VIDEO: 7 1/2 Laps with Dai Yoshihara (MPTCC Race @ WSIR)
MotoIQ Staff Report
Ride with Dai Yoshihara in the Team MotoIQ Dog II during round 4 of Redline's MotoIQ Pacific Tuner Car Challenge at Willow Springs. The Dog II is a modified Nissan B14 Sentra powered by a SR20VE engine. Dai’s rear suspension was starting to fail during the previous day's race where he came in second place, but with no spare rear dampers, the team instructed him to try his best.
Dai managed to put the ailing car on the pole Sunday but the car's handling had deteriorated to the diabolical point with Dai reporting via radio the car to be almost undriveable with unstable oversteer slowing the car by 4 seconds a lap over the previous day's lap times.
The ill handling Dog II was no match for the Acura Integra of Edik Stepanyan, which shared the front row. Edik drove away for an easy win as Dai, the master of oversteer almost lost the car in turn 8 on the second lap with a spin in turn 9 seconds later.
Dai cautiously drove the car whose handling continued to deteriorate in a battle with the RSX of Richie Ho, eventually passing him finishing in a commanding second place even though he was considering retiring due to the trickiness of driving the car and not wanting to damage it. We are glad since Dai maintained a commanding points lead of the series which he will need since schedule conflicts with Formula D will keep him out of the next 3 events.
The Dog II will return for the series finale with new suspension supplied by KW Motorsports!
