Tristan McKee has only been old enough to drive for 18 days, yet he’s coming off an eighth-place finish in his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut at Richmond on Aug. 15 and starts fifth in Saturday’s Truck Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1:30 p.m. ET, FS1, NRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
The 16-year-old driver from Kannapolis, North Carolina, won in his ARCA debut at Watkins Glen last year and already conducts himself in a very professional manner.
“I feel much more comfortable now,” McKee said Friday at NHMS. “Running through pit road a couple times, racing with all the guys, how the stages work, how everything works. I feel like I got a couple reps on all of that now. I feel much more comfortable going into this week, and I kind of know how it’s going to work.
“I feel much more prepared. I feel like there were some things that I knew what to prepare on this week after getting a race in. Definitely feeling much better.”
McKee turned 52 laps in Friday’s practice session, with his fastest time being 29.996 seconds/126.977 mph around the one-mile racetrack.
If last week’s race at Richmond and Friday’s track activity were any indication, another top 10 — or even a top five run — could be in the cards for the promising young prospect on Saturday afternoon.
Quotes provided by NASCAR Media.