Derek Kneeland, a NASCAR Cup Series spotter for Kyle Busch and Austin Hill, will make his ARCA East Series debut on March 28 at Hickory Motor Speedway, driving the No. 28 Pinnacle Racing Group Pro Late Model.
The opportunity arose from a long-standing relationship with Pinnacle Racing Group owners Mark and Jerry Webb, who have utilized Kneeland’s expertise in their driver development program, working with drivers like Connor Mosack, Connor Zilisch, and Brenden Queen. According to Kneeland, the Webbs and crew chief Shane Huffman repeatedly suggested he needed more time behind the wheel. “They were like, ‘man, you just need more laps,’ and I was like, ‘yeah, we’re just so limited with the NASCAR schedule,’ but Mark was convinced we needed to do it,” Kneeland told Motorsport.com.
The initial conversations took place over the past two years, but the opportunity didn’t materialize until Huffman contacted Kneeland after the Daytona race with a firm offer. Kneeland initially suspected a prank, referencing the reality show “Punk’d,” but confirmed the offer was genuine.
Accepting the ride presented logistical challenges. The ARCA East race falls on the same weekend as the NASCAR Cup Series event at Martinsville Speedway, requiring Kneeland to miss practice with Busch and an Xfinity Series race with Hill. Though, both Busch and Hill immediately gave their blessing, as did Jesse Love, Corey Heim, and Queen, offering advice to Kneeland as he prepares for the race.
Kneeland described himself as a “16-year-old sponge” learning from the younger drivers, and plans to utilize a simulator session with Connor Mosack to gain familiarity with the car. He has already begun studying a 2011 Pro Cup race at Hickory, as it is a more comparable platform to the ARCA car than the Pro Late Models he has previously driven at the track.
Despite his excitement, Kneeland acknowledged a sense of humility, recognizing the numerous deserving short track racers in Novel England who could also benefit from such an opportunity. “I’m just a short track gut from Maine… people always say ‘Derek, you just don’t race enough,’” he said. He emphasized that Pinnacle Racing Group valued his contributions and wanted to reciprocate.
Kneeland believes the equipment provided by Pinnacle Racing Group will be competitive, noting it is one of three championship-caliber teams in the division. He anticipates a challenging race, citing drivers like Max Reeves in the Joe Gibbs Racing car and teammate Tristan McKee as strong competitors. He intends to lean on McKee and the other drivers he’s consulted for guidance.
Kneeland expressed gratitude for the opportunity, describing it as “once in a lifetime.” He emphasized the significant resources required to compete at this level and intends to fully embrace the experience, recognizing it may be his only chance to race at a national level with a top-tier team. He will have his wife and parents in attendance at Hickory.