Leeds, Alabama – The day started on a high, as 21-year-old Canadian Zack Meyer finished the first official practice session for the Legacy Indy Lights 100

in third position. Optimism ran rampant for Meyer and his #2 TMR/DAMIS PARTNERS III/Innisfil Indy Karting/Xtreme Coil Drilling team as they entered qualifying aiming for a top qualifying position for the first race of the doubleheader weekend. When the checkered flag flew, though, Meyer was disappointed to manage only a ninth place qualifying position.

Meyer was left to rue what could have been after his strongest showing thus far in Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires competition. "I was really disappointed with how we ran in qualifying," lamented Meyer. "The team and I felt really good about our pace in the morning session and we were confident we could repeat that same kind of speed in qualifying. When we got on track, though, we weren't able to put it all together and get into the top five."

Looking on the bright side, though, Meyer knows both he and his Team Moore Racing crew are capable of charging through the field during the race. "We showed everyone what we can truly do this morning," Meyer said. "Obviously qualifying didn't go how we wanted, so now we have to go back and learn where we went wrong and make it right for the race. We've got a chance to show our speed, be smart, display our focus, and work our way up during the first race. If we do that and get in some clean air, we could even improve our starting spot for race two."

The lineup for the second race will be set by either a driver's second fastest lap in qualifying or a driver's fastest lap in the first race, whichever is faster. If conditions are favorable, Meyer could conceivably improve his starting position for race two by showing his car's impressive speed during race one.

The only Canadian in the Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires field will take the green flag for the 40-minute sprint race of the Legacy Indy Lights 100 weekend on Saturday at 1 p.m. EDT. The television broadcast of both races will air on NBC Sports Network on a tape-delayed basis Sunday at 5:30 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.