It would be inaccurate to call 2023 a perfect season for NASA SoCal Teen Mazda Challenge driver Cooper Hicks. But it was pretty darn close.
Hicks finished the 2023 season with two wins at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway. After snaring pole position on Saturday, Hicks went on to take the win on Saturday over Joey Andrews in second — his best finish in 2023 — and Sophia Hicks in third.
On Sunday at Chuckwalla, Hicks again had pole and went on to take the win over Andrews in second and Christian Hoagland in third. The two wins gave Hicks the season points championship over Storey in second and Joey Andrews in third.
Hicks kicked off the 2023 season with two wins at a rain-soaked Auto Club Speedway. That double-points event gave Hicks a great start to the season. He scored two wins again at Willow Springs in March and then two more at Buttonwillow in April, and two more at Willow Springs in May. Just before the summer break, Hicks took the Saturday win at Buttonwillow in June, and Storey took the Sunday win.
Storey got the better of Hicks in both races at Buttonwillow in October, setting the stage for Hicks to bounce back at Chuckwalla, where he picked up his last two wins of the 2023 season and the regional championship and the Teen Mazda Challenge regional championship.
