As Tristan McKee continues his ascent through Spire Motorsports driver development program, the 16-year-old has reached a multi-year agreement with JR Motorsports, which will see the budding young racer make his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut next season.
According to JR Motorsports, McKee will pilot the team’s No. 9 Chevrolet in the Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway next August. In 2028, McKee will drive an expanded schedule for the organization in 2028, and will go full-time with JR Motorsports in 2029.
McKee, who will also drive a part-time schedule in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series behind the wheel of the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet Silverado, is ready to get started with JR Motorsports.
“I can’t wait to get started at Bristol next year with JRM,” said McKee in a team release. “It means the world to have the opportunity to compete in one of their cars, and I can’t thank Dale (Earnhardt Jr.), Kelley, LW, and everyone at JRM and Spire for this chance. I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can build together.”
As Spire Motorsports continues to advance McKee, the 2025 Trans Am TA2 Series champion and 2026 ARCA Menards Series East champion, up the ladder, the most logical move was to get McKee experience in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series. There’s no better team in the series to do that with than JR Motorsports.
“We’ve been really fortunate to be a part of Tristan’s development and felt that this next step to JRM was the best thing for him as we look ahead to the future,” added Spire Co-Owner Jeff Dickerson. “JRM has been the benchmark of the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series for years and I can’t think of a better place for Tristan to go and to learn from than with the best that the series has to offer.”
JR Motorsports, which has played a crucial hand in the development of numerous heralded young talents over the years, is excited to get McKee behind the wheel of its race cars beginning in 2027.
“Adding a driver like Tristan to our organization for multiple years is a testament to how we operate as a company,” said JRM CEO Kelley Earnhardt-Miller. “JRM has always looked to help the growth of young, up-and-coming drivers, and Tristan fits that mold. His accomplishments at such a young age behind the wheel speak for itself and I’m really looking forward to watching him develop and mature over these next three years while competing for race wins and championships.”
Bound by NASCAR’s age restrictions, the 16-year-old has made three NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series starts this season, and he’s impressed in each one of them. McKee placed eighth in his series debut at Richmond Raceway, was sixth at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and recently nabbed his first top-five finish with a fifth-place result at Bristol Motor Speedway.
