Tristan McKee dominates at Rockingham
- TSN MOTORSPORTS INSIDER
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
In two ARCA Menards Series East events this year, Tristan McKee has achieved Victory Lane twice.
McKee's victory at Rockingham Speedway on Saturday was markedly different from his inaugural East Series win last weekend at Hickory Motor Speedway. Unlike his previous race, where he took the lead in the final laps, McKee led from start to finish from the pole position, successfully keeping his Pinnacle Racing Group teammate, Carson Brown, behind him.
The primary challenge McKee encountered throughout the day was maintaining his lead while maneuvering through lapped traffic. He attributed his ability to stay ahead to the speed of his No. 77 Campers Inn Chevrolet, which helped him overcome any obstacles.
“The PRG team provided me with a really fast car,” McKee commented. “A lot of it was due to the clean air. [Brown] got close a few times with the lapped cars. They were everywhere. Some were really good, while others were tough to pass. He got close a couple of times, but couldn’t overtake me.”
Since joining the ARCA Menards Series platform midway through 2025, McKee has consistently achieved success.
McKee claimed victory in his first national ARCA Menards Series race at Watkins Glen International last August. Since then, he has secured two more wins and five top-five finishes in his subsequent six starts. The only race where McKee didn’t finish in the top five was at Madison International Speedway, where brake issues dropped him to 11th.
Among all the tracks McKee has raced on in an ARCA Menards Series car, none have matched Rockingham’s unique layout. Once he encountered Rockingham’s fast, steep corners for the first time, McKee had to adjust his strategy for the 125-lap feature.
“I raced Bristol, so I expected [Rockingham] to have some similarities [but] it really didn’t,” McKee noted. “It was actually very different. Nothing was the same, it was much faster. [The banking was steep] like at Bristol, but the speeds were unlike anything else.”
“With some of these [tracks], it takes me a while to get used to them, but eventually, I get it during practice.”
Any concerns McKee had about Rockingham didn’t materialize when the green flag dropped. McKee executed each restart flawlessly from the bottom lane and built substantial leads, with lapped traffic being the only factor preventing him from extending his lead further.
One encounter with slower cars within the last 20 laps brought Brown right up to McKee’s rear bumper on the backstretch. Brown couldn’t make the move in Turn 3 stick, allowing McKee to maintain his lead.
In the five events across the ARCA Menards Series platform in 2026, PRG has won three races between McKee and Brown. When McKee joined PRG last year, he recognized the high standard the program had quickly established and was eager to make his own impact.
A flawless performance at Rockingham on Saturday continued McKee’s impressive start with PRG.
“Joining a team like PRG, the cars are excellent,” McKee said. “They’ve had many skilled drivers in the past, which makes my job a bit easier. Most of the time, I’m stepping into a very good car, so I don’t need much practice. We’ve been extremely consistent, so all credit to [PRG] for providing outstanding cars.”
Reigning East Series champion Isaac Kitzmiller continued his strong start to 2026 by finishing third. Cleetus McFarland achieved a career-best fourth place in front of an enthusiastic Rockingham crowd, with Wesley Slimp completing the top five.
Jackson McLerran, Cory Roper, Max Reaves, George Siciliano, and Craig Pellegrini Jr. finished sixth through tenth, respectively.
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