Tuned In

Many people think driving skills can only be a 'gift you either have or don't' and something that doesn't need any work or effort to build and maintain. Those people are wrong.

Mike McGinnis of Innovative Tuning shows how 'the science of speed', aka data analysis, is used by both professional and amateur (Pro-Am class) drivers, using Cole Powelson of LYFE Motorsport and Jeremiah Burton of Donut Media & Big Time as examples at the World Time Attack Challenge.

🔥 The LYFE Motorsport R35 GT-R boasts 1200hp from a 4.1L VR38DETT engine and MoTeC electronics package including their i2 Pro data analysis software. This setup is designed to optimize the car's performance, especially in competitive environments including WTAC and hill climb events. The vehicle features twin Garrett GTX3076 turbos, which contribute significantly to its power output and performance capabilities.

Despite the advanced electronics and data systems, Mike highlights that valuable insights can still be gained from a more limited range of sensors. In some cases, even the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) sensors can be leveraged for purposes different from those initially intended. This approach allows for flexibility and innovation in data collection and analysis, potentially improving vehicle performance without the need for extensive additional equipment, making it much easier to get started with.

There are also a few helpful tips here on how to best leverage your data including why you might consider overlaying your data based on distance rather than time and where pro drivers can pick up huge amounts of time with their more aggressive braking confidence, a skill that is certainly learnable with some data, rather than just 'butt dyno' opinions.

When pushing OEM engines to their limits, factory components often fall short. Platinum Racing Products in partnership with Crest CNC addresses these issues with their new cast cylinder head for the Subaru EJ series.

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✅ Solving EJ Series Problems
Known for head lifting and cracking, the EJ20 needed a robust solution. PRP's cast head offers improved intake port spacing for larger valves, thicker head material, and a redesigned exhaust port for better flow and reduced back pressure.

☝️ Why Cast Over Billet?
While billet is great for prototypes, casting is ideal for mass production, offering better thermal expansion properties and consistent quality.

🔥 Enhanced Performance
The new design supports 14mm head studs and versatile coil mounting options, making it easier for high-power builds. Customizable port designs allow for CNC porting up to 420 CFM, ensuring optimal performance.

Creating high-end race cars and parts for a living is a dream for many of us, but how do you turn that dream into a reality? We don’t have all the answers, but we can pick the brains of the people who’ve pulled it off, like this week’s guest, Joe Scarbo.

Use SCARBO50 to get $50 off HPA 3D Modelling course: https://hpcdmy.co/CADb

Joe Scarbo of Scarbo Performance and Scarbo Vintage began his love affair with all things motorised like many of us — young and elbow-deep in a deconstructed radio control car trying to fix and improve it. This episode first covers Joe’s early days as he gained an appreciation for all things automotive through his love of both RC cars and go-karting. After a few too many crashes in the kart, Joe steered his passions towards the engineering side of the game, and began building his first car completely from scratch.

With little experience and zero computer power, Joe designed and built a four-seater 350 SBC-powered off-road sand car that’s still hitting the dunes to this day, despite it being finished before Joe was even out of his teens.

While he was still studying mechanical engineering at university, Joe found himself employed as a fabricator and machinist at a high-end race shop. From there, his career began to snowball as his design skills became more and more in demand. We dig into the design side of Joe’s career in this conversation, discussing the creation of strong and light wheels, chassis’, and everything in between.

After that, Joe talks us through different fabrication and manufacturing processes, discussing some of the pros and cons around CNC, water and laser cutting, notching, materials, and more. This chat also goes into the business side of the equation as we attempt to answer age-old questions like: how do you accurately quote your work? And when is it better to just outsource certain jobs?

The star of this episode, though, is undoubtedly Joe’s current passion project, the SV1 Rover. This monster off-roader is a marvel of engineering, and a machine that Joe has labelled the world’s first “hyper truck”. Whether he’s right or wrong about that we’ll leave up to the listener, but either way, the details we get into on this 30-inch travel go-anywhere-at-very-high-speeds beast is well worth a listen. Find out how it was designed, what powers it, what it’s capable of, and much more in this episode of Tuned In.

