Kyle Busch spotter Derek Kneeland airs out decision to leave same role for Kyle Larson

Kyle Busch‘s spotter, Derek Kneeland, spent seven years spotting for the Chip Ganassi Racing No. 42 Chevrolet. Six of those seasons (2014-19) came with Kyle Larson driving the car.

But ahead of the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, Kneeland sought greener pastures. He found it with Richard Childress Racing, joining the No. 8 team for Tyler Reddick‘s debut season in Cup competition. Kneeland spotted for Reddick in the Xfinity Series, and they won a Championship together in 2019. Speaking on Monday’s “Door Bumper Clear” podcast, Kneeland revealed what led to his exit from Ganassi.

“It was pretty straightforward,” Kneeland said. “Larson and I — we had a great relationship. No issues, it just came down to (I) wasn’t really happy with the team. There were people I wasn’t really clicking with, the vibe wasn’t that great, and Reddick and I were getting a lot of wins in Xfinity that year. We won the Xfinity Championship that year and then RCR basically came to me and asked if I was available.

“I was at the end of that contract, and I basically went and told them, ‘Listen, I’d like the chance to talk to other teams.'”

Derek Kneeland has no regrets turning down Kyle Larson offer

When Larson returned to competition in 2021 after serving an indefinite suspension for his use of a racial slur during an iRacing event in 2020, he called Kneeland and asked if he would spot for him at Hendrick Motorsports. Kneeland declined. That season, Larson won his first Cup Championship. He’s now known as the most talented driver on the circuit.

“Obviously, now you look at it and he went on after his mishap that happened, the next year he goes on to win the Championship and at first, he [Larson] had called and asked if I would spot for him when he went to Hendrick,” Kneeland said. “But I was perfectly happy where I was at, and I’m still happy where I’m at.”

Kneeland still spots for the No. 8 team. But now, he’s in the ear of a two-time champion in Busch. Kneeland has two things he wants to accomplish; one is a Championship, the other is a Daytona 500 win, something Busch has never done.

“I’m happy for Kyle [Larson], happy for Tyler that he got that opportunity to go from wherever he was at to that. No regrets,” Kneeland said. “I will say, I had a lot of personal goals… I feel like I’ve been fortunate enough that I’ve achieved pretty much all of them except for the hardest two, and that’s going to be a Daytona 500 ring and a Cup Championship ring. Will those happen at RCR? I don’t know, I don’t plan on getting done any time soon, but you just don’t know when these opportunities are going to happen, either.”