several times throughout the race, and as Reif told Racing America in an interview, the Silver Hare Racing driver had enough.
