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Meza Gaps Field for Third Career CUBE 3 TA2 Series Pole at Sonoma

April 24, 2026

It doesn’t seem to make a difference whether 18-year-old Helio Meza has visited a racetrack before, because by the time qualifying is over, and the native of Spring, Texas has had some time on the racetrack, he always finds himself atop the speed charts.

Piloting the No. 28 Alessandros Racing Chevrolet Camaro for Team SLR-M1 Racecars, Meza picked up a couple of tenths from his blazing practice time on Friday to earn himself his third career pole position (and fourth career first-place start) in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series, in just his fourth career start.

In doing so, the Chevrolet development driver outran some strong drivers in the CUBE 3 TA2 Series, including Alon Day, a four-time NASCAR Whelen Euro Series champion and multi-time Trans Am winner Connor Mosack, who competes part-time in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

Day (No. 17 JSSI Chevrolet Camaro) and Mosack (No. 48 Friends of Jaclyn / Guthrie’s Garage Chevrolet Camaro), both teammates to Meza at Team SLR, were second and third quickest in the qualifying session, but were a staggering 0.857 and 1.112 seconds slower than the driver of the No. 28, who has rapidly become the shining star of the Trans Am Series by Pirelli.

Adrian Wlostowski was fourth quickest, with Sam Corry being the highest-ranked Nitro Motorsports driver in fifth place. Lanie Buice snagged a career-best starting spot, in sixth, with Jackson and Ethan Tovo seventh and eighth.

Rafa Matos, running double-duty between the TA Class and CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Class this weekend at Sonoma, was ninth, with Nitro Motorsports part-timer Vinnie Meskelis rounding out the top 10.

Making his Trans Am by Pirelli CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series debut for Silver Hare Racing, Max Reaves, a standout in the Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR) Driver Development Program, qualified 24th overall, ranked 15th among the national series regulars.

CUBE 3 TA2 Qualifying Top 10:

1. #28 Helio Meza – Alessandros Racing / SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro (1:32.632)
2. #117 Alon Day – JSSI / SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro (1:33.489)
3. #48 Connor Mosack – Friends of Jaclyn / Guthrie’s Garage Chevrolet Camaro (1:33.744)
4. #3 Adrian Wlostowski – CMI / Spot-On Services / AMT Motorsports Ford Mustang (1:33.819)
5. #70 Sam Corry – Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry (1:33.846)
6. #27 Lanie Buice – Sunoco / Guthrie’s Garage / SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro (1:34.060)
7. #30 Jackson Tovo – Pilot Travel Centers Toyota Camry (1:34.176)
8. #10 Ethan Tovo – Dick’s Sporting Goods Toyota Camry (1:34.242)
9. #26 Rafa Matos – HP Tuners / Concord American Flag Pole Ford Mustang (1:34.481)
10. #90 Vinnie Meskelis – Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry (1:34.524)

CUBE 3 TA2 Practice Top Five:

1. #28 Helio Meza – Alessandros Racing / SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro (1:32.857)
2. #26 Rafa Matos – HP Tuners / Concord American Flag Pole Ford Mustang (1:32.957)
3. #17 Alon Day – JSSI / SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro (1:33.175)
4. #48 Connor Mosack – Friends of Jaclyn / Guthrie’s Garage Chevrolet Camaro (1:33.316)
5. #70 Sam Corry – Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry (1:33.458)

This weekend’s doubleheader at Sonoma Raceway marks the first of three race weekends, and five races, for the Trans Am TA2 West Coast Championship Class. While there are some drivers running exclusively for the West Coast title, there are also some doing some double-dipping this weekend.

Lanie Buice (No. 27 Sunoco / Guthrie’s Garage / SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro) was the quickest of those drivers registered in the TA2 West Coast Championship. Buice was sixth quickest of the drivers in the national series and posted a lap nearly a second faster than Tim Lynn.

Lynn is a West Coast Championship regular, and will roll from the second position in class, which equates to 14th fastest overall. Tim Carroll (third in-class, 15th overall) was just behind Lynn. Graham Jacobson and Cole Moore rounded out the top five in qualifying.

Only Buice and Jacobson are registered in both classes for this weekend’s event.

TA2 West Coast Championship Qualifying Top Five:

1. #27 Lanie Buice – Sunoco / Guthrie’s Garage / SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro (1:34.060)
2. #17 Tim Lynn – Roof Options Ford Mustang (1:34.998)
3. #46 Tim Carroll – CRD MFG Inc. Chevrolet Camaro (1:35.013)
4. #19 Graham Jacobson – Hertz Car Sales Chevrolet Camaro (1:35.081)
5. #99 Cole Moore – JM Racing / Moore Motorsport Ford Mustang (1:35.222)

TA2 West Coast Championship Practice Top Five:

1. #27 Lanie Buice – Sunoco / Guthrie’s Garage / SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro (1:33.809)
2. #17 Tim Lynn – Roof Options Ford Mustang (1:34.916)
3. #99 Cole Moore – JM Racing / Moore Motorsport Ford Mustang (1:34.983)
4. #46 Tim Carroll – CRD MFG Inc. Chevrolet Camaro (1:35.372)
5. #80 Kyle Kelley – UPRacing.com / PK&K Properties (1:35.451)

In the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series PRO/AM Division, Jared Odrick (No. 00 Black
Underwear / Helium Mobile Chevrolet Camaro) continues to hold a significant advantage over
his competitors. The former Miami Dolphin posted a strong lap in qualifying on Friday to land
himself 13th overall and secure the pole in the PRO/AM Division.

Cale Phillips was Odrick’s closest competitor in practice and qualifying but still ended up more
than 1.6 seconds behind the No. 00 in time trials, and 23rd overall. Jim Gallaugher, Christina
Lam, and Matt Gray rounded out the top five, in a class whose delta was a staggering 9.6
seconds.

Doug Winston did not take a time and will roll sixth in the PRO/AM Class, and 35th overall.

CUBE 3 TA2 PRO/AM Qualifying Top Five:

1. #00 Jared Odrick – Black Underwear / Helium Mobile Chevrolet Camaro (1:34.997)
2. #99 Cale Phillips – Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry (1:35.646)
3. #16 Jim Gallaugher – Regulator / Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang (1:37.376)
4. #66 Christina Lam – Helium Mobile / CDR Chevrolet Camaro (1:38.397)
5. #64 Matt Gray – Ryan Companies Ford Mustang (1:44.597)

CUBE 3 TA2 PRO/AM Practice Top Five:

1. #00 Jared Odrick – Black Underwear / Helium Mobile Chevrolet Camaro (1:34.162)
2. #99 Cale Phillips – Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry (1:36.109)
3. #16 Jim Gallaugher – Regulator / Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang (1:37.025)
4. #66 Christina Lam – Helium Mobile / CDR Chevrolet Camaro (1:38.662)
5. #64 Matt Gray – Ryan Companies Ford Mustang (1:49.022)

The CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series will compete twice this weekend at Sonoma Raceway, once on Saturday at 1:30 PM Local Time (4:30 PM ET), and again on Sunday at 2:10 PM Local Time (5:10 PM ET). Coverage of the events will be on RacingAmerica.TV, the Racing America 24/7 Channel, and the Trans Am Series YouTube Channel.

The Racing America 24/7 Streaming Channel is available on The Roku Channel, Prime Video, My Free DirecTV, LG Channels, and PLEX. REVTV will serve as the official broadcast partner of Trans Am in Canada.