He has also moved into drag racing, having witnessed the thundering growl of cars as they squealed down the strip at Santa Pod Raceway as a youngster. Cox recently becoming a member of the ‘Six Second Club’ by completing a quarter mile race in 5.9 seconds in a V8 turbocharged Capri, reaching a top speed of 252mph.
Last year, intrigued by electric racing, he and Shulman accepted an invitation to watch Extreme E’s double header in July.
“We went to Sardinia as a guest at one of the brands to check out the (Extreme E) series, not thinking much of it to be honest – we didn’t really know what it was all about,” says Shulman. “Then we found out they do these ecological projects and environmental projects everywhere they go and it was just really interesting.”
“It was phenomenal, the drivers were ferocious and the professionalism was incredible. It really wasn’t what we expected.”
Cox soon found his way into one of the cars, and was taken for a lap around the circuit, grinning from ear to ear and left with a need to get involved in the new found racing series. Later that evening, the 60-year-old played a DJ set and spoke to former F1 world champion Nico Rosberg and Extreme E CEO Alejandro Agag about the possibility of joining the series as a team owner. Weeks later, it started to become a reality.
“It was almost like a joke,” says Shulman. “It’s one of those things where you go ‘Oh I’d love to win the lottery’ and the next thing you know is you’ve won the lottery. As we were talking more and more, and they could see Carl’s real passion, it just started evolving that we should look at taking part and that’s where it grew from.”
The team is yet yet to announce any additional details about its driver line up or set up but that hasn’t stopped Cox from immersing himself as a full fledged team owner ahead of the opening race of the season in Saudi Arabia on March 11-12.
“It’s an emerging sport and it gives Carl a chance to show his racing credentials from a standing start and as an equal. It’s not like he’s going into Formula 1 and being a sponsor, here he’s an actual team boss. Making decisions, choosing drivers, choosing car components, doing all the things you’ve got to do so that when the people watch these races, they’re getting the race they’re expecting.”
Cox has also declared that he’s not joined the grid simply to make up the numbers. “Racing, like music, is in my blood and I’m going to bring my passion and energy into this series and build something special,” said the DJ in a statement.
“Participating in electric racing is new to me but I’m a fast learner and will bring my hard earned know-how and experience into the mix at Extreme E. Carl Cox Motorsport is here to take on all comers and we are going to jump straight in. We are in it to win it.”