Tristan McKee could not have picked a much better time to start getting hot.
The 16-year-old rising star will make his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut Friday night at Richmond Raceway, driving the No. 77 Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports. He will arrive at Richmond with plenty of momentum after winning one of the biggest Super Late Model races in the country Wednesday night — the TekTon 250 Battle at Berlin.
McKee’s victory at Berlin Raceway was another major addition to a résumé that continues to grow quickly. He had to beat one of the strongest fields of the season, eventually going head-to-head with veteran Super Late Model standout Bubba Pollard during a nine-lap sprint to the finish. McKee came out on top to capture his first Battle at Berlin victory and the $40,000 winner’s prize.
But the win could mean even more considering what comes next.
Following the race, I spoke with McKee about how competing at Berlin could help prepare him for his Truck Series debut at Richmond. McKee pointed directly toward one of the biggest similarities between the two tracks: tire wear.
McKee said Berlin was probably the best track he could have come to for practice ahead of Richmond because of how much managing tire wear matters.
That experience could prove valuable Friday night. Richmond is a track where simply having speed isn’t always enough. Drivers have to understand how hard they can push early in a run while still saving enough tire to have something left later. For a driver making his first Truck Series start, getting 250 laps of racing at Berlin just two days earlier could be about as valuable as preparation gets.
And McKee didn’t just get laps Wednesday night — he won.
The victory continues an impressive rise through the stock-car ranks. McKee has already proven capable of winning in different types of cars, including becoming an ARCA Menards Series winner in his first career start at Watkins Glen in 2025. Now, he gets his first opportunity on one of NASCAR’s three national series.
There will still be plenty to learn. A NASCAR Craftsman Truck is much different from a Super Late Model, and Richmond will present an entirely new challenge against drivers with significantly more experience in the series.
But McKee won’t be entering the weekend cold.
He’ll arrive fresh off 250 demanding laps at one of the toughest short tracks in the country, a victory over a talented field and valuable experience managing tire wear.
For a young driver preparing for the biggest start of his career, the timing couldn’t be much better.
McKee’s Truck Series debut comes Friday night in the Black’s Tire 250 at Richmond Raceway, with the race scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET on FOX.
After what he accomplished at Berlin, McKee isn’t just heading to Richmond to make his debut.
He’s heading there with momentum.