The oil pump drive in his Holden snapped, forcing his team to remove the engine and replace it with his spare power plant.
It was indicative of the bad luck that has dogged the Mosgiel driver's second season in the premier category.
At the second round at Pukekohe Park in November, Adams was caught up in a spectacular crash which saw his car launched over the safety barrier.
He will join the rest of the field qualifying today as the championship enters a crucial phase - with the fourth-round racing at Levels to be followed a week later by the fifth round in Invercargill.
Two Ford drivers top the standings, with Hamilton's Kayne Scott just four points clear of Nelson's John McIntyre.
There is some distance back to Aucklander Andy Booth, the leading Holden driver in third place.
Decorated Gold Coast-based contender Craig Baird is fourth in the series, while former champion Paul Pedersen, of Rotorua, is fifth.
Chasing a record third successive series crown, McIntyre was not happy with his performance in the last round in Christchurch in November which saw Scott nudge past him overall.
His car has since undergone the first of two engine changes allowed by the series rules.
"We've had virtually the entire car apart to track down some of the issues which caused a relative lack of pace on the tight and twisty Ruapuna circuit," he said.
"We've found and resolved a number of the things which weren't helping.
"We have prepared the suspension set-up for the Timaru circuit which is measured on electronic scales and gauges based on previous racing on this circuit."
Scott has fond memories of Timaru's 2.4km circuit, setting the lap record there on his way to the series crown in 2005-06.
Dunedin's John Whelan, who has stepped up a category since winning the New Zealand Formula Ford Championship last season, will have his second outing in the Toyota Racing Series.
He was happy with the car's performance, clocking the sixth fastest time in practice yesterday and will be hunting down a top five finish for the weekend.
His race programme is the same as the V8s, production cars, Minis, Porsche GT3s, Formula Fords and Super Trucks, with qualifying and one race today, followed by two races tomorrow.
