Edgcumbe’s Christina Orr-West hits the track in Taupo this weekend for her second season in the intensely-competitive SsangYong Racing Series.
Sporting fresh new Dayle ITM signage on her Actyon Sport ute, Orr-West goes into the seven round SsangYong Racing Series determined to improve upon her third placing in the inaugural series in the 2014-15 season.
“I plan on coming out of the gates swinging this year,” says Orr-West. “Last year it took the first round to find my feet, but not this year. I plan on winning the championship!”
Orr-West was one of around 15 drivers who contested all seven rounds last season while another 36 competitors contested one or more rounds of the tightly-controlled one-make, manufacturer-backed series. With one round win, two race wins, a lap record and one qualifying pole to her credit last season, the 27-year-old will be drawing on that experience behind the wheel of her 2.3-litre Mercedes-Benz powered SsangYong.
“I enjoy the SsangYong racing as the fields are so big. It makes you think about your driving because if you make a mistake, you will go from leading to the back pretty quickly!
“My strategy is to finish every race if I can’t win. Consistency should help me stay in the top five on the leader-board.
“Overall I feel pretty happy with the SsangYong and am looking forward to racing again at our season opener this coming weekend in Taupo.”
Deborah and Martin Day, directors of Dayle ITM in Avondale, Auckland, are looking forward to a keen season of competition from Orr-West in the 30-strong SsangYong field.
“I have a huge amount of respect for Christina and her ability speaks for itself,” says Mrs Day. “She is a natural talent and her driving last season in the utes was exceptional.”
A board member of MotorSport New Zealand (MSNZ), the country’s governing body of motorsport, Mrs Day also chairs the organisation’s Women in Motorsport committee.
“Christina is a top competitor, regardless of her gender. However it is always inspiring to see young women competing on an equal footing in motorsport. It’s even better to see that there are four other women entered alongside Christina in this weekend’s opening round of the SsangYong Racing Series in Taupo,” Mrs Day says. “The fact that Christina is also a huge advocate for driver safety also appeals to me in my roles in motorsport as clerk of the course and on the MSNZ board; driver safety and track safety are issues I’m very passionate about.”
The seven round SsangYong Racing Series starts on 17 and 18 October 2015 in Taupo and finishes at Pukekohe in April next year.
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