Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli
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Aug 14, 2026
Tristan McKee proved a quick study in his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut, earning an eighth-place finish in his first NASCAR National Series start.
McKee debuted with Spire Motorsports, piloting the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado RST at Richmond Raceway in the Black's Tire 250. The youngest champion in Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli history demonstrated he was up to the task.
The 16-year-old qualified 13th for the race, which was postponed to Saturday afternoon after rainfall on Friday night. McKee earned stage points in the first stage and stayed inside the top 10 for most of the race before finishing eighth.
There were plenty of learning curves in the race, including live pit stops. The event was also dominated by green-flag racing with only one caution aside from the stage breaks, testing McKee's focus.
"We had a good day on pit road and a good day on the track," said McKee in a post-race interview with Thomas Hughes of Steering Wheel Nation. "Just a solid day. I think we can improve on a few things for, hopefully, a top-five run next week."
This is the first of five NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts for McKee in 2026 as part of the Spire Motorsports Ascent Driver Development Program. At 16 years old, McKee can compete in the Craftsman Truck Series on road courses and circuits measuring 1.25 miles or less in length.
McKee will make his second Truck Series start next Saturday, August 22, at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He is also scheduled to compete at Bristol Motor Speedway (September 17), Phoenix Raceway (October 16) and Martinsville Speedway (October 30).
The Virginia native has already established himself as one of the rising prospects in racing over the course of a prolific career, rewriting records wherever he goes. In 2023, he won a zMAX CARS Tour Pro Late Model race at Dillon Motor Speedway, becoming the youngest winner in that series' history. Last year, he won four races en route to the CUBE 3 Architecture TA2 Series championship.
McKee's next NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start will take place in the Team EJP 175 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, August 22. The event will be televised live on FS1 at 1:30 p.m. ET, with radio coverage on the NASCAR Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
-Photo credit: Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
