That said, the future arrives fast in American stock car racing. Spire Motorsports development driver Tristan McKee has officially inked a multi-year deal with JR Motorsports to race in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series, starting with a part-time schedule before a planned full-time campaign in 2029.
Now, at just 16 years of age, the Kannapolis, North Carolina native — who happens to share a hometown with Dale Earnhardt — is booked to make his O'Reilly debut at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 13. He will pilot the No. 9 Chevrolet for JRM on a limited basis across the 2027 and 2028 seasons before stepping up to full-time duties once he becomes eligible in 2029.
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.
“Adding a driver like Tristan to our organization for multiple years is a testament to how we operate as a company,” Kelley Earnhardt-Miller, co-owner and CEO of JRM, said in a team release. “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.”
Despite the big move, McKee is staying firmly planted within the Spire Motorsports pipeline. Shortly after celebrating his 16th birthday, McKee launched into his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series career at Richmond Raceway by qualifying 13th and bringing it home eighth. In three total Truck Series starts, he has secured a top-10 finish every single time, crossing the line sixth at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and fifth at Bristol. That run at Bristol made him the youngest driver to ever score a top-five finish in one of NASCAR’s national series. Expect to see him continue making select Truck Series appearances in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet through 2027.
“I can’t wait to get started at Bristol next year with JRM,” McKee said 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, Kelley, LW and everyone at JRM and Spire for this chance. I’m really looking forward to seeing what we can build together.”
It is an impressive resume for a teenager. Alongside his national-level outings, McKee captured the ARCA Menards Series East championship with four victories, adding two more wins on the national ARCA tour. He also claimed the TA2 Series championship in the Trans Am Series in 2025, setting a record as the youngest driver to ever take that title.
“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,” Spire Motorsports co-owner Jeff Dickerson said in a release. “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.”
