Zack Meyer has qualified 8th for his hometown race at the Honda Indy Toronto.
Toronto, Ontario – Steady progress and positivity has been the theme of the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires Grand Prix of Toronto weekend thus far for Canadian Zack Meyer, a theme that was ever-present throughout today's qualifying session. Following two practice sessions that saw Meyer finish tenth and ninth, respectively, the Innisfil, Ont., native and his #2 TMR/DAMIS PARTNERS III/Innisfil Indy Karting/Xtreme Coil Drilling team had high hopes. With the set-up nailed down, it was all down to Meyer to put all of the pieces together on-track.
When qualifying commenced, a steady drizzle fell from the skies above Toronto. However, all the teams were able to run the entire session on slick tires. Team Moore Racing elected to start the session on scuffed slick tires, a decision that allowed Meyer to post an early quick lap under less-than-ideal conditions. Meyer at one point was up to second and was a consistent fixture in the top six. However, the other drivers quickly began bettering their times while Meyer's lap times began to gradually fall off with increased tire wear.
When Meyer pitted for fresh Cooper Tire rubber, he was able to slowly work his way back up the order. However, with two red flags for Gabby Chaves stopped on track and Juan Piedrahita crashing in Turn 8, Meyer was never able to fully take advantage of new tires. Thus, Meyer was able to post a best lap of 1:07.6314, which was good enough for eighth on the grid.
"The car felt really good, I was happy with the balance and I really felt like I could have done a mid-66 second lap if we'd had more green time and if we'd been able to use two sets of sticker tires instead of one," Meyer relayed after the session. "I finally was able to master the last four corners and picked up a lot of speed there, so I feel good heading into tomorrow. If I can get the same kind of start I got at Indy (on the road course) then I think we will be in good shape and I can make up lots of positions tomorrow. Now it's time to go out and keep pushing and try and make it on the podium here in my hometown of Toronto."
The only Canadian racing full-time in the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires field will take the green flag for the 45-lap Grand Prix of Toronto on Sunday at 10:45 a.m. EDT. The television broadcast will air on NBC Sports Network on a tape-delayed basis Sunday at 6:00 p.m. EDT.
You can learn more about Zack Meyer by visiting ZackMeyer.ca, and you can also follow Zack on Twitter @ZackMeyer66 and Instagram @ZackMeyer66. If you are interested in supporting an up-and-coming Canadian racer in the Mazda Road to Indy, you may directly contact Zack Meyer to discuss sponsorship opportunities.
About Zack Meyer:
A homegrown racer from Toronto, Ont., Meyer began his racing career in karting at Innisfil Indy Karting. Meyer's racing career blossomed under the tutelage of his driver coach and manager, Joe Launi. With both the support of his mother and Launi, Meyer went on to become one of the top karters for the ultra-competitive GP Racing Karts team, participating in and winning numerous KZ2 Shifter Kart events. Meyer claimed the championship for the Brian Stewart BSRKC-F125/ICC Shifter class in both 2009 and 2010, only to follow those up by claiming the championship in the KZ2 Class in the Florida Winter Tour in 2011 and 2012. Meyer made his debut in the Pro Mazda Championship Presented by Cooper Tires in 2012 with JDC MotorSports before moving to the series full-time in 2013. Meyer posted a best finish of fourth in his home race, the Honda Indy Toronto, on his way to finishing the year as the highest-placed JDC MotorSports driver in the championship with sixth in the championship standings. For 2014, Meyer steps up to the top rung on the Mazda Road to Indy development ladder, Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires, with race-winning Team Moore Racing.