TeamSLR’s Highs and Lows TeamSLR heads into this weekend with achievements to celebrate and losses to mourn. Among the highs, the team has won and led every lap in the last three races. Tristan McKee (No. 28 Spire/Gainbridge/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro) dominated the races at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course and Watkins Glen International, leading throughout both events before taking the checkered flag. Mike Skeen carried the mantle at Road America, also holding the point position for the entire race before leading the team in a podium sweep, with McKee finishing second and Corey Day in third. The team also mourns the loss of Barry Boes, who has driven for the organization over the last two seasons. McKee will carry a special decal in tribute to the memory of Boes, bearing the tagline, “Always A Champion.” Decals will be made available to the entire Trans Am paddock. “Barry will surely be missed in so many ways,” said TeamSLR and constructor M1 Racecars co-owner Scott Lagasse Jr. “His smile and the pure love he had for Trans Am racing was infectious. He came into the sport a little later in life after having been a world-class competitor in water sports. But he applied an incredible work ethic in trying to make himself the best racecar driver possible, and the results were really beginning to show these last two seasons. More than anything, he was a genuine friend. His presence made our sport better, and his absence will be felt for a long time. On behalf of our partners – Chevrolet, Spire, Gainbridge, Franklin Road, CUBE 3, and HendrickCars.com among them – our thoughts and prayers continue for the many friends, family members and fans who knew and loved Barry.” McKee On Top Just like his team, Tristan McKee (No. 28 Spire/Gainbridge/SLR-M1 Chevrolet Camaro) is on a roll, coming into CTMP with all the odds in his favor. Arriving with a six-race podium streak, McKee leads the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series standings, holding an 82-point advantage over second-place Thomas Annunziata. McKee can only add to that advantage this weekend, as Annunziata will miss this weekend’s trip to Canada while racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and ARCA Menards Series West at Portland International Raceway. McKee also sits atop the standings in the Rookie of the Year and Young Gun Award races, poising him to raise three of the class’s most coveted trophies at the year-end gala. Additionally, just five days after turning 15, McKee drove to Victory Lane in his ARCA Menards Series debut at Watkins Glen International. Should McKee become the TA2 champion, he would be the youngest-ever title holder, besting the current youngest champion Brent Crews by more than four months. Roberto Sabato Feeling at Home While Pro/Am Challenge driver Roberto Sabato now considers Bonita Springs, Fla. home, he was born in nearby Toronto, Ontario, and his team, 6th Gear Garage, is also based in Ontario’s capital city. Sabato also knows what it takes to drive to Victory Lane at CTMP, which he considers his home track. The driver of the No. 61 6th Gear Garage Ford Mustang won at the facility twice in 2011 in IMSA’s Lites 2 class on his way to winning that season’s championship. Success at CTMP Other drivers in this weekend’s field also have found past success at CTMP outside of the Trans Am Series. Tyler Gonzalez (No. 10 Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry) won at the track in Mazda MX-5 Cup in July. Gonzalez is currently third in the standings in that series. Julian DaCosta (No. 30 Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry) has also podiumed at the track in MX-5 Cup, finishing second in 2024. Buffomante on the Rise Gian Buffomante (No. 95 Nitro Motorsports Toyota Camry), the son of 2016 CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series champion Tony Buffomante, has been rising through the ranks this season, advancing 13 positions from 19th to sixth in the standings since beginning the year at Sebring. The 17-year-old has been constantly improving and showing consistency, finishing in the top 10 every week since Round 3 at Sonoma Raceway. Claiming a best finish of second at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, Buffomante now holds his highest position in the point standings so far this year following a fifth-place finish at Watkins Glen. Odrick Leads SCCA Super Tour CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series Pro/Am Challenge driver Jared Odrick (No. 00 Black Underwear/CoolBoxx Chevrolet Camaro) is having a stellar sophomore season in Trans Am, capturing two victories so far this year and holding the second position in the point standings coming into this weekend. He is also currently leading the SCCA Super Tour GT2 standings with one race remaining in their season. If he’s able to pull off that title this year, it wouldn’t be his first. The former NFL player won the National GT2 championship in 2023 and finished second in the points last year. | 
Trans Am Series @ Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
