WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. — Tristan McKee’s return to the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series at Watkins Glen International was plagued with various mechanical issues, but finally, during Sunday’s second leg of the Trans Am doubleheader, his No. 48 Gainbridge Chevrolet Camaro for Team SLR stayed together.
The series’ defending champion (who turns 16 at the beginning of August) was able to put his potential on full display during Sunday’s 30-lapper, leading wire-to-wire, despite some contact with teammate Helio Meza on the opening lap, and pressure from Alon Day and Ethan Tovo throughout the event.
“It feels good,” McKee said post-race. “This one really goes to my crew guys, they worked their butts off this weekend; we changed the motor, rear end, steering rack a couple of times, all kinds of steering components, radiator. I mean, Thursday was the only clean day we’ve had, we’ve been breaking stuff the whole time and having issues. Thanks to all of my guys, everyone who put a hand on this car. I mean it was super fast this whole time, just could never get any laps, so I knew we had the pace to do it.”
Team SLR continues its impressive win streak in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series, winning every event this season between Helio Meza, Alon Day, and now, Tristan McKee. The organization’s win streak extends all the way through Memorial Day Weekend last May at Lime Rock Park, a total of 16 races.
Now, Sunday’s event was a little more complex than Saturday’s, in terms of on-track action.
On the opening lap of Sunday’s event, there were two separate on-track incidents that dramatically impacted drivers that came into the weekend sitting top five in CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series point standings.
The first was an incident entering Turn 1 on Lap 1, where Gian Buffomante got into the right-rear quarter-panel of Noah Harmon and spun the Silver Hare Racing driver around. While Harmon was virtually undamaged, further incidents later in the race forced him to the pits, where he finished five laps down, 23rd overall.
The biggest incident came just a few corners later… as the field drove down into Turn 1, Team SLR teammates Tristan McKee and Helio Meza made side-to-side contact. That damaged the No. 28 Alessandro’s Racing Chevrolet Camaro and made it where the championship leader couldn’t make the corner, taking himself and Vinnie Meskelis out of the race on Lap 1.
Meza was able to climb from his car and was uninjured.
“Going into Turn 1, just had a little bit of side-by-side contact with Tristan [McKee] and then going up into the essess, I think there was something broke in the steering and I couldn’t turn left going up the hill, and unfortunately had contact with Vinnie [Meskeslis] on my outside, just because I couldn’t make the corner,” Meza said. “Just kind of ended the day early, which is unfortunate because the speed that we had yesterday, and we had made a couple changes overnight to make things better. These things happen, can’t really control it, obviously bummed that I missed out on the race, but these things happen.”
The Spring, Texas-native was credited with an overall finish of 31st, which translates to an in-class result of 19th.
Alon Day finished Sunday’s event in the runner-up position, and will lead Watkins Glen, New York as the new championship leader in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series by a significant margin, with only three races remaining on the campaign. Ethan Tovo, on his 16th birthday, no less, claims his first podium in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series, finishing third.
Thomas Merrill and Lanie Buice rounded out the top five. Jace Denmark, who didn’t put this deal together until Wednesday, finished in sixth-place, with Gavin Gleitsman finishing seventh, finally scoring that elusive maiden top-10 result. Adrian Wlostowski, Tanner Reif, and Gian Buffomante rounded out the top-10.
