Trans Am
Exclusive: Meet Helio Meza, the 18-Year-Old Taking TA2 by Storm
Mar 12, 2026
18-year-old Helio Meza, who has gotten off to a quick start in his CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series career with back-to-back wins in his first two starts, continued his momentum by turning the fastest lap in Friday's practice for Saturday's event at Road Atlanta.
EXCLUSIVE: Meet Helio Meza, the 18-Year-Old Taking the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series By Storm
Meza, the driver of the No. 28 Alessandros Racing Chevrolet Camaro for Team SLR, turned a fast lap time of 1 minute, 22.398 seconds, around the 12-turn, 2.540-mile road course in Braselton, Georgia.
Alon Day clocked in second-fastest, with a lap time 0.052 seconds off the session-leading pace set by Meza. Day, who made his TA2 Series debut at Sebring a few weeks ago, will look to better his 22nd-place overall finish from his debut race this weekend.
Adrian Wlostowski, Gian Buffomante, and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series full-time competitor Andres Perez de Lara rounded out the top-five fastest drivers in the session.
CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Pro qualifying is set to begin on Friday, March 13, at 4:05 PM ET.
Jared Odrick, the defending TA2 Pro/Am Challenge champion and former first-round NFL draft pick, was the fastest driver in the Pro/Am class in the session, as he clocked in 11th-fastest of the 31 cars that took a lap time in the session.
Odrick turned a fast lap of 1 minute, 24.731 seconds behind the wheel of his No. 00 Black Underwear / Helium Mobile Chevrolet Camaro for TRB Autosport.
Odrick's top time was able to narrowly edge out Roberto Sabato for the top spot in the Pro/Am class by 0.034 seconds. Sabato is driving the No. 61 Ford Mustang for 6th Gear Racing.
Keith Prociuk, Cale Phillips, and Patrick Paul rounded out the top-five fastest drivers from the TA2 Pro/Am Challenge class.
CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Pro/Am Qualifying is set to begin on Friday, March 13, at 4:25 PM ET.
CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Practice Results - Road Atlanta
| Rank | Class | Class Rank | No. | Driver | Lap time | Diff |
| 1 | TA2 | 1 | 28 | Helio Meza | 1:22.398 | -- |
| 2 | TA2 | 2 | 17 | Alon Day | 1:22.450 | 0.05 |
| 3 | TA2 | 3 | 3 | Adrian Wlostowski | 1:23.125 | 0.73 |
| 4 | TA2 | 4 | 95 | Gian Buffomante | 1:23.226 | 0.83 |
| 5 | TA2 | 5 | 8 | Andres Perez de Lara | 1:23.281 | 0.88 |
| 6 | TA2 | 6 | 10 | Ethan Tovo | 1:23.412 | 1.01 |
| 7 | TA2 | 7 | 70 | Sam Corry | 1:23.578 | 1.18 |
| 8 | TA2 | 8 | 27 | Lanie Buice | 1:23.917 | 1.52 |
| 9 | TA2 | 9 | 26 | Thomas Merrill | 1:24.025 | 1.63 |
| 10 | TA2 | 10 | 30 | Jackson Tovo | 1:24.237 | 1.84 |
| 11 | TA2PA | 1 | 00 | Jared Odrick | 1:24.731 | 2.33 |
| 12 | TA2PA | 2 | 61 | Roberto Sabato | 1:24.765 | 2.37 |
| 13 | TA2 | 11 | 7 | Noah Harmon | 1:24.826 | 2.43 |
| 14 | TA2 | 12 | 20 | Seamus McKendree | 1:24.880 | 2.48 |
| 15 | TA2 | 13 | 19 | Graham Jacobson | 1:24.917 | 2.52 |
| 16 | TA2PA | 3 | 9 | Keith Prociuk | 1:24.940 | 2.54 |
| 17 | TA2 | 14 | 12 | Rafa Matos | 1:25.268 | 2.87 |
| 18 | TA2 | 15 | 25 | Jace Denmark | 1:25.303 | 2.91 |
| 19 | TA2 | 16 | 75 | Tanner Reif | 1:25.720 | 3.32 |
| 20 | TA2PA | 4 | 99 | Cale Phillips | 1:25.970 | 3.57 |
| 21 | TA2 | 17 | 71 | Eric Cayton | 1:26.174 | 3.78 |
| 22 | TA2PA | 5 | 44 | Patrick Paul | 1:26.500 | 4.10 |
| 23 | TA2 | 18 | 51 | Gavin Gleitsman | 1:26.665 | 4.27 |
| 24 | TA2PA | 6 | 16 | Jim Gallaugher | 1:26.829 | 4.43 |
| 25 | TA2PA | 7 | 72 | Preston Peables | 1:27.134 | 4.74 |
| 26 | TA2PA | 8 | 98 | Doug Winston | 1:27.260 | 4.86 |
| 27 | TA2 | 19 | 88 | Stanton Barrett | 1:28.489 | 6.09 |
| 28 | TA2PA | 9 | 64 | Matt Gray | 1:29.322 | 6.92 |
| 29 | TA2PA | 10 | 66 | Christina Lam | 1:30.789 | 8.39 |
| 30 | TA2PA | 11 | 67 | Matt Griffin | 1:33.636 | 11.24 |
| 31 | TA2PA | 12 | 48 | Naz Olkhovskyi | 1:33.751 | 11.35 |
-Photo Credit: Chris Clark
