Thomas Merrill had a perfect day at Watkins Glen International, earning his first pole of the 2024 season and going on to win the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series race. Merrill dominated the field, pulling out to a commanding lead and pacing every lap en route to victory at the Mission Foods Watkins Glen SpeedTour.
Taking the green flag from the pole in his No. 26 HP Tuners/Cope Race Cars Ford Mustang, Merrill held his line as the leaders fanned out five wide into Turn 1. Thomas Annunziata (No. 90 Bayshore Mortgage/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) challenged Merrill, but was unable to complete the pass, pulling into line behind him. Merrill began to open up his lead, but the double yellow was displayed before the conclusion of the first lap, bringing out the safety car.
The green flag waved on lap four, with Merrill leading Annunziata, Jake Drew (No. 7 Silver Hare Racing Chevrolet Camaro), Carson Kvapil (No. 17 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Chevrolet Camaro) and Austin Green (No. 89 3-Dimensional Services Group Ford Mustang) across the line. Merrill pulled ahead of his competitors, and the top five remained the same until lap nine, when Kvapil had a mechanical issue and came to a halt in the Bus Stop, making way for Ben Maier (No. 80 BOE Marine/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) to move into fifth.
On lap 13, Annunziata’s motor let go, bringing him to a standstill next to the Bus Stop. The following lap, Maier was passed by points leader Rafa Matos (No. 60 Concord American Flagpole/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) and Tyler Kicera (No. 40 Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang), while Green made a beautiful pass on Drew. That same lap, a full-course caution was called to collect Annunziata’s stopped vehicle, and Merrill’s lead of more than 3s was erased.
Racing resumed for the final time on lap 18, and with 12 green-flag laps to stretch his legs, Merrill was without challenge, opening up a 5s gap. Behind him, Green solidly held second, while third-place Drew was being stalked by Matos in fourth. On the final lap, Drew made a mistake, allowing Matos to claim the final podium spot. Merrill crossed the finish line to earn his second victory of the season, followed by Green and Matos. Drew and Kicera rounded out the top five.
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“I was thinking about [crew chief] Jason Bowser the whole race long; how much he would enjoy being here and seeing that in person,” said Merrill after the race. “I know he’s watching on TV, probably enjoying it, and I hope it’s helping him think about something else for a change. He’s had a tough week. I’ll tell you, it was an honor to drive this race car today. That was one of the best race cars I’ve ever driven. It just kept getting better, and the proof’s in the pudding with the lap times and the performance. Big thanks to the crew for giving me a heck of a race car.”
In Pro/Am Challenge, Barry Boes (No. 27 Team SLR-M1 Racecars Ford Mustang) started the race first in class, but halfway through the first lap, another competitor got into the back of him, sending him spinning off the track and causing a cut tire. Boes was forced to visit pit lane, and his crew made a quick tire change before sending him back on the track. Despite the lightning-fast stop, Boes was now last in his class. He spent the next 27 laps fighting his way back through the field, finally making his way around leader Tom Sheehan (No. 97 Vixen Motorcycle/LTK Insulation Ford Mustang) on lap 28 with a stellar pass. Jared Odrick (No. 00 BLACK Underwear/Nitro Motorsports Ford Mustang) had a similar tale after he received a pass-through penalty early in the race for missing the Bus Stop. He, too, navigated his way through the pack, working his way into the third position in the closing laps to take a podium spot.
“Driving from the back was not what I wanted to do, but the car–I’ve got to ask the guys whether they treated the tires or something, because it was amazing,” joked Boes. “It did everything I wanted it to; it did more than it should, and it was able to get me back up there. I want to thank Accio Data, Megan, the crew, Team SLR. Those guys did the fastest tire change out there. The team brought in the guys from NASCAR, and without them, I wouldn’t be here. Thank you.”
The highlight show of Friday’s race will air on MAVTV on Thursday, August 29 at 8:00 p.m. ET.
The CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series returns to action next weekend to take on Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, August 29-31.