Tristan McKee prevails at Hickory to secure maiden East Series victory

Tristan McKee has not been part of the ARCA Menards Series for long, yet he has already made a significant impact.

Following his victory in his national series debut at Watkins Glen International last August, McKee achieved another triumph on Saturday in just his second ARCA Menards Series East appearance. A late collision between Max Reaves and Landon S. Huffman allowed McKee to secure victory in the inaugural East Series race at Hickory Motor Speedway.

Securing the Cook Out 200 was not an easy feat for McKee, who spent much of the evening trailing Reaves while contending with a challenging No. 77 Tibbetts Lumber Company Chevrolet. Once McKee found his rhythm, he capitalized on the opportunity to overtake Reaves, adding another achievement to his expanding portfolio.

“After the past day and a half here, we were struggling with the car quite a bit,” McKee stated. “All the guys made a really good adjustment at the halfway break. The car came alive after that stop and I moved up to second. [Reaves and Huffman] got into it there and I knew it was my chance. I delivered my best four laps at the end and secured the win.”

McKee's victory extended an impressive streak in the ARCA Menards Series. In his seven starts on this platform, McKee's only finish outside the top five was an 11th place at Madison International Speedway.

The triumph at Watkins Glen last year allowed McKee to demonstrate his road course expertise. His extensive experience in the Trans Am Championship TA2 class equipped him with the skills necessary to seamlessly transition into ARCA Menards Series competition at Watkins Glen, where he secured victory following a late mechanical failure by Brent Crews.

Hickory's abrasive surface presented a formidable challenge for McKee during his debut at the track in an ARCA Menards Series chassis. Similar to Watkins Glen, the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, driven by Reaves, stood in the way of victory.

Determined to surpass Reaves at Hickory, particularly with his sponsor Cook Out hosting the event, McKee exercised patience as Reaves led a relatively uneventful race. Several late cautions slowed the pace, giving drivers like McKee and Huffman an opportunity to challenge Reaves for the lead.

On a restart with 15 laps remaining, a bump from Huffman moved Reaves out of position and into McKee. The three drivers exchanged positions over the next two laps, but McKee ultimately took the lead while Reaves settled into second, and Huffman fell to the rear of the lead lap after a spin.

Reaves was unable to challenge McKee again, ending his perfect record in the East Series at three victories. The conclusion of the Cook Out 200 left Reaves frustrated, and he emphasized his strength during the post-race interview to the audience at Hickory.

The jeers from the crowd had little effect on Reaves.

"We were the best by far tonight," Reaves stated. "Props to Tristan McKee and everyone at PRG, but they were no match for us. I don't know what the plan was with Huffman, but it seemed like he was trying to take me and McKee out. If you can't beat them, you have to wreck them. This reminds me of that interview with Kyle Busch when he critiqued the haters.

"There's a reason I'm in the No. 18 and not one of the other cars."

Reaves will now regroup following his defeat at Hickory as he prepares for an intense East Series title battle with McKee, who has shown equal determination early in their ARCA Menards Series careers.

For McKee, Saturday was about both unfinished business and gaining experience. He recalls how close he came to winning $50,000 in a Late Model Stock event at Hickory last summer, only to see his hopes dashed by a late-race crash.

Despite learning from that experience, McKee knew it would require a complete team effort from him and Pinnacle Racing Group to overcome Reaves on Saturday. Having claimed victory over Reaves, McKee is eager to continue building momentum with PRG that began with his initial ARCA Menards Series starts last year.

"It definitely feels good to get some redemption at Hickory after the CARS Tour race here last year," McKee said. "It's great to be in Victory Lane, so thanks to all the PRG team. They made some excellent adjustments, and we worked hard on this car all weekend."

Defending East Series champion Isaac Kitzmiller began his title defense with a solid third-place finish at Hickory. He was followed by Derek Kneeland and Nick Tucker, completing the top five.