Someone Else Is Driving Carl Cox's Coxy Cuda. Here's Why.
ROUND 1 IS HERE: MIKEY REES TAKES THE WHEEL OF THE COXY CUDA.
The Carl Cox Motorsport Series gets its first taste of competition this week, with Round 1 taking place across Thursday 21st and Friday 22nd May at Santa Pod Raceway, and it's going to be one hell of a debut.
Carl won't be behind the wheel for this one. His touring schedule has him on the road, but the Coxy Cuda isn't sitting in the trailer. Instead, Carl has handed the keys to Mikey Rees, his trusted tuner, and a man who knows this car better than almost anyone alive.
Why Mikey?
This wasn't a decision made lightly. Mikey has been working alongside Carl for a couple of years, dialling in the pro mod and building a deep understanding of how the car behaves. That tuning background was exactly what made him the standout choice.
"It only makes sense that the person I've been working with on how we set a car up will know exactly how to drive my car," Carl said. "For me, it was the number one choice."
Mikey's no stranger to the seat of a pro mod either, he's driven other people's cars previously, which means he arrives at Santa Pod with real reference points.
A New Perspective for Carl
For Carl, this round offers something genuinely new: watching from the other side of the fence.
"I don't know what it's like to see it take off, or what it's like at the top end going over 250 miles an hour," he said. "I'm quite excited to be on the other side watching that happen, and I'll get a better understanding of what the car actually looks like and reacts like as well."
Mikey on the Cuda
Mikey hasn't driven this specific car before, but when a pro mod runs in the fives at 250-plus, the sensation doesn't change much between builds.
"The feeling is kind of like that feeling when you get to the top of a rollercoaster and you hear that last click, and then it's on," he said. "That's the closest way I can explain it."
His goal for Round 1 is straightforward: hit the 5.90 index on the money. "It's been about three years, so I'm just going to give it my best shot."
There's no shortage of trust behind this call. Mikey is acutely aware of what's riding on it.
"You wouldn't want to just throw anybody in the car. There's a lot of trust within Carl and Rod and everybody else involved at Carl Cox Motorsport, because you're holding the torch in a sense."
The Format
Round 1 runs across two days. Day one covers two qualifying sessions, jockeying for lane choice, before Race 1 kicks off the points. Day two follows with Race 2, Race 3, and then the A, B, C and D Finals.
£20,000 is on the table at this round alone, with a further £30,000 end-of-series fund available to any racer who contests all three rounds. The 5.90 index and Aussie format keep things honest and the racing close.
Carl's Back for Rounds 2 and 3
This is a one-round absence. Carl will be back in the seat for round 2 (4th–5th July) and round 3 (9th–10th September). The series title is very much still in play.
For now, the Coxy Cuda is in good hands.
Follow along as the series gets underway — Round 1, Santa Pod Raceway, 21–22 May.
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