What’s Happening?

Spire Motorsports’ prospect Tristan McKee is now the youngest driver to win a NASCAR National Series pole, breaking a record that stood since June 2014.

McKee’s record-breaking run came during Friday afternoon’s Craftsman Truck Series qualifying at Martinsville, posting a 19.549-second lap.

His lap came in just a few milliseconds faster than championship contender and outside pole winner Layne Riggs’ 19.567-second lap.

With this lap, the 16-year-old not only won his first-ever pole in NASCAR National Series competition, but broke a record set when McKee was only three years old.

At 16 years, 2 months, and 27 days old, he broke the record for the youngest driver to win a National Series pole set by current Haas Factory Team driver Cole Custer at Gateway in June 2014, when Custer was just 16 years, 4 months, and 22 days old.

Following his pole win, McKee told FOX Sports there was room for improvement.

“I thought I was gonna be even better, and I kind of messed up three and four, but the truck was really, really fast,” McKee said.

This is just the latest record set by McKee. He is also the second-youngest winner in ARCA Menards Series history, and earlier this year, he became the youngest driver to ever score a top five in the Truck Series.

McKee’s Future

As of right now, Spire has laid out the future for McKee as best it can given his age.

While he continues to race and win in Late Models, the Virginia native is making starts in the Truck Series on road courses and ovals shorter than 1.25 miles, as he cannot race on larger ovals until he turns 18 on August 3, 2028.

McKee will continue to do so next season with Spire, while also adding select O’Reilly Auto Parts Series starts with JR Motorsports on the same tracks following his 17th birthday.

What’s Happening?

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