Check out Method Race Wheels here: https://www.methodracewheels.com

Follow Scarbo Performance here:
IG: scarboperformance
FB: Scarbo Performance Corp
WWW: scarboperformance.com

Don’t forget, you can use SCARBO50 to get $50 off HPA 3D Modelling course: https://hpcdmy.co/CADb

Time Stamps:
3:30 How did you get interested in cars?
8:32 What did you become passionate about through your mechanical engineering degree?
14:27 Designing a car at 19, how did you figure out how strong to make all the components?
18:20 What happened after your degree?
25:31 Design work for Method Wheels
31:35 How do you balance weight, strength vs looks when designing wheels?
36:27 Starting your own company
52:18 Overview of Scarbo Performance
1:08:48 SV Rover — what was the initial concept?
1:18:13 How much did RC cars influence your design? 
1:46:43 Engine configuration in the SV Rover and an EV option?
1:50:01 Did the SV Rover work out of the box or were there teething issues?
1:57:28 Where is the SV Rover at? Are you going to be offering this to customers?
1:58:59 Final three questions

What do you do when you're bored of being one of the fastest 5-cylinder drag cars in the world? Double down and reach for a V10 is the answer Hank Iroz of Iroz Motorsport went with, and we're glad he did!

Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in

With world-leading experience gained on the RS3 platform, the switch to the Audi R8 V10 is a similar area for the Iroz team, and with the R8 and Huracan platforms being similar and very active in the drag racing world, it's a great platform to be active with.

It was early days for the car during this interview with a lot of work done but limited testing yet, however, the car was setup with weight balance as a primary focus, and as such the Xona Rotor X5C TR9980 performance turbos were not located out the back as we commonly see, but rather don't he side where some cooling is usually found, and a GT4 chassis was used as the starting point given they are already well caged and come with all the sensors you need, and probably some you don't for drag racing.

With an AMS Performance and Dodson parts package plus a MoTeC electronics system as part of the puzzle, we're interested to see where this project heads in the future.

Big Power Engine Parts | Design, Manufacturing & Selection.

Aftermarket parts including crankshafts, pistons, rods, engine blocks and more—we all use them—but what goes into deciding what is made and what material is used to ensure you are really getting something better than OEM, and how do you know if you need such an upgrade?

Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in

Christian from Nitto Performance Engineering gives us some insight into these topics and more, with examples including high-volume SR20 oil pumps, RB32 Torrington bearing upgrades, and ACL custom bearings, as well as how 3D printing is used for research and development.

The difference between Sine Drive and Flat Drive oil pumps is also covered, as well as some of the power levels that see engine builders move from OEM to aftermarket parts and materials, including 4340, EN40B and EN26.

Imagine if Formula 1 got rid of most of its rules and regulations — how fast could they go? The freedom to design and build whatever will result in the fastest time is a dream for many in the higher levels of motorsport, but for British hillclimb champion Alex Summers, it’s a reality.

Use ALEX100 to get $100 OFF HPA’s Track Day Package: https://hpcdmy.co/trackdayb

There have been a lot of great families in motorsport over the years — the Earnhardts, the McRaes, the Andrettis — but when it comes to the prestigious world of British hillclimbing, one surname is better recognised than most — the Summers. This week’s guest, Alex Summers, comes from legendary hillclimbing stock, with his grandfather, father, and mother all committed participants of the sport at the highest levels. That Alex is a British hillclimb champion and three-time runner-up isn’t much of a surprise with that kind of family history.

In this episode, we first cover Alex’s early days in racing, as well as his schooling and engineering education. Starting out working for McLaren during a university placement, Alex then moved to Aston Martin, where he’s been for the last decade. During all that time, he’s never stopped racing.

This leads us to his current weapon of choice, the ‘P4t’. This absolute rocketship was designed, engineered, and built by Alex himself. It weighs 500kg and runs a 700hp, 16,000rpm Cosworth IndyCar V8, resulting in one of the fastest cars on the generally very short venues that make up the British hillclimb championship season. Unlike many overseas competitions, Britain doesn’t have much in the way of elevation, meaning runs generally last well under a minute.

