Tuned In

What’s the difference between a high-end professional motorsport ECU from Bosch and the consumer-level stuff we’re more used to dealing with from manufacturers like MoTeC, EmTron, or Haltech? Does your race car really need motorsport-specific ABS, or will the factory equipment do the job just fine? And why does the European hill climb scene consistently produce some of the coolest race cars in the...

No competent driver likes a car that moves around under braking and is lazy to turn in or out of a corner for no good reason, so they throw many OEM suspension components in the rubbish bin, including factory rubber bushings. Why? Want to learn how to set up the suspension on your car properly? Here's the place to do it: https://hpcdmy.co/handleb James Bourn of Powerflex explains that while r...

Have you ever needed to get a part custom-made and been shocked at just how much it cost? In this episode of Tuned In, we sit down with Dan Melling from Kiwi CNC to find out exactly what’s involved in making bespoke one-off parts — from the initial measurements to the 3D modelling, to the prototyping, and to the milling and finishing of the final product. Once you’re done with this episode, you’re...

Data logging can seem daunting, but ultimately for limited costs and inputs, it can help make you much, much faster on track than many realise. Massively improve your driving with our Data Analysis courses: https://hpcdmy.co/datab It's generally assumed that you need to be a Race Engineer or have access to a team of them to make the most of data, but as Roger from AiM Sportline highlights, th...

The Toyota 86/Subaru BRZ platform is extremely popular in the enthusiast market for plenty of reasons. It’s simple, it’s rear-wheel-drive, it handles, it’s cheap — and there are few platforms out there that have the kind of aftermarket support that the ZN6 has. This is all to say that building one of these cars to a level where it stands above the rest takes something a little special. Cam Cocalis...

Get the what, how and why on the 6.0L LS-powered Nissan Frontier, aka Navara from owner/builder Stephen Dorrick of @LOJConversions . Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in A 700hp+ 6.0L  LS engine owing around 6k USD powered this rather porky 4720lbs (2100kg) chassis to 2nd place in the GTT @optimabatteries Ultimate Street Car Invitational at @semash...

Have you ever dreamt of climbing to the very top of your chosen motorsport and beating the world’s best? That’s exactly what Hayden Paddon, this week’s podcast guest, has done. As a past WRC round winner and current European Rally Champion, Hayden is a wealth of knowledge on all things rally, and spends some time in this episode talking through us through what life is like at the highest levels of...

The legendary title-winning GT300 350Z Nissan hits the Time Attack scene. Get some insight into a factory race car setup including BoP restrictions & more in this [TECH TOUR]. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in Restricted to 300hp for class rules, this VQ35DE powered JGTC (Now Super GT) Z33 350z interesting sees up to 480hp due to some clever...

With enough effort and development time, where's the limit on how much power you can extract from an engine? On this episode, Mark Mazurowski of Mazworx is here to talk about his own experiences in doing just that with Nissan’s iconic 90s workhorse, the four-cylinder SR20. Use “MAZWORX50” to get 50% OFF our HPA Engine Building Starter Package: hpcdmy.co/enginepackageb Mazworx is a well-known...

This 1973 Datsun 240Z (S30) is an excellent example of modernising an older vehicle for competition motorsports, and still driving it home afterwards complete with aftermarket ABS! Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in With double the stock horsepower via a 3L Nissan L28 with custom pistons, rods, cam, and a ported N42 head care of Datsun Spirit Inc...

There’s no denying that the C6 Corvette is an excellent sports car platform, but it’s probably not the first option that many people reach for when looking to put together an ultra-competitive top-level time attack car. Feras Qartoumy clearly understands its potential, though. He’s not only built a competitive Corvette — he’s built an absolute monster that doesn’t just take podiums, it smashes ple...

What do you know about rocket antilag systems? Not much? Good, you're going to love this then. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in Sporting a 1200hp LS7-based engine, Mike DuSolds 1967 Chevrolet Camaro has been 'slightly' modified for competition motorsport anywhere from sea level, to 14,000ft (4,300m). Time attack, hill climbs, str...

