Dakota Dickerson
AGE: 25
YEARS RACING: 18
Residence: San Diego, CA
Hobbies: Golfing, Beach Sports, Martial Arts, and Mountain Biking
Future Racing Goals: IMSA WeatherTech Championship and winning the 24 Hours of LeMans
Favorite Drivers: Takuma Sato, Dan Gurney, and Paul Newman
Favorite Food: Sushi (California Roll)
Favorite Movie: Cars, Winning- The Racing Life of Paul Newman
Favorite Race Track: Road Atlanta, Road America, and Circuit of the Americas
Career Highlights
2021 IMSA Prototype Challenge- MLT Motorsports; GT World Challenge America-RacersEdge Motorsports
Competing again with MLT Motorsports in the IMSA Prototype Challenge, Dakota and team showed their consistency by finishing on the podium at every event except the final. Dickerson also completed a partial season of GT3 racing competing with Racers Edge Motorsports in the GT World Challenge America Championship. Racing in eight of 14 races, Dickerson finished on the podium at 7 events including a win and an overall pole to finish 4th in the Pro-Am championship. (Photo: Chris Green)
2020 IMSA Prototype Challenge- MLT Motorsports; Honda Performance Development GT3 Driver Academy
For the 2020 season, Dakota continued with his relationship with MLT Motorsports and Ligier Automotive in the IMSA Prototype Challenge running in the LMP3 category. The team and driver worked well together and in spite of the pandemic, finished the season as Vice-Champions in the team and driver categories. In addition, Dickerson was recognized as an emerging talent and chosen to participate in the Honda Performance Development GT3 Driver Academy with Racers Edge Motorsports in the NSX GT3 Evo where he received valuable training and insight into professional level sportscar racing. (Photo: CoForce, LLC)
2019 F3 Americas Championship- Global Racing Group; IMSA Prototype Challenge- MLT Motorsports
After his success in the F4 US Championship, Dakota continued moving up the ladder into the F3 Americas Championship signing with Global Racing Group. During the middle of the year, Dakota was offered the opportunity to transition into sportscars in the IMSA Prototype Challenge category. Running with a new team, MLT Motorsports, Dickerson and the team were able to win during their first event together and go on to secure another top 5 finish later in the year. (Photo: Gavin Baker Photography)
2018 F4 US Championship - DC AutoSport; USF2000 - Arms Up Motorsports
For the 2018 F4 US Championship, Dakota Dickerson signed with new team, DC Autosport which is owned and managed by veteran engineer Don Conner. They had a great working relationship and together earned 15 of 17 top ten finishes. An opportunity also came up that allowed Dakota to race in the 2nd half of the USF2000 season with Arms Up Motorsports. Never one to turn down a challenge, Dakota jumped at the chance to work with the team to gain valuable seat time and experience. (Photo credit: Red Case Photography)
2017 USF2000 - Newman Wachs Racing; F4 US Championship - Kiwi Motorsport
Dakota Dickerson signed with Newman Wachs Racing for the 2017 USF2000 Season and 2018 Pro Mazda Season. Newman Wachs Racing made their debut back into open wheel racing after winning the 2009 Atlantic Series Championship. After 3 race events in USF2000 where he was 5th in the championship, Dakota made the switch to the F4 US Championship running with Kiwi Motorsport. While completing only 11 of the 20 races, Dakota finished third in the championship standings.
2016 USF2000 - Rookie of the Year Runner Up
Finishing off the season with 10 top ten finishes and 3 top five finishes, Dakota finished 2nd in the rookie championship with Afterburner Autosport. Dakota, running as a single car team for the majority of the season, never finished outside of the top ten in the 2nd half of the season. This run also put Dakota 9th overall in the standings. (Photo credit: Photos @ Indianapolis Motor Speedway, LLC Photography
2015 Skip Barber - USF2000 Mazda Motorsports Scholarship Champion!
At the conclusion of the Skip Barber Summer Series, Dakota transitioned immediately to the Skip Barber USF2000 shootout scholarship. The top 10 drivers from the Skip Barber Winter and Summer Series converged at Road Atlanta for a 3 day shootout awarding the winner $200,000 and entry into the Mazda Road to Indy program. Dakota came in fully focused and scored 149 of a possible 155 points which included three wins and two third places in the 5 races and set a record for most points earned in the Shootout. He also scored high marks on his business plan and media interviews.
2015 Team USA Scholarship
Dakota was selected to represent the USA in Europe along with teammate Michai Stephens. Selection to Team USA is done through scouting by some of the top teams and drivers at the professional level along with its creator Jeremy Shaw, a successful auto racing writer and broadcaster. Dakota was selected from a group of 12 candidates from the United States. Prior winners of the Team USA Scholarship include, Bryan Herta (Indy Cars/CHAMP Car), Joel Miller (IMSA), AJ Allmendinger (NASCAR), and Josef Newgarden (Indy Cars). (Photo Credit: JAM Motorsport Photography)
2014 Skip Barber Karts to Cars Scholarship Shootout - 2nd Place
2014 Bryan Herta Career Enhancement Scholarship Award
Dakota competed in the 2014 Skip Barber Karts to Cars scholarship where the top karters from around the world came together to compete for scholarships to gain valuable training in open wheel racing. The competition was tight and came down to the last session before the winners could be determined. In addition to pulling off a second place overall in the shootout, Dakota was the recipient of the inaugurel Bryan Herta Career Enhancement Scholarship.
2011 - 2013 Senior Kart Racing
In his freshman year of racing at the Senior class level, Dakota was the vice champion in the Senior TaG class of the SKUSA ProTour. He also challenged himself by continuing to compete at the Regional and National level in the Gatorz Challenge of the Americas (Senior Rotax), SKUSA ProKart Challenge and SKUSA ProTour in TaG Senior. A karting accident in 2013 put all racing on hold as Dakota recovered from a shattered right arm. This event would be the catalyst to jump to racing cars.
2008 - 2010 Junior Kart Racing
In 2008, Dakota started racing in the Rotax Jr. Max class on an age waiver. He raced in this class through 2010 in local series (San Diego Karting Association, Los Angeles Kart Club), at the regional level (Gatorz Karting Cup, Gatorz Challenge of the Americas) and at the national level (Rotax Pan American series, Rotax Grand Nationals (finished 7th place)). Dakota captured the LAKC driver's championship in 2008 and 2009 and was 2009 vice champion and 2010 champion in the Gatorz Karting Cup Challenge.
2003 - 2007 Cadet Kart Racing
Dakota started racing karts when he was 6 years old in the Kid Kart class but switched to Rotax MiniMax as a cadet racer. He was vice champion in the Gatorz Karting Cup Challenge in 2004 through 2006 and MiniMax Champion in 2007. In 2006, he won the Western Regional Championship in the Rotax MiniMax class and competed in the 2005, 2006, and 2007 Rotax Grand Nationals in the MiniMax class finishing just outside the top 10 in 2006 and 2007.