Out of office: Go kart racing satisfies audit partner Russell’s need for speed
June 16th 2025
You might think that auditing the accounts of some of the region’s most recognised SMEs and navigating the twists and turns of a race circuit at 60 mph requires two completely different skillsets.
But for Russell Cooper, audit partner with accountancy and advisory firm MHA, staying calm and collected under pressure helps him with both pursuits.
Russell has just embarked on his sixth season as an amateur go karting competitor, an activity that’s taken him up and down the country racing against some of the best non-professional motorsports drivers around.
It’s also enabled him to channel his passion for motorsports into raising money for charity in honour of his late father Peter, as well as volunteering to help differently abled people to experience the thrill of motor racing.
“It all started with my dad who was into rallying,” explains Russell who works in the audit team at MHA’s Manchester office, helping businesses to achieve financial and regulatory compliance.
"We used to take an old home-made kart powered by a lawnmower engine on the beach in Cumbria where I grew up and, when I became a teenager, he’d take me to a local airfield to have a go in his old rally car. I’ve always been interested in it, go karting recreationally as a kid and watching Formula One."
But it wasn’t until 2020, in the wake of the pandemic, Russell took his interest in racing to the next level and put his name down to take part in Club 100, billed as the fastest ‘arrive and drive’ karting competition in the UK.
Russell has competed every year since then and this season he’s racing in the SP40 Northern Karting Championship, a new Club 100 event that takes in five circuits across the North of England and Wales. Drivers race in karts with ‘two-stroke engines’ which are known for their enhanced speed and acceleration over normal recreational go karts.
Similar to the world of F1, competitors take part in a practice round and qualifying, before competing in two 20-minute races. While Russell admits he rarely threatens the podium, he loves the buzz of competing.
“There are some really good drivers out there who have been racing competitively since they were kids,” explains Russell. “It’s sometimes hard to get anywhere near them, but I’m learning all the time. I’ve had a top 10 finish and I’m usually pushing for the top third of the field of about 35 drivers, so I’m not doing too bad.
"People are often surprised to learn about my life out of the office. Doing a very serious job like auditing in my professional life is hard to reconcile with the high adrenaline world of motorsports, but in many ways the attributes needed are the same – you have to remain calm, collected and focused under pressure. Attention to detail in preparing for the race and consistently putting in good laps times is also key."
In addition to competing, Russell has used his racing knowledge and contacts to organise an annual charity race event for friends and colleagues in memory of his father Peter, who passed away in 2019.
Named the Cooper Chronicles Cup, and now in its 7th year, it takes place at the Rowrah Kart Track in Russell’s native Cumbria with entrants competing for a custom-made trophy designed by Russell.
“We raise money for a different charity each year and it’s a great way to give something back,” he adds. “The trophy is made of a speedometer I found among lots of car parts in my dad’s garage. It’s cast in resin with the odometer set to 2019 for the year he died, and the needle on 63 mph which was his age. Last year, 15 of my colleagues from MHA joined in too, which was fantastic.”
In addition to raising money for a number of charities through his race event, this year Russell will be volunteering for the charity, Speed of Sight – which organises driving experiences for differently-abled people of all ages, enabling them to experience the thrill of motorsports.
“It’s such a good cause and helps so many people to have experiences they otherwise wouldn’t be able to. I’ll be volunteering at an event taking place this summer at the Three Sisters circuit near Wigan, Greater Manchester.”
You can follow Russell’s karting life on Instagram @racingaccountant
All photos used in this news article are credited to Club 100 and photgrapher, John Patterson.