Drive nearly a thousand miles cross country, sit in traffic for hours, and spend your days laying down five and six-second ETs at the drag strip for a week solid? ‘Drag and drive’ events are a unique form of torture for some of the world’s fastest street cars. In this episode, Steve of Steve Morris Engines is on the podcast to tell us how he builds a 4500+hp motor that can handle that kind of puni...

DCT considerations, GT-R vs Huracan, horsepower vs car setup, this interview has it all. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in Competition between the Audi R8, Lamborghini Huracan and long-established Nissan R35 GT-R platforms has been heating up in the drag racing world for some time, and our next guest is no stranger to being at the pointy end of...

You might not know the name, but you’ve probably seen Sam Albert’s Subaru WRX online. Powered by a screaming 4.3-litre Ferrari V8, Sam’s flame-spitting AWD rally car is fast, it’s cool, and it sounds amazing … But why go to all that trouble when Subaru’s own EJ drivetrain — the one that this car uses from the factory — has proven itself a capable championship-winning setup since the late eighties?...

CAD is the future, and the future is here, but is an engineering degree a necessity to break into this world for your own projects or even professionally? Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in As the man in charge of this side of the business, Dmitriy Orlov of BBI Autosport is no stranger to computer-aided design (CAD) and the manufacturing processe...

More engine capacity, bigger turbos, wider rubber. As enthusiasts, we’re almost hard-wired to want more of everything. In the motorsport world, however, bigger often isn’t better and it sometimes takes experience — often gained through painful lessons — to properly understand that and to build a car right. No one knows this better than this week’s guest, Jimmy Assaad of Evolution Racing Supplies....

Laser welding in industrial environments is becoming more and more popular than traditional MIG welding and TIG welding methods, but why? Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in Serra Laser's Evan Shea runs us through some of the differences and similarities of a laser welder compared to TIG welding, including why a laser weld can not only be fas...

While you might be able to get away with a little sloppiness when building an engine for a street car, that’s not going to fly when it comes to dedicated race engines. In this episode, we sit down with Tom Hughes from Hughes Race Built to discuss exactly why that is, how we can ensure we’re building our engines right, what makes a great naturally aspirated race engine build, and much more. Use “HU...

Can you run a billet block on a street build? With 1650whp what 1/4 mile time can a full trim R34 do? Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in With 1650whp at 55psi of boost this R34 GTR Skyline is arguably one of Australia's fastest roll racers, and even more impressively this 1600kg car will do 8-second passes while retaining the full stock trim...

And we’re back! After a few weeks away from the microphone, we’re jumping back into the Tuned In podcast with our longest and tech-heaviest episode yet — one that will satisfy even the nerdiest listeners. Use “DIGGLES100” for $100 off our HPA Engine Building Starter Package here: https://www.hpacademy.com/hpa-engine-building-starter-package/ This week, we’re talking to Australia’s Ben Diggles. Ben...

Active aero, mid-mounted flat 6 pushing out 1400hp at sea level, 1100hp at the Pikes Peak start line and 900hp at the top of the mountain. What does any of that mean or matter? Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in NOTE: This was recorded before the sudden and sad passing of driver Ken Block in early 2023. RIP to a motorsport and performance industr...

What's the best way to tackle a big build project and actually follow through to its completion? Just how useful is learning how to design in CAD? Is stance dead? And just how the hell did Ferrari manage to build such an overweight and underpowered car? These questions and many more interesting head-scratchers are all answered on this week's episode of the High Performance Academy Tuned...

How do you trigger both Mercedes and Mazda purists at once? This. This is how you do it, and we think it's awesome. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in Tuning and wiring specialist Adam Peeling of Smart EFI (who we've spoken to previously at Pikes Peak) gives us a rundown on this build and his involvement. Originally a 1993 FD3S but look...

“Circuit drivers see one corner 1000 times — rally drivers see 1000 corners one time.” In this High Performance Academy Tuned In episode, we’re joined by the one and only Dave Carapetyan of Rally Ready. Use ‘RALLYREADY50’   to get 50% off HPA's Suspension Tuning & Optimization course: hpacademy.com/courses/suspension-and-car-setup Better known as ‘Texas Dave’, this driver and instructor o...