This form of very short and sharp racing is described as “drag racing with corners” by Alex, and this, along with very few regulations, makes for some very unique requirements when building a competitive car. We dig deep into the P4t build, asking the big questions about the engine, chassis, and suspension setup.

Alex is also known for his involvement with the McMurtry Spéirling development team, and was one of the first drivers to test the insanely fast 1000hp fan car. We find out what a car as fast and unique as the Spéirling and its 2000kg of downforce is actually like to drive and what it takes to get record-setting runs out of it.

Follow Alex here:
IG: @alex_summers_hillclimb
YT: Alex Summers
TK: @alex.summers.hillclimb

Don’t forget, you can use ALEX100 to get $100 OFF HPA’s Track Day Package: https://hpcdmy.co/trackdayb

Timestamps:
3:47 How did you develop an interest in cars?
6:27 How much time do you need to spend in a kart to be really good?
11:57 Seriousness of the British Hill Climb Championship
18:42 What’s your formal education?
26:39 Opportunities in the UK for high-end motorsport
31:29 Australian V8 Supercars and British touring cars
34:34 What happened after you finished your degree?
40:20 How do you mentally switch on for a hill climb run?
47:55 How do you improve at hill climb when track and car time is limited?
59:44 What are these hill climb cars based off?
1:02:28 Would a British hill climb car be competitive at Pikes Peak?
1:05:36 Pros and cons of turbocharging in these cars, different engine combinations
1:12:57 How do you set up suspension with your aero package for hill climb?
1:18:13 What is a heave spring and how does it work?
1:21:05 How and why the carbon monocoque?
1:35:10 How did you get involved with the McMurtry team?
1:41:08 How do you guess as a driver the level of grip available from the McMurtry fan system?

1200hp is nothing to sneeze at in a full-fat RB-powered Nissan R32 GT-R 'Godzilla', but it's outright wild in an SR20-powered 4wd Nissan pulsar GTi-R running 45 psi of boost! With the naming convention so close is this car worthy of the title 'Mini Godzilla?'

Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in

Owner Akin Uykun gave us some insight into this build, which features a lot of great work from the PowerTune team, including their adaptor kit that allows the use of a Holinger sequential designed for the Mitsubishi EVO platform.

Running a MoTeC electronics package, the SR20 has a VE head, and some of the issues with the DE/DET heads at this level are discussed along with the cylinder head sealing the dry deck Bullet Engineering billet block utilises. The difference between a dry vs wet block is also explained, along with some insight into the fuel setup.

A high performance Precision 72-75 turbocharger is used to make the bulk of the 1200hp, but nitrous is also use lower in the rev range to help with spooling and up top to add the last 200hp to the peak output.

Without a doubt, this is one of the fastest Pulars in Australia if not THE fastest, and if Akin manages to hit the low 8's in the future, a world record could even be possible, but he's not quite there yet.

Braking at 3g = approximately -105kph (-65mph) in 1 second.

Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in

Meet the RP968: A 1500hp capable beast that shattered the Sydney Motorsport Park lap record with a blistering 1:17.860, dominating WTAC for four straight years in the EMtron Pro class.

It takes the full package to smash an outright lap record, and that's what the RP968 has done with teams of clever people like Ashley Field of 909 Motorsport behind the scenes and Barton Mawer behind the wheel. Despite running a large capacity 4-cylinder engine and a 1500hp+ capable Thor billet block from Elmer Racing, amongst other performance goodies, the Bosch Motorsport ABS system that is there to reduce speed, not increase it, has been a key player in getting the lap times as low as possible on the day.

With a switch from the M4 to the M5 unit and more fine-tuning of brake pad compounds and spring rates, the team has gone from seeing 2g under braking to 3g, giving everything on and in the car (especially the driver) a huge workout.

