McKee Stuns Watkins Glen ARCA Field With Win On Debut

Tristan McKee in victory lane Friday at Watkins Glen Int'l. (Rusty Jones/Nigel Kinrade Photography)

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – No one knows for sure what expectations Tristan McKee had for himself going into his ARCA Menards Series debut, but it’s safe to say he smashed them Friday afternoon.

The 15 year-old from Williamsburg, Va., picked up his first ARCA win in his first-ever national stock-car start at Watkins Glen Int’l, and though he only led one green-flag lap in the 100 mile race, it was the lap that mattered.

McKee captured the victory after taking over under the final caution, courtesy of an electrical issue that knocked polesitter and race-long leader Brent Crews out of the running for the win.

On the ensuing restart, McKee’s No. 77 Gainbridge Chevrolet for Spire Motorsports hit the wall coming to the green flag, which resulted in smoke billowing from behind the car due to a tire rub.

It didn’t end up mattering, though, as McKee held off Tyler Reif to take the victory by over a second.

McKee has been racing in the zMAX CARS Late Model Stock Tour since 2024 and holds the record for youngest winner in the CARS Pro Late Model Tour at just 12 years of age. He’s also the current Trans-Am TA2 Series point leader and won at Watkins Glen a month ago in that division prior to his ARCA triumph.

“We got a little lucky there obviously with Brent having issues,” McKee said. “I was prepared really well coming into this race with the sim stuff and pre-race [guidance] from Josh Wise and Scott Speed. I got up to speed really quickly.

“To win in my debut is one thing, but to win in general is another. A lot of guys have never won in the ARCA series, and they’ve been doing it a long time. It just goes back to everyone who has helped me get here.”

Friday’s result was also another step in the right direction for 18-year-old Tyler Reif, who picked up his best finish of the year in the national ARCA Menards Series.

Reif battled McKee all day long for second, but was unable to muster a challenge at the very end when their fight became the race for the win.

“I was a little too focused on what the [No.] 77 was doing and not enough on what I was doing,” Reif admitted. “I got a really good start before he pushed me wide [at turn seven] and then I followed his tire tracks until he bounced off the wall. I just got into it harder than he did.

“With the dirty air, I couldn’t keep the nose of the car in the racetrack,” Reif added. “I’m just really upset at myself, because it’s a race I could have won, and I should have executed better.”

In third place was Kris Wright, who was running second on the final lap before being passed by Reif, falling just short of his first ARCA victory.

New England drivers filled out the top five, as Glen Reen picked up his first top five of his career in fourth, while Dale Quarterly capped off an impressive run in fifth.

Ryan Gemmell picked up his third straight road-course top 10 in ARCA competition with a sixth-place finish. Andy Jankowiak followed behind in seventh, in his first race since Michigan Int’l Speedway in June.

Isabella Robusto came home eighth, an impressive run considering she was sent to the rear for unapproved adjustments after qualifying sixth.

Crews dominated the entire race, holding leads as large as 10 seconds over the closest car multiple times and looking like he had the race in the bag until Jason Kitzmiller crashed into the tire barriers in turn one with only seven laps to go.

The loss of power to his Toyota, however, left him a disappointing ninth in the final results.

Lavar Scott rebounded to a top 10 after going off into the gravel with a tire down mid-race, picking up much-needed ground in the point standings on Brenden Queen.

Queen, the incoming series leader and five-time season winner, started the race inside the top 10 but ended the first lap in last place after a gear issue on the start knocked his car out of the running.

His Pinnacle Racing Group team took the No. 28 Chevrolet behind the wall and repaired the issue, but Queen ended up 19 laps down in 21st as the last car running at the finish.

Next up, the ARCA Menards Series heads to the Illinois State Fairgrounds dirt mile on Aug. 17. Broadcast coverage airs at 2 p.m. ET, live on FS1 and the FOX Sports App, with audio on ARCARacing.com.