Tristan McKee, 15-year-old from Kannapolis, wins first national series race
A Kannapolis native made an unforgettable entrance to national racing Friday.
Tristan McKee, who turned 15 just five days prior, captured a dramatic victory in his ARCA Menards Series debut at Watkins Glen International, becoming the second-youngest winner in series history.
Driving the No. 77 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports, McKee showed poise beyond his years on the storied New York road course. The win caps a remarkable summer for McKee, who already leads the Trans Am TA2 championship standings and — still 14 at the time — won at Watkins Glen in Trans Am competition just last month.
“Growing up in the Charlotte area has been huge,” McKee said. “Being by ‘Race City, USA,” as they call Mooresville, and everyone around here has been really good to me.”
McKee’s rapid ascent — rooted in karting, Bandoleros and Late Model wins across the Carolinas — earned him the inaugural driver development deal with Spire Motorsports. His breakthrough on Friday, coming just days after his Aug. 3 birthday, makes him ARCA’s youngest winner since Todd Gilliland achieved the feat at 15 years and two days.
A regular in Josh Wise’s GM Technical Center program in Concord, McKee felt his extensive simulator and road-course experience had him feeling prepared for the jump to ARCA. His transition from Trans Am to ARCA competition — on the same circuit where he recently set a track record and drove to victory — highlighted both his adaptability and raw speed.
“My team brought me a really fast race car,” McKee said. “I got into the wall on the last corner in practice, and we fixed that. I’m just so thankful to all the guys — Jeff Dickerson, Josh Wise, Scott Speed — at Pinnacle Racing Group, Spire Motorsports, Gainbridge. They prepared me really well for this race.
“I knew I had to get a really good restart to bring it home. Just thankful to all the guys back at the shop.”
This story was originally published August 8, 2025 at 5:04 PM with the headline "Tristan McKee, 15-year-old from Kannapolis, wins first national series race."
