Carl Cox Motorsport rider spotlight - Conor Cummins
We recently caught up with Carl Cox Motorsport racer Conor Cummins to get his thoughts on Carl Cox, and see how the Manx rider has been keeping busy in what has been a very unpredictable year…
“I first met Carl back in 2016 I think, when he was over for the Isle of Man TT and I just got chatting with him. Carl’s obviously well-known for being a DJ, and how awesome he is at that. I’ve just got absolute respect for him and he’s been cool enough to help with my racing.
When me and my wife Danielle got married in November ’17 we went to New Zealand for our honeymoon. Carl was there; he had backed one the big race series. We got to spend some time with him which I appreciate as he’s a busy man, but that’s where the relationship got stronger. I’ve got respect for him and what he does in the industry, backing not just ourselves but other teams in the paddock as well.
Conor on Carl
“He’s really sound, spot on. He’s a supporter of the racing fraternity… Carl went out of his way to help me out and it just shows what sort of a guy he his.”
We’re all in a dreadful situation with Covid. I live on the Isle of Man, in the middle of the Irish Sea, so our government have been good, and protective of us. They’ve allowed us to go off the island as long as we follow guidelines when we return. But with that it’s a little bit tricky to commit to a lot of racing because it would mean a lot of time away from family and home.
With there being a brand-new Honda Fireblade out that I hadn’t even sat on or seen in the flesh, I needed to get to grips with it. So, we decided to do Brands Hatch in October. We went to Cadwell Park on the Tuesday before the final British Superbikes round at Brands and did a few shakedown laps. Arriving at Turn 1, after 14 months off a bike, at 150mph was an eye opener!
I’m really glad we did Brands as the ‘Blade is a brand-new bike, and what a bike it is too. Really good solid machine, and it does everything that we’ve been looking for in the last couple of years. My Milenco by Padgetts team, without sounding clichéd, give me the best bike. With the new ‘Blade out now, it’s going to be a real leveller I think. Knowing how good Padgetts prep a bike it’s going to be an absolute weapon. I’m looking forward to it.
During this extended off-season I’ve been doing quite a bit of off-road, but that was more to get me fit for going racing. I’ve had a lot of things going on business wise as well. I’ve got the Conrod’s Coffee shop, pizzeria and a coffee supplier company called Coffee Mann. It’s hectic so has kept me busy. But all worth it!
In 2018 Carl actually played at my Conrod’s coffee shop in Ramsey. It absolutely blew my mind. I couldn’t believe he was there in person performing. Ramsey is a lovely place and I’m very proud to be from there but it’s maybe not known as a destination for world-class DJs. So, to have Carl play there, well it’s probably one of the biggest things to have happened in Ramsey… ever! Carl went out of his way to help me out and it just shows what sort of a guy he his. He’s really sound, spot on. He’s a supporter of the racing fraternity and I’m really proud that he took the time to come and play at my coffee shop.
Looking forward it’s hard to say what’s going to happen next year. I’m no doctor but I think it’s going to take a bit of time to get over everything. We just need to make sure everything is safe for everyone before we have fun and go racing again, so fingers crossed!”