Golden Opportunity: Kneeland Guides NASCAR Rookie Larson
Larson Shines in California; Kneeland ‘Glad to be part of it’
Derek Kneeland of Windham, ME had the best view for Kyle Larson’s first NASCAR Nationwide Series victory at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, CA on Saturday afternoon. Kneeland works as the spotter for the Elk Grove, CA driver at Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates and Turner Scott Motorsports. Larson’s #42 Cartwheel by Target Chevrolet won the TreatMyClot.com 300 by .342 second over Sprint Cup regulars Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch and Joey Logano, who led an event high 96 laps. Pole sitter Elliott Sadler rounded out the top-five.
Larson has made all of his NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Nationwide starts with Turner Scott Motorsports. Larson was named the Sunoco Rookie of the Year last season with four second place finishes in Nationwide. Larson’s current streak of six consecutive top 10s is two shy of his career best.
Although now a Mooresville, NC resident, Kneeland was overwhelmed by supporters from his first Nationwide victory through 49 text messages and Facebook.
“That’s when you really get to see the support from all the people back home and that’s just great,” Kneeland said. “I’m just trying to do my thing and I’m just another guy who is one of the 43 up there that gets to do what they love to do. It just means a lot when you have all those people that not only look up to you but are really proud of the accomplishments that you’ve made. … It just feels so good. I’m still just smiling ear to ear to get this win. I’m just really fortunate.”
Kneeland’s driving career began at age 8, until he stopped driving full-time racing at 17 or 18. Kneeland began spotting for his friend Corey Williams in Super Late Models. A year later, Kneeland saw the need to change and moved to North Carolina to work for a decal company. Within two months, Williams also relocated to North Carolina and Kneeland resumed spotting when business commitments allowed.
His career began to change at that time. The Super Late Model team Brian Scott drove for was purchased by one of Kneeland’s friends. “We became friends and started hanging out and everything was good.” That led to Scott asking Kneeland to spot for him in the ARCA race at Pocono in 2008. Kneeland went with Scott to the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series. “Once you kind of get to know them from the spotter’s stand, people start kind of asking you to do other stuff, or you get other opportunities,” Kneeland said.
Kneeland worked with Brian Scott in the Truck and Nationwide Series until Scott joined Joe Gibbs Racing. He was eventually reunited with Scott two seasons ago at Joe Gibbs Racing and followed him to Richard Childress Racing last season. Kneeland gained experience at the Cup level with the #32 team, including drivers like former champion Terry Labonte and Ken Schrader.
The “big break” for him came at the end of 2012 with Chip Ganassi. Kneeland was signed by Chip Ganassi to a three year deal, working with Juan Pablo Montoya last season. He joined Turner Scott Motorsports’ #42 team this season.
At 27 and 21, Kneeland and Larson are one of the youngest combinations, without the luxury of an experienced driver or familiar spotter. “It’s really tough,” Kneeland said. “You’re going against guys that have multiple years of experience. You just need that relationship with someone you can trust. You don’t have to do all the work yourself sitting in the seat.”
Kneeland focused at the start of the season on building a relationship with Larson. “With your driver, you want to build a relationship or a friendship,” Kneeland said. … “They just want to have someone in there that has racing experience and that could try guide him in the right direction. He can kind of just lean on me for other things, rather than just racing, (such) as an outlook on life and how things go and how the race is going to play.”
Larson is a driver with experience at dirt tracks who has had to adapt to NASCAR’s slate of paved tracks. “He’s really good at is he will find a (groove),” Kneeland said. “He searches lap in and lap out. He doesn’t just pick one spot at one time. If he’s losing ground, he will search for it. He listens really well, to what I’m telling him – where someone else is running or behind him or to find whoever is quicker or where the leader likes running.”
“He’s very much used to finding the cushion,” Kneeland continued. “He finds that and searches it and he’s just really really good at that.”
“Kyle (Larson) really showed today what he was all about, how good he really is,” Kneeland said. “ If you look at Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick, they’re two of some of the best drivers in the sport with Nationwide and Cup. To be able to race them hard and to be able to beat them out in what was probably one of the best finishes that people have seen.”
Even the winningest driver in the Nationwide Series, Kyle Busch visited victory lane. “He’s given himself a good name,” Kneeland said. “ He races clean. He races fair, but he races hard. He’s just really smart for being so young. He’s just a big sponge. He just soaks it all in and learns every single week and he’s just going to be someone to contend with every week.”
Larson started the race from the eighth position., but fell back due to a loose race car. Once the tires wore, the handling improved and he was able to regain positions. According to Kneeland, Larson’s gains were limited by cautions and green flag pit stops. Once the team got the car better, Larson was able to gain more track position and showcase their speed.
