David Dalton Jr.

On Track Summary

Entering Prodigy Week with only two partial seasons of open-wheel racing from three years ago, along with previous karting experience, Dalton quickly found his speed, running just two tenths off the more experienced Nathan Saxon. He demonstrated good pace, exhibiting an excellent feel for the brakes in the heavy braking zones and impressive car control. With more seat time, Dalton's confidence in high-speed corners should improve, positioning him to become a competitive front-runner in the races.

Off-Track Summary

Dalton entered Prodigy Week with high confidence but was quickly humbled by the talented driver pool. This wake-up call positively influenced his attitude by the final day, allowing him to settle in better with his fellow racers and coaches. While he tends to overthink and create his own stress—something not uncommon among great performers—maturation will be crucial for Dalton to meet both his exceptional standards and those of his coaches. His greatest limitation may not be his innate abilities, but rather his mental approach, as is often the case with elite athletes. The question remains: will he reach his potential and maintain consistent performance? Williams Esports believes they can develop Dalton into a star, selecting him 19th overall and becoming the first team to complete their lineup.

Bio

Born and raised in Montclair, NJ, Dalton started racing at age 13 in karts but began studying vehicle dynamics at age 5 through Gran Turismo 2. Knowing the foundation for racing wasn't in NJ, I moved to North Carolina in 2016 after graduating high school. There, I attended the NASCAR Technical Institute to study automotive design, repair, and NASCAR trades. Through the institute, BMW North America noticed my interest and grades, and I was offered training to become a BMW Technician in 2018, which brought me back to NJ for training at their Eastern HQ. While pursuing racing, I worked as a BMW Technician from 2018 until the end of 2022. In April 2022, I joined the team of instructors at the BMW Performance Center, as I no longer enjoyed being a technician. My experience in racing and as a BMW technician qualified me to become an instructor, and I've found a very good home in this role. Aside from motorsports, I thoroughly enjoy music and playing instruments. I started playing drums in 2008, guitar in 2009, and bass guitar in 2020. I released two studio albums with a band called Preppen Barium, a hard rock/rock 'n' roll band, and I enjoy creating drum and bass cover videos playing to Gran Turismo music. My ultimate goal in motorsports is to reach INDYCAR and become a champion. I've faced ageism as young as 19, with many doors unnecessarily shut without consideration of my potential. Although Racing Prodigy is striving to make our dreams of becoming full-time racing drivers a reality, many valuable years of racing were lost in my life. I am determined to rekindle the fire and momentum I once had.

Racing history

Karts 2013-2019, KA100 Senior - WKA Road Racing series; 2018-2019 - Lucas Oil Formula Car Series - 4 race events (VIR, Mid Ohio, NCM, NJMP); 2019-2020 - Formula 4 - 4 Race events (Mid Ohio, VIR, Sebring, Barber)