recap: trd series r3 - first troubles
Round 3 of TRD Series was back to Streets of Willow going counter-clockwise configuration. Nothing has changed in the car since GridLife, heck, even the tires weren’t even rotated. So I was expecting another care-free track day, however that was not the case.
Right off the bat in the first session, the car felt different - felt a bit off. In the first brake zone, tires felt like they locked up a bit, and I had to modulate the brakes. Then in the bowl, the car didn’t want to turn. For some reason, I was bottoming out, and rubbing really hard. I thought this was strange considering the car wasn’t tracked since GridLife and nothing was changed. I still managed to go in the 1:26s, but that was 1sec off my pace. So after session one, I thought maybe it was just me, and I needed to adjust my driving again.
Braking into turn 1, you can see how hard the front end is compressing - Image by @nic.tellez
So I head back out for the second session after checking the car, and couldn’t really find anything that stood out. But again, the car is not feeling right. I couldn’t braked how I wanted, and couldn’t turn in how I wanted. It didn’t help that I had two wheels off too chasing a GR86. And then to add more insult to injury, the car had some random misfires on the front/back straight. At this point I’m like WTF. To top it all off, the check engine light came on: P0352 - Ignition Coil “B” Primary/Secondary Circuit.
I would try to clear the code and go back out, but it came back immediately on the first wide-open throttle, so I called it a day.
A fitting background for how the car performed today - Image by @nic.tellez
Considering that the car has nearly 50 track days on it, I can’t complain too much. It has been very reliable, and has performed extremely well for me. I’ve learned that the stock coilpacks are a common problem with earlier year models, so the fact that mine last this long is pretty good. So this will be an easy fix.
As far as the handling issues, I’m wondering if the springs finally broken in, and my ride height was just too low. I’ll have the guys at West End Alignment take a look, and see what’s going on. I’m concerned that my left-front lower control arm that is slightly bent from my wild ride at ACS got worst.
My friend Becky came out to hang and check out TRD Series - Image by @nic.tellez
I had two friends come along to hang out and check out TRD Series as well. I felt bad for my car issues because I was supposed to give them some ride-alongs in the car but unfortunately with the issues I was having, I couldn’t take them out.
However, Becky was kind enough to let me take her A90 Supra out on track instead! Not a bad consolation prize. My quick impression of the car was that, IT’S GOOD. I’ll do a full writeup in a future post, so look out for that.
Me introducing Becky to what her A90 Supra is capable of - Image by @nic.tellez
I finished the day with a P3 finish, just 0.001 behind P2! That’s how racing is some times.
Sadly, I think this will be my final TRD Series event. My family and I are on the move again as a new job position is calling. But don’t worry, the driving won’t stop! Stay tuned.
TRD Series R3 Results from Streets of Willow