The next generation: Tristan McKee feels adequately prepared for his ARCA Menards Series debut at Watkins Glen

He may have turned just 15 on Sunday, but Tristan McKee knows a thing or two about how to succeed at Watkins Glen International.

Just last month, the then-14-year-old visited the road course’s storied Victory Lane in the Trans Am TA2 Championship. Among those in the field that day were Nitro Motorsports drivers Sam Corry and Thomas Annunziata, the latter of whom earned his first ARCA Menards Series victory at Lime Rock Park in June.

McKee now gets his turn on the ARCA platform at the site of his most recent Trans Am TA2 victory. He will pilot the No. 77 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports in Friday’s General Tire 100 at the Glen.

The previous Watkins Glen experience, combined with his extensive preparation at Spire, has McKee optimistic.

“I’m feeling comfortable,” McKee said. “I’ve got tons and tons of [simulator] time, so I feel super prepared, especially with the laps around [Watkins Glen] in the Trans Am car. I feel like I’ll get [adjusted] to the seat quickly, so I’m looking forward to it.”

While McKee has an affinity for road courses, his efficiency on short tracks over the past few years is what helped him garner attention within the industry.

Inspired by his father Lane, a former motorcycle racer, the younger McKee chose to pursue his own career in motorsports, albeit on four wheels instead of two. There was only so much racing advice McKee could absorb from his father, but he took advantage of every opportunity to learn from others so he could get acclimated to each car he drove.

By 2023, McKee had earned his first Pro Late Model victory at Dillon Motor Speedway in South Carolina. A little more than a year later, he added his name to a long list of drivers who have won at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

With the talent McKee possesses, it was only a matter of time before he signed a major development deal. In January, McKee formally joined Spire for a busy 2025 that would see him compete full-time in Pro Late Models and in Trans Am TA2, all while running part-time in Late Model Stocks around the southeast.

The schedule also included a handful of ARCA Menards Series appearances, starting with Friday’s General Tire 100 at the Glen.

In his first year with Spire, McKee believes he has become a more confident, refined driver across every discipline. McKee is grateful for everyone who helped make the deal with Spire a reality and is eager to go up against ARCA regulars for the first time.

“Josh [Wise] and Lorin [Ranier] kind of pointed me towards Spire,” McKee said. “They reached out to us and had been following [my career]. We had some conservations with them throughout the summer, and then at the beginning of this year, we signed a long-time contract. Hopefully we’ll be able to do some Truck Series stuff next year when I’m old enough.

“It’s definitely really cool, and I’m thankful to have them behind me.”

McKee’s first ARCA Menards Series attempt comes at one of the United States’ most historic facilities, where drivers like Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Niki Lauda, Mario Andretti and others have all won. Even with the prestige for which Watkins Glen is known, McKee feels ready for all the challenges the facility will present.

The triumph McKee earned in Trans Am TA2 at Watkins Glen was his second of the year, and it allowed him to increase his overall points lead in the series. Everyone with Spire and Chevrolet has instilled into McKee the importance of being efficient on road courses, especially since the NASCAR Playoffs now feature one or two of them each season.

Road courses have taught McKee plenty of valuable lessons when it comes to precision and composure under heavy braking. McKee said Watkins Glen’s long straightaways and sweeping corners require a modified approach compared to other road courses.

“[Watkins Glen] is more of a superspeedway kind of road course,” McKee said. “You need more of an oval-style technique with the way you drive it, but it’s a really fun track, and I had a lot of fun with it in TA2.

“There’s no testing with the ARCA Menards Series, so I’ll have to feel it all out with the car, which is quite a bit different than the Trans Am car with it being heavier.”

The cars are not the only difference McKee will have to adapt to Friday. His Watkins Glen victory took place on the facility’s Long Circuit regularly utilized by IMSA and other road-course tours, whereas Friday’s General Tire 100 at the Glen will be on the shorter circuit that bypasses the four additional corners between the Outer Loop and Turn 10.

McKee is also going to encounter plenty of familiar faces from both his short-track and road-course endeavors. ARCA Menards Series points leader Brenden “Butterbean” Queen was someone McKee competed against in Late Model Stocks. Brent Crews, a past Trans Am TA2 champion, won on the ARCA platform in April at Sonoma Raceway.

Even with all the challenges in front of him, McKee knew he needed to be ready for whenever the time came to make his ARCA Menards Series debut. That moment arrives Friday, when McKee will have the support of Spire along with an entire year of road-course experience on which to fall.

From McKee’s perspective, a victory is not just a feasible goal — it’s an expectation.

“We want to win the race,” McKee said. “That’s always the goal when you show up to the track. I feel like I’m really prepared, and I can [win] with my experience in the Trans Am car [at Watkins Glen] along with all the sim time. With all the preparation I’ve done for the road courses this year, it’d be a really big deal to see that hard work pay off.”

There is still plenty of information for McKee to absorb, but he heads to Watkins Glen this weekend with more experience than some veterans. McKee plans to showcase what he has learned so far in his pursuit of another Watkins Glen checkered flag, this time with the ARCA Menards Series.