Dakota Hendrickson, is an 21 year-old young man from Omaha, NE. He is a dedicated Christian and a Dean's Fellow in the Heider College of Business at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. While only 21, Dakota is no stranger to racing’s grueling challenge. 2017 will be his fifth full season in 410 sprint cars. A regular the past four years at Knoxville Raceway, Dakota finished 19th in 2013, 17th in 2014, 13th in 2015, 13th in 2016 and 12th in 2017 in the Lucas Oil Knoxville Championship Cup Series.
Dakota is a gifted athlete, in high school playing varsity football and basketball, lettering in both sports, as a freshman. In football Dakota was the starting Tailback, Kicker, and Punter. He saw action as a point guard and shooting guard on his high school's varsity Basketball team. Dakota is a second generation driver and began his racing career at age 8, the same year he won his first race in a borrowed car and a borrowed engine on his fourth time out! To date Dakota has recorded over 20 Feature victories. He progressed through the Outlaw Dirt Kart classes to make his debut in 410 Sprints in 2013.
In 2006, Dakota was the track champion at English Creek Speedway south of Knoxville, IA. That he also finished second in the English Creek Dirt Kart Nationals, one of the nation’s premier events which brought hundreds of competitors from around the country, many from Northern California in West and North Carolina in the East.
As a result of this outstanding season, Dakota was asked to display his winning car in the atrium of the National Sprint Car Hall of Fame and Museum, in Knoxville, IA. This Hall of Fame and Museum features thousands of pieces of memorabilia from the greatest drivers in American racing including the likes of A.J. Foyt, Mario Andretti, the Unser family Bobby, Al, and Al Jr., along with today’s sprint car legends Steve Kinser, Sammy Swindell, and Doug Wolfgang.
In addition, Dakota was featured in Flat Out magazine, in an article about his season and the Hall of Fame display. He was featured in Flat Out magazine's "Get to Know:" in the January 2015 issue.
Dakota's goal is to ultimately garner a NASCAR opportunity, although in the interim he is majoring in Finance and Entrepreneurship in the Heider College of Business at Creighton University.
Dakota cherishes his faith in Jesus Christ and when not competing enjoys his family and friends. His mother is an investment advisor with Fortress Wealth Advisors and his father is Dean of the Heider College of Business at Creighton University. Dakota has an older sister who is a market research manager with Conagra in Omaha.