Russ Danzey endured a season of two halves in 2009, struggling woefully with uncompetitive machinery to start with but gutsily overcoming the odds to triumph twice in succession and ultimately secure third position in the British Championship – and he vows that the experience has made him a stronger driver to come out of the starting blocks fighting in 2010.
Not unlike Lewis Hamilton’s rollercoaster ride in Formula 1, Russ began the campaign in low-key fashion only to punch above his weight, snatch victory in seemingly impossible circumstances and wind up as one of the outright KF3 class pace-setters following a mid-season kart switch. What’s more, with his original chassis proving to be somewhat less forgiving than what the 15-year-old had been used to in the past, every tiny mistake was costly indeed so he ‘always had to make sure of being inch-perfect every lap’.
Impressive back-to-back successes in Formula Kart Stars (FKS) at Glan Y Gors and Rowrah when the heavens opened with a vengeance, transforming his underperforming kart, were almost completed by the hat-trick in similarly treacherous conditions at PF International, but for a tyre pressure error that restricted him to a battling third. Still, the same spot in the final title standings in the same series that first set Hamilton on-track for the big time – and one that now boasts the prestigious official backing of both the ten-time grand prix-winner and influential F1 ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone – was a fine achievement indeed.
“It’s been a tough but rewarding year,” reflected the Dore-based ace. “The kart was two seconds off the pace to begin with, but that helped to improve me as a driver, as I knew that I still had to go out there and drive it as hard as I could and get round the circuit as quickly as I could. When you’re down at the back you have nothing to lose, and you can just focus on going forwards.
“I certainly never expected to get two wins and be battling for second in the championship in FKS, but halfway through we were right up there, and if it hadn’t been for the bad round we had with an engine failure at Whilton Mill, we would have been right in contention. Apart from that, we didn’t finish outside the top six all season, which we were really pleased with. We were consistent all the way through, and we were one of the strongest threats, at times even stronger than the driver who won the championship – and he had the leading chassis in Europe underneath him all year.
“I don’t think anybody really expected us to win with the equipment we had at our disposal to begin with, and to be honest I thought we’d be lucky even to get into the top five, but I worked so hard with Tom Brown, my driver coach and the team manager. He has been the biggest factor for me this year, just in terms of keeping me believing. He had to look after three drivers who were all doing badly initially, and he kept the whole team alive. We just had to keep looking to the future and looking to the next round. It’s certainly been a character-building year, and one that has changed my viewpoint to an extent too, in that I now understood that you don’t necessarily have to be the quickest in order to win.”
Be that as it may, when his equipment allowed Russ was nothing if not quick, and as he prepares to graduate to the more powerful and fiercely-competitive KF2 class next year, his confidence is up from having proven that he can mix it with the very best in the country. Now aboard a chassis bearing the initials and input of grand prix-winner Robert Kubica, the Westbourne School pupil is buzzing about its potential, and also about that of the new IAME engine that he will have behind him in 2010.
Having lapped right up at the sharp end of proceedings in his sole two meetings with the ‘RK’ to-date – and knowing that there is a lot more pace yet to be extracted from it – Russ could scarcely contain his enthusiasm after testing his new KF2 mount, meaning both he and the JM Racing outfit with whom he competes are looking to the future with justifiable optimism.
“I love it!” he enthused. “I went testing for the first time at PF, and as the day wore on I got more and more into my stride. The RK was unbelievable; driving it was like stepping into a different world. It’s really forgiving, the brakes are incredible and it’s just so easy to control. Every lap we were able to be consistent, because the kart just felt so good.
“It’s nice to be staying with the same team. I have a lot of history with JM, and having been with four different teams in four years before joining them, it’s good to be staying on-board and not having to move around and learn how to work with new people and a new mechanic. They all know how I work and I know how they work, so I really think we can hit the ground running in 2010.
“I don’t see any reason why we can’t win the British Championship, to be honest. We’ve been very quick after just two days of testing, and I think the class will be quite open with some good drivers coming up from KF3 and some experienced KF2 drivers staying put. I think we can definitely finish in the top three, but to be honest the only number I’m interested in is number one.”
Russ hopes to compete in both FKS and fellow national championship Super 1 in 2010, and is seeking sponsorship to be able to race in the WSK International Series in Europe too with the factory RK operation. If you are interested in backing South Yorkshire’s brightest budding grand prix prospect, please contact his father Rob on 07779 995555 or at: robert.danzey@mac.com
