15-year-old Tristan McKee Wins ARCA Menards Series Debut in the General Tire at The Glen
By HOLLY CAIN
NASCAR Wire Service
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship leader Corey Heim scored his fourth consecutive road course victory – the sixth of his career – in a dramatic triple overtime finish as nightfall approached in Friday’s Mission 176 at The Glen at the historic Watkins Glen (N.Y) International.
The 23-year-old Georgia native took the lead on a restart on the first overtime, then held position in his No. 11 Tricon Garage Toyota with a pair of masterful restarts on the second and third overtime periods ultimately holding off former NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Daniel Hemric and rookie Giovanni Ruggiero by .202-second.
It is Heim’s 17th series win and he is the youngest driver in series history to claim that total. This is the second time this season he’s won from pole position.
The race on the 2.45-mile historic venue in upstate New York was relatively calm and clean early on, with only a single extra caution in addition to the first two stage breaks. But a steady barrage of incidents forced six more caution periods and the three overtimes – the race only finishing within a couple minutes of when NASCAR had pre-determined to call it official because of darkness.
Heim got the jump on the final overtime but then slowed slightly and wiggled the front end of his Toyota in effort to get the fuel pick-up. It did the trick and he was able to go full throttle again, fending off Hemric in the No. 19 McAnally-Hilgemann Racing Chevy and 19-year old Giovanni Ruggiero in the No. 17 Tricon Garage Toyota.
“Just never give up,’’ said Heim, who led a race best 44 laps but had to rally from 11th place on a Lap 43 restart. “I got behind in that last stage and was scratching and clawing trying to get back through the field.
“I had my brakes pretty much go out on me completely on that long green flag run, was beating them up trying to get back through the field – blew the bus stop chicane between turns four and five – and made a lot of mistakes myself. I’ve had a lot of them get away from us this year by cautions or whatever else, finally had one go our way.”
For much of the final regularly scheduled laps, it looked like NASCAR Cup Series regular Christopher Bell may pull off an emotional victory. The 2017 truck series champ was piloting the No. 52 Halmar Friesen Racing Toyota for the team’s owner-driver Stewart Friesen who suffered serious injuries in a dirt modified race crash a week ago.
Bell – gambling on a late-race gas-saving strategy – was leading with one lap to go in regulation Friday when a caution came out for a multi-car accident involving former series champion Ben Rhodes. But the multiple overtimes forced Bell to pit for fuel. His rally forward to a fourth-place finish was impressive.
Tyler Ankrum, NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Sammy Smith, Ty Majeski, NASCAR Xfinity Series championship leader Connor Zilisch, Matt Mills and Layne Riggs rounded out the top-10.
Rhodes’ accident was indicative of an impactful day in deciding the championship field with only one more regular season race now remaining to set the 10-driver field. Friesen had claimed one of the automatic Playoff berths with a win at Michigan earlier this season, but the serious injuries he suffered last week and him missing Friday’s race have potentially opened an extra driver Playoff position.
Before the green flag, Ty Majeski and Jake Garcia held a 16-point advantage over Rhodes for the 10thand final points transfer position.
Majeski finished seventh Friday. Garcia was 15th and the two-time series champ Rhodes ended up 26th despite claiming the win in Stage 2. Garcia now takes a slim 11-point advantage over Rhodes and 21 points over Ruggiero into the final regular season race next Saturday night at Richmond.
Friesen can request a medical waiver, and if NASCAR grants it, he would remain in the Playoffs — changing the Playoff picture yet again.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series moves to the Richmond (Va.) Raceway three-quarter miler for next Friday night’s regular season finale, the eero 250 (7:30 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio). Majeski is the defending race winner.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series Race – Mission 176 at The Glen
Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen, New York
Friday, August 8, 2025
1. (1) Corey Heim, Toyota, 81.
2. (17) Daniel Hemric, Chevrolet, 81.
3. (5) Giovanni Ruggiero #, Toyota, 81.
4. (2) Christopher Bell(i), Toyota, 81.
5. (13) Tyler Ankrum, Chevrolet, 81.
6. (3) Sammy Smith(i), Chevrolet, 81.
7. (33) Ty Majeski, Ford, 81.
