Dickerson Dominates Buttonwillow Raceway Park; Earns First F4 Win

Dakota Dickerson earns back-to-back victories in home state during Formula Pro USA Western Championship weekend

Hydrated by Amethyst Beverage water, Formula 4 United States Championship Powered by Honda driver Dakota Dickerson of San Diego swept the Formula Pro USA Western Championship (FP4) weekend at Buttonwillow Raceway Park in Buttonwillow, California, stemming in Dickerson’s first career win in an F4 car.

During the double-header FP4 event, the California native seized three fast-lap times, captured a pair of poles and secured wins in both races. Dickerson’s consistency in his Amethyst Beverage, World Speed Motorsports, Exclusive MotorWorks Racing car also earned him the track record in an F4 car with a time of 1.41.587.

“Really happy with how the weekend went,” Dickerson said. “The team and I worked very well together and made improvements throughout the SCCA Cal Club event which allowed us to take home a pair of wins. Overall, it was such a great feeling being back in the car and to be surrounded with such great people like the Amethyst Beverage crew, Honda Racing HPD, Worldspeed Motorsports and Exclusive Motorworks Inc. I am really looking forward to what the future holds.”

In both events, Dickerson started on pole and quickly commanded the lead. Dickerson pulled away from the other FP4 competitors and never conceded his first-place position in either race. His World Speed Motorsports, Exclusive MotorWorks Racing teammate Kyle Loh of San Jose, California, took second, ending the weekend five seconds faster than he began on Friday. Loh will compete under World Speed Motorsports during the F4 U.S. Championship season finale at the Circuit of the Americas F1 U.S. Grand Prix in October.

“My second F4 race was an amazing learning experience. Dakota Dickerson was an excellent teammate and mentor who played a key role in helping me push myself in the car. With his experienced F4 knowledge, I left the racetrack five seconds quicker than I was when we arrived on Friday,” said Loh. “Meeting new people and climbing up steep learning curves are two of my most favorite things about racing, and this was certainly a weekend to remember. I’d like to thank World Speed Motorsports, Exclusive Motorworks Inc., Dakota Dickerson, Amethyst Beverage and most importantly, my supportive father.”

FP4 is affiliated with the SCCA Pro Racing F4 program and uses the same Ligier JS F4 chassis and Honda Civic Type R engine as the F4 U.S. Championship. FP4 also competes on the same weekends as Sports Car Club of America club and non-club events on the west coast. Buttonwillow hosted the final rounds of the winter championship. The 12-round inaugural FP4 season officially starts in April.

“Formula Pro USA finished another successful weekend of racing at Buttonwillow,” Formula Pro USA President Brent Morgan said. “Congratulations to Dakota and our other top three finishers, Ryan McElwee and Kyle Loh. Exclusive MotorWorks would like to thank all of our partners: Amethyst Beverage, Onroak Automotive, Honda, Pirelli and to our race team partner, World Speed Motorsports, for their professional teamwork and impeccable car setup. Lastly, a big shout out to SCCA Cal Club for hosting such a great event. Thank you all for a very successful race weekend.”

Throughout the event, Dickerson’s hydration was monitored by Amethyst Beverage to help record data on how its water recovers athletes’ bodies after enduring strenuous situations. 

“We are so very pleased to see Dakota achieve and exceed his goals by claiming two poles, two race wins and the track record at Buttonwillow for an F4 car.” Amethyst Beverage CEO Jeff Flasco said. “Amethyst Beverage is the newest water beverage on the market and the data that Dakota was able to provide will greatly help us move forward with our research on body recovery. We are looking forward to many collaborations with Dakota in the future.”

For more information about FP4, visit F4USChampionship.com.

Photo Credit- Ken Loh