Daytona Beach, FL. (January 7th, 2019) – Dakota Dickerson and his new teammate, Dean Baker, scored a podium after a hard fought battle in tricky conditions during the season opener of the IMSA Prototype Challenge Championship during the IMSA Roar Before the Rolex 24.
Daytona International Speedway is known for being the host to a wide variety of events including the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona and the Daytona 500, so what better way to kick off the year than at the IMSA Roar Before the Rolex 24 at this venue. The first event of the year always yields fantastic racing, and for the teams, is the first time they get to see all their hard work get put into motion. It was a short off-season for the MLT Motorsports team. Coming off a harsh end to 2019, the team and Dickerson were more determined than ever to secure a quality result in their #54 Ligier JSP3.
Photo Credit: Chris Green Photography
The weekend format provided three practice sessions, a qualifying session, and a 3-hour endurance race. With a new upgrade provided to the Ligier JSP3 cars, the team focused on developing the car and splitting practice time between Dickerson and Baker. This was MLT Motorsports first time at Daytona International Speedway, and the results weren’t necessarily the strongest in practice, but everyone kept their heads down and confidence was still high heading into the qualifying and the race.
Said Dickerson before qualifying, “All in all, I think we’ve made a lot of progress from the 1st session to where we are now. The team did a great job rebuilding and inspecting every aspect of our car during the off season, so I felt super confident and comfortable in the car. We didn’t have much time to develop the new shock package, but I know we have a really strong baseline setup, and I’m excited to see how Dean does in qualifying.”
Photo Credit: Chris Green Photography
Per the new IMSA rules for 2020, all FIA Bronze rated drivers must qualify and start the race. As teammate Dean Baker is a FIA Bronze rated driver, he would be qualifying the car. Dean started the 15-minute session in the top 3 on the time charts, continuously laying down fast laps and improving throughout the session. With 3 minutes left in the session, Baker had to pull into the pits due to low fuel. Unfortunately, a few other competitors were able to jump in front of him during this time, but the MLT Motorsports team still qualified in the top 10 for the 3-hour race.
“Dean did a fantastic job in qualifying. We made a few changes to the car which seemed to be very positive, and Dean put together some very competitive lap times. We ran out of fuel just short of the checkered, but in the end, I don’t think it will hurt us at all. It’s a long race, and our team is well prepared for the fight ahead of us,” stated Dickerson.
Photo Credit: Chris Green Photography
The race started at 12:15 PM but not before the famous “fan walk”. During this time, fans were able to get an up-close look at the racecars, drivers, and teams. However, Florida weather would dampen (literally) this experience as dark clouds filled the skies and with it came the rain. The MLT Motorsports team quickly changed over to Michelin Wet tires and sent Baker on his way to take the green. Baker took the green in 9th position, and swiftly moved through the field in difficult conditions for the first 30 minutes of his 1 hour driving stint. As the rain slowed, the team prepared to put Dickerson in the car. At nearly the 1-hour mark, Baker handed off the car to Dickerson in 2nd position. After getting a full load of fuel and new Michelin rain tires, Dickerson exited the pits in 9th. With 2 hours remaining in the race, there was plenty of time to carve through the field. Sure enough, Dickerson fought back to take the lead with 1 hour remaining. The team made a fantastic call to get Dickerson into the pits to put on a fresh set of Michelin slick tires and the home stretch of the race was on. The #54 MLT Motorsports car was looking comfortable in the lead until a caution with 30 minutes remaining bunched up the field. Dickerson tried his best to keep behind the charging #47 and #64 cars but settled for 3rd position as the checkered flag flew. Nevertheless, the team and Dickerson were very happy to secure valuable points and are very motivated to work towards that win at the next event at Sebring International Raceway.
“What a crazy race!” exclaimed Dickerson. “Dean put in a fantastic opening stint in really tough conditions. He moved through the field like a pro. When I got in the car, I knew we were in a good position to challenge for a podium finish. Throughout my stint the team was giving me feedback on my pace and the weather conditions, so I knew we were sitting in a good spot throughout my first stint. We decided to stay out long on the Michelin wet tires in drying conditions to maximize our fuel potential for the last stint. They called me in at a perfect time and we were able to hold the lead until a yellow flag came out. We didn’t quite have the pace to fight the #47 and #64 cars in the dry, but I have to say it is really impressive to see what this MLT Motorsports team has been able to accomplish in such a short time. This was our first time at Daytona, and we came out of the box swinging. I’m super excited for Sebring and can’t thank everyone enough for the support!”
Be sure to catch the race on NBC Sports Network on Tuesday, January 14th from 4:30-5:30PM eastern. Let us know what you think and be sure to tag us on Instagram/Twitter (@DickersonRacing) and Facebook (Dakota Dickerson Racing).