PACKING KIWI UPGRADES FOR THIRD SEASON

Now well into its third season, having held rounds at the ITM Supercar event and at the first of the Speedworks Motorsport Championship meetings at Bruce Mclaren Motorsport Park at the beginning of December, the SsangYong Actyon Ute series has succeeded in becoming a major, if slightly unlikely, support category within New Zealand’s top-level motorsport meetings. Each of the 30 distinctive SsangYong Actyon Sport Race utes are identical in every respect, and because it’s a one-make manufacturer-backed series, it’s a tightly controlled category, so the competitors can have absolute confidence that all of the race utes are the same spec, with no variations allowed between the vehicles. Success comes down to driver ability, as opposed to who has the biggest chequebook.

The 2.3-litre Mercedes-Benz four-cylinder petrol engine is controlled by a dedicated New Zealand– designed and –manufactured Link ECU, specifically calibrated to suit the engine’s application in motorsport.

A brand-new New Zealand–designed and – built TTi GTO four-speed sequential gearbox is a fresh addition to the series this season, and helps deliver torque directly to the rear axle, which has also been equipped with a limited-slip differential in order to help control wheelspin.

The factory 18-inch alloy wheels are fitted with Hankook RA23 multi-purpose treaded tyres this season to ensure good traction in all conditions. The race-tuned suspension is lowered, and incorporates adjustable rebound dampers to allow the competitors to fine-tune the suspension to their liking. The Actyon utes also feature disc brakes all round, complete with competition brake pads, and a manually-controlled cockpit brakebias adjuster.