Hometown Race for Soon-To-Be High Point Graduate Connor Mosack;

Five-Race Trans Am Schedule for 17-Year-Old Sam Mayer Kicks Off at Roval

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (March 16, 2021) – The last time the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli raced at the Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway Roval, TeamSLR driver Connor Mosack was 14 months old. Sam Mayer, his teammate for Sunday’s Trans Am ProAm Challenge race at the 2.28-mile, 17-turn road course, was still three years away from being born.

These two next-generation talents will lead a youth movement at Charlotte, with the 22-year-old Mosack and the 17-year-old Mayer wheeling Chevrolet Camaros for TeamSLR in the ProAm Challenge race at the speedway. Both eye the event at the Roval – Trans Am’s first since April 1, 2000 – as a way to bolster their road-racing skills. Each driver is climbing the NASCAR ladder, where road-course racing has become much more prominent in recent years. Mosack is running the full schedule in Trans Am’s TA2 class, while Mayer kicks off a five-race campaign in TA2 Sunday at Charlotte.

“Connor and Sam have showed a lot of speed in their races with us and we’re very happy to have them together for this ProAm race at Charlotte,” said Scott Lagasse, Sr., president, TeamSLR. “It’s a really great opportunity for them to learn and for us to teach. It’s a non-points race, and that allows everyone to really focus on turning quick and efficient laps. You do that enough, you tend to be out front.”

Mosack, a Charlotte native, will make his second TA2 start of 2021, as the soon-to-be graduate of High Point (N.C.) University competed in the season-opening race Feb. 21 at Sebring (Fla.) International Raceway. The Roval will be his fifth overall start in TA2 competition. He raced in two doubleheaders last year at Virginia International Raceway in Alton and Road Atlanta in Braselton, Georgia.

Mayer is from Franklin, Wisconsin, but plans to relocate to Charlotte this spring as he already has a burgeoning NASCAR career. He is a two-time ARCA Menards Series East champion (2019-2020) and won his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race in his just his seventh career start last September at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. Upon turning 18 on June 26, Mayer will compete in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 8 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports.

Sunday’s ProAm Challenge race will be Mayer’s fourth TA2 start, with his previous drives coming at Road Atlanta in 2019, the Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway road course in 2019, and Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin, last August. After Charlotte, Mayer will return to the TA2 ranks March 26-28 at Road Atlanta, April 23 at Sonoma (Calif.) Raceway, April 30-May 2 at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey County, California, and July 2-4 at Road America.

Mayer and Mosack will be coached by veteran racer Scott Lagasse Jr. The 40-year-old from St. Augustine, Florida, has made more than 115 starts across the NASCAR Xfinity Series, NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and ARCA Menards Series. He is a two-time ARCA race winner who has been competing in TA2 since 2016. He relinquishes his seat for ProAm Challenge events, seeing it as the ideal time to mentor TeamSLR’s crop of young racers.

“I feel young, and I feel like I can relate to Connor and Sam, at least when it comes to driving a racecar,” said Scott Lagasse Jr. “I’m still racing and we’re running the full TA2 schedule this year, but these ProAm events give me the opportunity to give back and help these guys develop into the racers they want to be. I take a lot of pride in that and that’s why I’m really looking forward to this weekend at Charlotte.”

TeamSLR leverages its Trans Am involvement to highlight its driver development program as well as its car-building capabilities. TeamSLR is the exclusive representative of M1 Racecars, an official TA2 constructor. It builds rolling chassis and complete Camaros, Mustangs and Challengers for Trans Am competition.

Connor Mosack, driver No. 28 Nic Tailor Custom Fit Underwear/Interstate Foam & Supply Chevrolet Camaro:

“In our last race at Sebring, unfortunately, we had a tire go down late in the race, but we had the speed to run second there coming down to the end. I think we’ll continue to get faster as the season goes on, with me getting more comfortable in the cars and getting the setups better as I continue to mesh with the team.

“We’ll approach this weekend at the Roval just like any other race. Obviously, the ultimate goal is to cross the line first, but we could use this opportunity to try some different things on the car. If it comes down to it at the end, we could try to be a little more aggressive to get a better finish.

“I do have some experience on the infield portion of the Roval in Legends cars, but I’ve never run the full Roval course before. We’ve won a few races there on the road course, and actually ran two races there a couple weeks ago to get a little more prepared.

“The Roval is a pretty tough track. It has relatively low grip on the infield portion and it’s narrow. Passing will be done mostly on entry and exit off the chicanes. It’s my home track, though, and I’m looking forward to racing there.

“Now more than ever, road-course racing is really important to be a versatile racer. Becoming adept at road racing is now crucial to NASCAR and, thankfully, it’s something I really enjoy. Trans Am is the best series to get this road-course experience since it’s the closest road-racing series to a stock car.

“The Roval is a great place to race and I’m thankful to have it in my hometown. It’s always nice to wake up in a familiar place to get ready for a race. It’s also great to be able to have friends and family who live in the area that are able to come out and watch.”

Sam Mayer, driver No. 8 M1 Racecars/Fields Racing Chevrolet Camaro:

“My one goal is to go out and win the race. I’ve raced the Roval before in a Legends car. In fact, I have multiple wins on that track in those style of cars. I’ve also raced the Roval on iRacing in an Xfinity car.

“Going off into turn one, you have to be very careful of not overdriving the car. Through (turn) two you want to stay nice and easy, and not get the rear end loose. Through turn three and up the hill, you want to try and carry as much speed as possible through ‘the bowl’ and get as close to the wall as you can. Getting up onto the oval, you want to make sure you get through the gears and get ready for the chicane. You want to get through there as fast as possible and carry speed and momentum back onto NASCAR three and four to set yourself up for the chicane right before the start/finish line.

“Running these road courses is the most important thing right now. All the tracks I’m running this season are good tracks to help prepare me for my NASCAR career. Having solid finishes in the road-course races will help put you on the map.

“These Trans Am races are important to me. I want to win all five races I’m entering. I know we have the speed as a team to do so, it’s just about being there at the end. Running these Trans Am races will help me get ready for my upcoming NASCAR races at these tracks. I will begin competing full-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series later this season once I turn 18.”

About TeamSLR:

TeamSLR competes fulltime in the Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli in a multifaceted effort that includes dedicated entries in the TA2 division, customer programs, driver coaching and car construction. Its history dates back to 1985 and covers a wide spectrum of motorsports, including NASCAR, IMSA, SCCA, ARCA and ASA. TeamSLR is a family-owned organization run by Scott Lagasse Sr., and Scott Lagasse Jr., The father-and-son duo have combined to win more than 100 races and seven championships across a variety of series and styles of racecars, from paved ovals to road courses to dirt tracks. For more information, please visit us online at www.TeamSLR.com, on Facebook, on Twitter, on Instagram and on LinkedIn.