Tristan McKee to make NASCAR Truck debut with Spire at 16 years old

McKee isn't even old enough to run NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races until his 16th birthday next month, but his debut with Spire will follow soon after

Spire Motorsports has announced that rising star Tristan McKee will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut with the team at Richmond Raceway on August 14, eleven days after his 16th birthday. McKee is part of Spire's Ascent Driver Development Program.

Due to his age, McKee will only be able to compete at tracks that are 1.25 miles in length or smaller. Spire also revealed that his Richmond start won't be a one-off, with plans for McKee to compete at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (August 22), Bristol Motor Speedway (September 17), Phoenix Raceway (October 16) and Martinsville Speedway (October 30) this year.

McKee will pilot the No. 77 Chevrolet Silverado with Chad Walter as his crew chief.

“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.”

At just 12 years old, McKee became the youngest winner in CARS Tour history when he won the 2023 Pro Late Model feature race at Dillon Motor Speedway in South Carolina.

He has since earned more CARS Tour victories, while also finding success in Trans-Am and the ARCA Menards Series. In just nine ARCA starts, he has two wins, including a victory on debut at Watkins Glen in 2025. He has also won three of his five ARCA East starts this year, and sits second in the championship standings.

“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 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.”