Fifteen-year-old racer Joshua Dickens has big dreams for his racing career. After a successful stint in go-karts, the Miami native decided to pursue U.S. Legends Car racing in 2022 and picked up right where he left off in karts, winning this year’s Winter Nationals Road Course championship at Florida International Rally & Motorsport Park. This summer, he is turning his attention to even stiffer competition at the CookOut Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Dickens saw his early success and decided that in order to pursue his dream as a driver, he needed to compete year-round and against the very best competition he could find. The rising high school sophomore plans to start his homeschooling this summer to allow him to focus on his racing career. In the meantime, Dickens is continuing to race against the very best grassroots competition in the country, both at the CookOut Summer Shootout and at Atlanta Motor Speedway’s Thursday Thunder races.
“We decided to step it up and see how I do on a bigger stage, and so far, so good,” Dickens said. “We’ve decided to start traveling to keep getting better.”
Dickens pilots the No. 20 Legends car in the entry level Young Lions division. The number is no accident. It’s a nod to one of NASCAR’s rising stars, Harrison Burton, who drove the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing machine for two years in the Xfinity Series before joining Wood Brothers Racing in the Cup Series this year.
The transition to Legends Car racing has provided a steep learning curve for the young driver, but in the first two rounds of competition at the CookOut Summer Shootout, Dickens has finished third and seventh respectively. Over the next several weeks, he’ll look to cement himself squarely in the Young Lions championship hunt and continue to learn and grow as a driver.
Coming on the heels of Fathers’ Day this weekend, the fun continues with Round 3 of CookOut Summer Shootout, presented by GEARWRENCH, on Tuesday, June 22 with Dad Appreciation Night. In addition to a full slate of Legends Car and Bandolero racing, Round 3, presented by GEARWRENCH, will feature a bevy of fan-friendly fun from an “Ultimate Dad Bod” competition and “Best Dad Joke” contest to “drag racing,” prize giveaways and more.
TICKETS:
All dads receive $5 entry, while dads with more than 4 kids get in Free. If you’re not a dad, tickets are $10 dollars and kids 12 and under are free.
KEEP TRACK:
Follow all the thrilling CookOut Summer Shootout action using the hashtag #WeCreateLegends. Connect with Charlotte Motor Speedway on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
