Toyota Finance TR86 Championship competitor, Tom Alexander of Christchurch, dropped down the series leader-board and now sits second in the championship after struggling with the setup of his car all weekend.

Alexander, who took the championship lead at the last round in Pukekohe, remains optimistic about the upcoming rounds and said a hit to the rear of the car during testing may have contributed to the poor handling of the car, ultimately costing him the championship lead.

“We had a small incident during testing which put a dent in the right rear of the car. We had a wheel alignment done just in case but we think it was slightly wrong and may have caused the car to oversteer in the fast corners,” explained Alexander.

The team attempted to rectify the handling issues after race one on Saturday but to no avail. “We thought we’d fixed it but then the car developed understeering issues. We managed to get rid of most of the understeer but it still wasn’t right, especially in turn three where I lost most of my time.”

“We just couldn’t get the right formula this weekend which is really gutting for all of us. In the end, it was just about finishing and getting points to keep our championship on track.”

While Alexander was not getting the results he wanted this weekend, he was less than a second per lap behind TR86 series newcomer, and pace setter, Andrew Waite.

“This weekend has also been incredibly frustrating as we know we have the speed to be near the front. But this weekend has just been tough. I have a great team of guys behind me and I know that they’ll do everything they can to make the car better for next weekend.”

“I’ve always enjoyed Manfield too. I got my first race win there, and I’ve tested this car there in the past, so fingers crossed we have a better weekend.”

The next round of the Toyota Finance TR86 series will take place at the New Zealand Grand Prix meeting, at Manfield, next weekend.

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