Singmaster focuses on winning the next race

Thirteen-year-old Dakota Singmaster takes the checkered flag for a victory lap after winning a recent race. Dakota, of Fort Scott, earned Rookie of the Year honors as well, and says he does it because he enjoys the competition, and the speed. "Oh, yeah. I like going fast," he said.

By Jason E. Silvers

Herald-Tribune

Fort Scott, Kan. -- Many young people his age might be thinking about video games, comic books, and skateboards, but Dakota Singmaster focuses on his car and what it will take to win the next race.

Dakota Singmaster takes a turn on a dirt track.

The 13-year old Fort Scott resident, an avid stock car driver who competes in various races in Missouri, recently achieved first place in his class at the Grand River Speedway in Urich, Mo., where he also won the racing organization's annual Rookie of the Year award.

During a recent visit to The Fort Scott Tribune, Singmaster and his dad, David Singmaster, both said that Dakota and his 1983 Toyota Celica have been through about 14 or 15 races together since the young man first got behind the wheel last year.

For Dakota, the reason why he races is simple.

"The competition -- and it's fun," he said.

David looked at his son and said, "Plus, he's a speed freak."

Dakota just grinned and said, "Oh yeah, I like going fast."

David said his son currently races against a field primarily made up of racing veterans at different tracks in Missouri, including the Nevada Speedway, but there are a few drivers his age who he sometimes competes against.

"Some hate me, some like me," Dakota said of the older racing veterans and their opinions of him.

"They respect his driving abilities," David said. "He has more wins than anybody in his class. When he first started, he didn't (get much respect) but he does now. He races very clean."

When asked what his responsibilities are in helping his son during racing events, David simply said he serves as his son's chief mechanic. David and Dakota's brother help out by serving as Dakota's pit crew, checking the car's tires and under the hood for each race.

"I don't race," David said. "I get too much enjoyment out of watching him race."

Dakota said he hopes to eventually compete in the NASCAR circuit one day. He has had a couple of tire problems on his car, but no major mechanical problems that have stopped him from finishing a race, with the exception of one race in which the gears in Dakota's car broke, knocking him out of contention. During another race, one of the car's struts broke, but Dakota was still able to finish the race, David said.

Dakota currently has three trophies on his shelf at home from his racing endeavors, and hopes for more to come.

After a race last weekend, Dakota took over the points lead in his class at the Grand River Speedway in Urich, earning him first-place honors for his efforts. He will now head to the Missouri Indoor Championships at the Boone County Fairgrounds' heated indoor coliseum, on Dec. 10, in Columbia. Dakota has just four races left this season.

His dad said he is proud of his son's accomplishments thus far.

"He's the best young driver out there," David said.

The Singmasters are welcoming sponsors for the 2007 racing season, he said. They currently have three major sponsors -- K and K Auto Body in Fort Scott, which has done all of the painting on Dakota's two cars that are used for racing; Air Tight Kustom Paint, which has all of the air brush artwork and designs completed on the cars; and long-time stock car driver and local resident Ron Bolin.

"Dakota has learned much of his driving skill and knowledge from Bolin," David said.

They need additional sponsors next year due to the often high cost of maintaining the cars and entering races, he added.