Dakota Dickerson: The First Test

Thank you, Styled Aesthetic!

Brigstock, England – After counting down the days, hours and minutes prior to my departure, the time had finally come. I packed up my suitcase with the warmest and most stylish clothes I had, thanks to Styled Aesthetics, got my driving gear together and said my goodbyes to family and friends. I flew out of San Diego Friday morning at 10 a.m., on to Atlanta, Ga., where I grabbed myself a delicious airport dinner then was on my way to the UK! My nine-hour flight consisted mainly of eating, sleeping and watching Top Gear (UK version, of course).

After landing, I was in a hurry to meet Michelle Dempsey who would be my mom away from home for the next few weeks. Being in such a hurry, I got lost but was fortunate enough to spot another American (we’re easy to distinguish due to our fashion choices) and followed him to customs. I was then interviewed for a couple of minutes by a very nice lady from customs who turned out to be a big racing fan. I picked up my suitcases from baggage claim then went over to see Michelle and fellow teammate Michai Stephens who had been waiting for me. The first thing I noticed was how different the cars are. There was a variety of car manufacturers that I rarely see in the States such as Saab, Renault, Citroen and many others. We then made our way over to Michelle’s car and were on our way to the house.

Even though I was incredibly tired, the different sights and Michelle’s very friendly nature were keeping me wide awake. Our first stop was a local deli where Michai and I had some hot sandwiches. Then we made a quick stop to get a tour of the Cliff Dempsey Racing facility and trailer. Cliff was very kind to me straight off the bat. His facility was great and his trailer was very impressive – double stacker with a data room, hospitality room with a full-on kitchen, and even a bed to sleep on! After that, we drove through the town of Corby, where we would be staying. It is a great little town with some beautiful scenery. Michelle gave me a brief tour of her home and then she was off to make dinner while I unpacked my bags. My first English meal was curry on rice with some “veg.” Absolutely delicious! I had heard that she was a great cook from fellow Team USA Scholarship winners and she still lives up to that standard. With food in my belly, I was off to bed by 8 p.m. not to wake up until 10 a.m. the next morning. Michelle was kind enough to make me some breakfast and then we were off to the Cliff Dempsey Racing shop again.

My new Ray hadn’t even turned a wheel!

Cliff and the boys were hard at work on our cars. Cleaning, checking every nut and bolt, putting in a fresh engine, and wrapping the cars in the beautiful red, white and blue paint scheme were all sights to see here. I am fortunate enough to use the seat that past Team USA Scholarship winners Conor Daly and Aaron Telitz used. I was later fitted in the car, making seat, pedal and belt adjustments and making a few other final preparations for Tuesday’s test. They even let me help out with some cleaning and putting stickers on my car!

Thanks to Donington photographer Alan Lygo.

Our first test day came quicker than I imagined but I was super-excited to get on my first race circuit outside of the United States. We drove into the race facility at Donington Park, signed in and went over to our reserved garage where Cliff, our two mechanics, Dave and Jack, and our driver coach James were waiting for us. The cars were all prepped and looked beautiful. Within 30 minutes of my arrival, I had my race gear on and was strapped in the car going out for my first session. It was a quick in then out lap to shake down the brand-new Ray GR15 chassis, brand-new transmission and brand-new engine. Everything on the car was brand-new for my arrival and everything was put together perfectly. Not a single failure occurred on my car. As the day progressed I was getting more and more acclimated to the car, track and team. I debriefed with James, Cliff and Michai after each session, looking at data and video to see where we could improve. Michai and I even went on-track together for a session to see where we could improve, giving each other feedback, and practicing drafting. The day was nearly perfect. The weather was great, we had no significant off-track excursions and the team treated me excellent.

Everything has gone smooth on this side of the pond and I’m feeling more and more comfortable each day. I can’t thank Cliff and Michelle Dempsey enough for taking me into their home and creating such a friendly environment. Also, thank-you to the Cliff Dempsey Racing team for working their butts off building and prepping a brand-new car for me. As always, thank you to all of the Team USA Scholarship supporters. I really appreciate everything you do. Keep an eye out for our next blogs as there are some big things to come!

All the best,
Dakota