The Scott Zipedelli led crew tightened the car at the end of the race. This enabled Larson to use the top lane and avoid the turbulent air of a car in front of him. “They got tightened up, it was just hell on wheels after that,” Kneeland said. “The car was just fast and he was able to have the speed and run those guys down and able to make quick passes.” Passing is difficult because the car on the top lane has more momentum. “He was able to keep just enough speed so the guys couldn’t get a run back on it. He was able to get to work and make things happen and thankfully get the win.”
Larson benefited from the additional track time that Sprint Cup practice provided.
“We found that there’s four or five seams on the track, which seem to cause a lot of havoc for the drivers, especially with the track being so worn out and so bumpy that they really need to work those seams whether it’s splitting them or whether running your tires on them. We found that having the more speed was running our left sides on the second to last seam towards the top, which would be to me as a spotter when I’m talking to him would be two lanes off the wall is how I would tell him. He started really working that and running that or splitting it he just found a bunch of speed there and when he did whenever it was worn out. Everybody was able to run two tenths quicker than us at first on new left tires about five to eight laps into a run then after that once he kept running that line, we’d get to the point where we’d be three or four tenths faster than the field. We weren’t that fast to get started. He just stayed faithful to the track and where the car was comfortable and that’s how he was able to prevail, staying fast and staying on top of the track and not have to really search too far to find speed. It really worked there. We had speed. It was just a matter of staying truthful to the line and that’s what we did and it paid off.”
“Use your judgement. I think you’re clear” may not seem very comforting when racing at the high speed southern California oval. That is what Kneeland told Larson while battling for the lead.
“(We) get to talk a lot at the track during the week,” Kneeland said. “Like I said, we usually get together once a week away from the track. We kind of just try to figure out some lingo that we can use, to where if other people are scanning us, that things that we can use. I can use, ‘use your judgment’ or ‘I think you’re clear’ and that’s just to give some information for him to kind of take a glance at the center mirror there in front of him and take a look.”
“That’s not something you should be saying at that amount of speed, but when you actually are behind the scenes and that you talk with the person and you know the lingo that you guys are talking about its actually really comforting, even if you’re saying something doesn’t seem so comforting,” Kneeland said. “For him and I that works out well, but for some people that were there to watch or might have heard it on TV that can definitely be a little skeptical.”
Kneeland still returns to the driver’s seat once a year for the famed Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains (ME) Speedway. “It helps the racing side of things – see what drivers do and really know what the driver wants to hear.” Kneeland said. “I think that’s what helps with my and Kyle (Larson) in our relationship.”
Recently the race has been held during the off weekend near the July NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Loudon, NH. “All my family gets to come to Loudon and after that race I just ride back home with my family and I hang out for the week and I race up there so did the Oxford 250 last year. … being able to race yourself like I said really helps me as a spotter and then it also fulfills my dream to still be able to drive once in a while so it’s great.
Kneeland cites the support from the NASCAR community in helping him compete. Kneeland finished 15th last year driving for Gary Crooks. “We were able to put a good deal together with a great group of guys and I was able to pick who I wanted to crew chief,” Kneeland said. He chose a friend, noted short track racer Clay Rogers. “He helped me out a lot just as far as being a driver and what I need to do and to make the race and then to really run well and to finish,” Kneeland said. “I think we went a lap down with two laps to go.
“Not being able to race every week is definitely hard when you’re competing against guys that get to race every week like Ben Rowe and Johnny Clark, and Cassius Clark, and all those guys that are big names in the sport in the PASS series. It’s just really good to be able to get the experience. Even to run once a year, it makes me happy.”
Kneeland plans to return for Oxford again this time, pending sponsorship. “We’re definitely going to go and give it our all and try to get ourselves a top 10 or a top 5 or if possibly a win.” Kneeland said. “We had a great time last year. If I can get the chance to do it again I definitely will.”
If that does not come to fruition, Kneeland still plans to go to Oxford to visit his family and friends. He will also spot for his cousin, who races in the PASS Sportsman series.
Brad Keselowski competed in the Oxford 250 in 2010. Brian Scott flew with Keselowsi after the Nationwide race at Gateway on Saturday night to support Kneeland’s racing efforts.
“(Scott) helped sponsor me to do the race and he flew up there to watch me. Unfortunately, I was in the race in one of the heat races or consi races and Brad ended up taking me out with two to go. I guess what Brian said it was a pretty interesting plane ride back for those two all the way back kind of what was that all about?”
Update: Larson improved on his first Sprint Cup Series top-10 finish at Bristol last week with his first top 5 at Auto Club on Sunday, nearly sweeping the weekend. Larson charged from ninth to second on a green-white-checkered finish to claim second to defending race winner Kyle Busch.
Sources: Nicholas Teto/YankeeRacer.com
Photo courtesy Derek Kneeland