Tristan McKee joins JR Motorsports for long-term O’Reilly plan

Spire Motorsports development driver Tristan McKee has signed with JR Motorsports to compete in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series on a part-time basis next season, with plans to go full time in 2029. McKee, 16, will drive the No. 9 Chevrolet for JRM part-time in the 2027 and 2028 O'Reilly Auto Parts Series campaigns before becoming eligible to compete full time in 2029 with JRM. The Kannapolis, North Carolina, driver -- who shares a hometown with Dale Earnhardt -- is set to make his O'Reilly debut at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 13. RELATED: JR Motorsports website "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." McKee remains deeply embedded in Spire Motorsports' pipeline for the future as well. Shortly after his 16th birthday, McKee made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Richmond Raceway, qualifying 13th and finishing eighth. In three Truck Series starts, McKee has finished inside the top 10 each time, placing sixth at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and fifth at Bristol, becoming the youngest driver to ever score a top-five finish in one of NASCAR's national series. McKee will continue to make part-time Truck Series starts in the No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet in 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 (Earnhardt Jr., co-owner), Kelley, LW (Miller) and everyone at JRM and Spire for this chance. I'm really looking forward to seeing what we can build together." MORE: Key players in 2026-2027 Silly Season In addition to his select NASCAR starts this season, McKee also won the ARCA Menards Series East championship with four victories, two of which also came on the national ARCA tour. McKee also won the TA2 Series championship in the Trans Am Series in 2025, becoming the youngest driver to win the series' 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."