To reach this level of performance takes more than just slapping on a 'big brake kit' and calling it good, however, and Ashley discusses some of the considerations that go into a high downforce car when it comes to trying to have braking performance at both high and low speed without bouncing or loss of traction.

Embarking on a big build with limited experience can be a disaster as the builder quickly finds themselves out of their depth — and while this scratch-built, tube-frame Pontiac Firebird Trans Am project wasn’t without its bumps in the road, builder Riley Stair has pulled it off incredibly well and learned a whole lot in the process.

Use “RILEY100” to get $100 Off HPA’s Fabrication Starter Package: https://hpcdmy.co/fabpackageb

Riley Stair had a unique journey towards cars. Before picking up a TIG torch or heading anywhere near a race circuit, he spent his days honing his craft as a professional BMX racer. 

It was only after one too many injuries on the bike that Riley decided it was time to stop racing and start building serious cars. Instead of following the usual route and enrolling in a trade school, he decided to dive in with both feet and build a vicious track car from scratch in what just might be the boldest hands-on learning exercise we’ve ever seen.

We start this episode by following Riley’s path towards starting his own business, RS Motorsport, and delve into his reasoning behind learning everything by doing. Riley came out the other side of this process as a great welder, fabricator, and builder of very cool cars. He also has a super-high-quality 1000hp, 10,000rpm, tube-frame Pontiac to show for it.

This conversation dives deep into a host of motorsport fabrication topics, discussing everything from TIG welding tips and tricks, to choosing the right material for your project, designing and building a tube frame chassis, and much more.

We also dig into the 1970 Firebird Trans Am build in detail, covering why Riley wanted to keep it NA, how he designed the pushrod suspension system and the mistakes that needed to happen so he could learn and improve.

As a one-man-band outfit, RS Motorsport has its limitations and challenges — so to finish up, Riley discusses the business side of the equation, talking about the hidden headaches of setting up and running a company offering services that are very much in demand.

Watch the interview with Carl Thompson here: https://youtu.be/9TIrPvG7iHM?si=Q75nyYJi5PC_r_EO

Follow Riley here:
IG: @riley_rsmotorsport
YT: RS Motorsport
WWW: rsmotorsportusa.com

Don’t forget, you can use “RILEY100” to get $100 Off HPA’s Fabrication Starter Package: https://hpcdmy.co/fabpackageb

Timestamps:
4:07 How did you develop an interest in cars?
6:41 What drew you towards road racing over drag racing?
9:09 Do you have any formal qualifications that relate to your business?
13:50 How did you learn to TIG weld?
16:23 Welding process for reactive metals, shielding gas
23:47 Accurate fit up when TIG welding
25:35 Materials for turbo manifolds pros and cons?
32:47 Using off-the-shelf merge collectors vs hand fabricating
34:31 Gas lenses and cups, what are they and how do they work?
40:12 What are the challenges with aluminium welding?
56:11 Pontiac Firebird build
1:11:11 How did you plan out the tube chassis?
1:17:05 Pushrod suspension
1:18:49 Why NA? And why the aim for 1000HP?
1:24:19 8 into 1 headers
1:27:42 What ECU is the Firebird running?
1:28:08 What happened when you got the car to the track?
133:58 What changes have been made since you got the car on track?
1:40:42 Challenges with RS Motorsport business
1:56:36 Are you using any 3D scanning or CAD in your fab work?
2:02:25 Final 3 questions

Don't waste time shifting gears.

Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in

The 1000hp capable Honda K24 in Mike Burroughs Stanceworks 244 GTK Ferrari build is useless without the ability to put power to the ground, and Scott Hilzinger of Haltech explains how the Haltech electronics system handles this via a Quaife 5-speed dog engagement gearbox.

This setup utilises a load cell gear knob and shift position sensor as well as other sensors on the car to give data on if the gear changing is optimal when it comes to keeping the car balanced and as fast as possible, with INCREASED reliability over manual gear shifts.

Also, why are 'pops and bangs' bad for an engine, and what can a tuner do to help avoid them to give some mechanical sympathy?