‏Russ Danzey might have been understandably nervous as he took to the track in a racing car for the first time with a test outing in an Autosport Young Guns single-seater at Pembrey in South Wales, but the exciting Sheffield karting star’s performance was eye-catching enough to earn enthusiastic praise from both championship founder Martin Phaff and Anglo Motorsport team principal Steve Clark.

Off the back of finishing a brilliant third in the UK-wide Formula Kart Stars (FKS) last year – the same series that first propelled a certain Lewis Hamilton on the fast track to superstardom, and one that now boasts the prestigious official backing of both the youngest-ever F1 World Champion and the sport’s highly-influential ringmaster Bernie Ecclestone – Russ was selected to try out the entry-level single-seater, and he certainly didn’t need asking twice.

“I knew nothing about it before I collected my FKS trophy at the Autosport show,” the 15-year-old confessed. “We were introduced to Martin Phaff, and he asked us to go down the following weekend to test. It was a huge opportunity. I can’t race in any single-seater formula until I’m 16, so to be able to test one was fantastic – and that it was for free just made it even better! I’ve been entered into a Formula Palmer Audi shoot-out later in the year too, and this was a great chance to get a small idea of what that might feel like.

“I was really excited in the week leading up to the test; it wasn’t really until I got into the car that I started to feel nervous. We all knew that if we damaged the car we would have to pay for it, so that was very much in the back of my mind. The other one of the two cars had been damaged earlier in the day so there was only one left, and there were several drivers who were due to go out in it. I knew I really had to take it fairly easy, and that made me more nervous than I would have been otherwise – but once I got out on-track, I was fine.”

Indeed, as baptisms of fire go, it was a stern test of Russ’ ability, as icy conditions early on delayed proceedings before one of the cars was rendered out-of-action, significantly reducing the track time on offer. By the time the Dore-based ace was finally able to take to the circuit, it was pushing 4pm and already threatening to get dark – and the small matter of having never set eyes upon the high-speed Pembrey layout or set foot inside a single-seater before only served to heighten the tension.

“There’s a lot more power than in a kart,” he acknowledged, “and the acceleration is just ridiculous! Going through the gears was phenomenal, and trying to get used to that I’d say was the hardest thing. Round some of the corners that I had been watching earlier in the day I was able to push quite hard – though I was still wary of pushing too hard in case I came off.

“If you spin and then roll backwards it can break the starter motor, and they were down to their last starter motor by the time I went out. That put me under a lot of pressure not to spin, because there were other drivers due to test during the week too, and that would have been their week of testing over there and then.

“Everyone had told me that the whole driving experience is different in cars, and that everything you’ve been taught in karting just goes out of the window, but aside from the car moving around a little bit more than a kart does, it all felt pretty natural, to be honest – like a home-from-home.”

To say that Russ enjoyed the experience would be an understatement, and to say that he impressed would be even more so. Though he has committed to karting for the time being – with a full-on tilt at British title glory in the KF2 class with JM Racing on the cards for 2010, aboard a chassis bearing the initials of grand prix-winner Robert Kubica – the Westbourne School pupil patently appreciated his glimpse of what the future may hold, and it palpably whet his appetite for more.

“I can definitely see myself going into something like Young Guns when I’m old enough,” he affirmed, “because I think it could be a really good stepping-stone between karts and Formula Renault. Craig Dolby was at the test as a driver coach, and he said that he went into Formula Renault straight from karting – and that it was a step too far. He said the Young Guns car really puts a smile on his face and is a lot of fun to drive, and I think it will be easier to get noticed there, too.”

Dolby – a driver now competing in the football-themed Superleague Formula, and who Russ revealed was ‘so modest about what he has achieved’ – has evidently noticed South Yorkshire’s most promising young speed demon already, as have both Clark and Phaff, despite the paucity of laps he was able to complete due to the circumstances beyond his control. The future, as they say, looks bright.

“I thought Russ did very well,” remarked Pfaff. “It was a big challenge that we threw at him given his complete lack of prior experience in cars, and if he’d had more time I think he would definitely have got up-to-speed. He is very good technically, he asks all the right questions and he was in the garage with Craig finding out all about the car and what he should be doing. He has clearly got talent, and I hope he will do some testing with us during the year and come to race in Young Guns the following year. He has a lot of potential.”

“Russ just needed a bit more time in the car,” concurred Clark. “He was sat in the car in the garage, just getting used to the gears – which are very tricky in that car – and everything else with everybody standing around him, so there was a lot of pressure. He did ask a lot of questions before he went out and he seemed to understand the car quite well, which some of the other drivers didn’t. He didn’t really make any mistakes, which was impressive given that part of the track was wet and part of it was dry. His lines were superb, and if he’d had more running I’m sure he would have been quick.”

Russ is still seeking sponsorship for 2010, and if you are interested in backing him please contact his father Rob on 07779 995555 or at: robert.danzey@mac.com