CUBE 3 TA2 Series Champion Tristan McKee Making NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Debut

Tristan McKee will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut on August 14, piloting the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado RST for Spire Motorsports.

Spire Motorsports announced McKee's debut on Thursday, with plans to contest four more Truck Series races in 2026. Celebrating his 16th birthday on August 3, McKee will then be eligible to compete in Craftsman Truck Series events at road courses and tracks measuring 1.25 miles or less.

Following his debut at Richmond, McKee will also compete at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (August 22), Bristol Motor Speedway (September 17), Phoenix Raceway (October 16) and Martinsville Speedway (October 30).

“This is a huge step in my career and I’m incredibly thankful for the opportunity to drive for Spire Motorsports in the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series,” said McKee. “I can’t thank Jeff Dickerson, Dan Towriss, Bill Anthony, and everyone at Spire Motorsports enough for believing in me and making this possible. I’ve worked for this opportunity my entire life and I’m thrilled to take this next step in my career.”

McKee was the inaugural signee of Spire Motorsports' Ascent Driver Development Program. His success on both short tracks and in the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series made him a top prospect within the organization.

Last year, McKee won the TA2 Series championship, with four wins, 11 top five and 13 top 10 finishes. That accomplishment made him the youngest champion in series history. He scored another CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series victory earlier this month, winning at Watkins Glen International.

In 2023, McKee won a zMAX CARS Tour Pro Late Model race at Dillon Motor Speedway, marking him as the youngest driver to win in CARS Tour history at 12 years old. Since then, McKee has racked up three more CARS Tour wins, as well as victories in both the ARCA Menards Series and ARCA Menards Series East.

“We look at Tristan McKee and see someone with a huge upside and potential to make a positive impact across Spire Motorsports’ driver lineup,” said Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson. “Make no mistake, Tristan has earned this opportunity, and we expect he’ll make the most out of it. We’re not going to define success or failure based off one race, or a specific result. We’ll be looking at the totality of these five races and how those results line up with our goals heading into each race. He’s a tremendous young man, with undeniable talent who comes from a great family. We’re more than optimistic to start a new chapter in his developmental process.”

McKee's NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut will take place in the Black's Tire 250 at Richmond Raceway on Friday, August 14. The event will be televised live on FOX at 7:30 p.m. ET, with radio coverage on the NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

-Photo credit: Chris Clark Photography