Derek Kneeland
| Derek Kneeland | |
|---|---|
| Born | Windham, Maine, U.S. |
| ARCA Menards Series East career | |
| ARCA East no., team | No. 28 (Pinnacle Racing Group) |
| Statistics up to date as of March 10, 2026. | |
Derek Kneeland (birth date unknown) is an American professional spotter and stock car racing driver who is currently employed at Richard Childress Racing as a spotter for the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Kyle Busch in the NASCAR Cup Series,[1] and the No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro SS for Austin Hill in the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series.[2] As a driver, he currently competes part-time in the ARCA Menards Series East, driving the No. 28 Chevrolet for Pinnacle Racing Group.
Kneeland has previously worked for teams such as Chip Ganassi Racing and Rev Racing.[3][4]
Career
Kneeland first began racing at the age of eight, where he raced in go-karts at Patrick Motor Speedway up until the track shut down when he was 17.[3][5] After that, his driving career was halted.
Kneeland's first spotting job came when he served as a spotter for Corey Williams, a driver in the PASS South Super Late Model Series. He would later build a friendship with fellow driver Brian Scott, and eventually spotted for him when Scott entered into the ARCA Re/Max Series.[3]
On March 3, 2026, it was revealed that Kneeland will make his debut in the ARCA Menards Series East at Hickory Motor Speedway, driving the No. 28 Chevrolet for Pinnacle Racing Group.[6][7][8]
As a driver, Kneeland has competed in series such as the PASS North Super Late Model Series, the PASS National Championship Super Late Model Series, the UARA National Late Model Series, the Oxford Crown Jewel Triple Crown Series, and the NASCAR Weekly Series.[9][10]
Personal life
Kneeland's father, Jeff, was a former racing driver who competed in the 1970s,[11] and his grandfather was a former general manager of the now-defunct Beech Ridge Motor Speedway.[12]
Motorsports career results
ARCA Menards Series East
(key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)
| ARCA Menards Series East results | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Team | No. | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | AMSEC | Pts | Ref | ||||||
| 2026 | Pinnacle Racing Group | 28 | Chevy | HCY | CAR | NSV | TOL | IRP | FRS | IOW | BRI | -* | -* | |||||||
References
- ^ "Team Event Rosters" (PDF). Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ "Team Event Rosters" (PDF). Jayski's Silly Season Site. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 10 March 2026.
- ^ a b c Christie, Toby (March 13, 2024). "Derek Kneeland Remained Humble on Path to Being a Respected Spotter in NASCAR". TobyChristie.com.
- ^ "Different Point Of View: NASCAR Spotter Derek Kneeland Back For Another Shot At Oxford 250". RaceDayCT.com. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
- ^ "NASCAR Spotter Derek Kneeland Is a Talent On The Track". Racing America. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
- ^ "Derek Kneeland Running Hickory for Pinnacle". Frontstretch. 3 March 2026. Retrieved March 3, 2026.
- ^ Christie, Toby (March 3, 2026). "NASCAR Spotter Derek Kneeland Gets Major Driving Opportunity With Pinnacle Racing Group". TobyChristie.com.
- ^ "NASCAR Cup spotter to make ARCA driving debut at Hickory". Motorsport.com. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
- ^ "Derek Kneeland". The Third Turn. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
- ^ "Spotter Derek Kneeland Plans Ambitious Driving Schedule". Racing America. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
- ^ "Derek Kneeland ready to return to his racing roots in Berlin's Money in the Bank 150". NASCAR. June 7, 2022. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
- ^ "Racing remains at forefront for Windham's Derek Kneeland". The Windham Eagle. Retrieved March 10, 2026.
External links
- Derek Kneeland driver statistics at Racing-Reference