8. (14) Connor Zilisch(i), Chevrolet, 81.
9. (25) Matt Mills, Chevrolet, 81.
10. (6) Layne Riggs, Ford, 81.
11. (16) William Sawalich(i), Toyota, 81.
12. (29) Wesley Slimp, Toyota, 81.
13. (24) Matt Crafton, Ford, 81.
14. (22) Dawson Sutton #, Chevrolet, 81.
15. (15) Jake Garcia, Ford, 81.
16. (10) Connor Mosack #, Chevrolet, 81.
17. (19) Brent Crews, Toyota, 81.
18. (30) Spencer Boyd, Chevrolet, 81.
19. (31) Derek White, Ford, 81.
20. (26) Timmy Hill, Toyota, 81.
21. (4) Andres Perez De Lara #, Chevrolet, 81.
22. (21) Chris Buescher(i), Ford, 78.
23. (8) Chandler Smith, Ford, 77.
24. (32) Grant Enfinger, Chevrolet, Accident, 76.
25. (36) Gian Buffomante, Ford, 75.
26. (9) Ben Rhodes, Ford, Accident, 68.
27. (34) Frankie Muniz #, Ford, 66.
28. (12) Tanner Gray, Toyota, Accident, 64.
29. (28) Toni Breidinger #, Toyota, Engine, 58.
30. (7) Ross Chastain(i), Chevrolet, Fuel Pump, 51.
31. (18) Parker Kligerman, Chevrolet, Suspension, 47.
32. (20) Rajah Caruth, Chevrolet, Brakes, 36.
33. (23) Jack Wood, Chevrolet, Accident, 35.
34. (35) Kaden Honeycutt, Chevrolet, Drivetrain, 29.
35. (27) William Lambros, Ford, Suspension, 21.
36. (11) Kyle Busch(i), Chevrolet, Steering, 13.
15-year-old Tristan McKee Wins ARCA Menards Series Debut in the General Tire at The Glen
WATKINS GLEN, N.Y.—The General Tire 100 at The Glen continues to be showcase for young, rising talent in stockcar racing as this time it was 15-year-old Tristan McKee stunned the crowd and won in his ARCA Menards Series debut at Watkins Glen International on Friday afternoon.
The rookie driver from Kannapolis, North Carolina, just celebrated his 15th birthday five days ago, making him the second-youngest ARCA Menards Series race winner.
“To win in my debut is one thing, but to win in general is another,” said McKee. “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.”
Despite his youth, McKee is no stranger to Victory Lane at The Glen, having won the Trans Am-2 race at the historic New York road course last month.
While he led from flag to flag in that win, it wasn’t as straightforward Friday afternoon. Brent Crews started on the General Tire Pole and led throughout the race until a caution with six laps remaining in the race changed his fortunes. A voltage issue while circling the track under caution brought Crews to a standstill on the track, ending his pursuit of his third win of the year.
“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 from Josh Wise and Scott Speed. I got up to speed really quickly.
McKee inherited the lead for the ensuing restart, and battled Tyler Reif on the restart. The two tangled, and McKee sustained damage, but was able to keep the car pointed straight and held onto the lead through Turn 1.
He outraced Reif and Kris Wright to the finish, holding a 1.127 second advantage of Reif at the checkered flag. Wright finished third, Glen Reen was fourth, and Dale Quarterley rounded out the top five.
A year ago in the General Tire 100, 18-year-old Connor Zilisch led flag-to-flag for the win. He followed that up by winning his NASCAR national series debut the next day, capturing the checkered flag in the NASCAR Xfinity Series race.
Zilisch is competing full-time in the Xfinity Series this year and already has five wins, including on road courses at Circuit of the Americas (Austin, Texas) and Sonoma Raceway. He will look to defend his Watkins Glen win from a year ago on Saturday, Aug. 9, in the Mission 200 at The Glen.
Zilisch will also battle it out with the stars of the NASCAR Cup Series on Sunday, Aug. 10, as the 2.45-mile road course plays host to the Go Bowling at The Glen. The race is the third-to-last opportunity for drivers to win their way into the 2025 Playoffs.
For more details about the 2025 NASCAR race weekend at Watkins Glen International, please visit www.theglen.com.
