Tuned In

Solder Vs Crimping, PDM feasibility, documentation, and Mil-Spec vs Autosport connectors, this interview has it all.

Cody Philips spared a bit of time for Andre and the team at TX2K to run through a large range of topics relating to his career, best practices when it comes to professional level motorsport wiring, materials and a few details on what he has done to his own 2000 odd horsepower, 7 second 2JZ powered JZA80 Supra.

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

On this week's episode of High Performance Academy's Tuned In podcast, we've managed to pin down John from John Reed Racing. John isn't big on attention and prefers to let his work do the talking, so we're very thankful he's taken the time to speak with us.

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

These days, its getting harder and harder to simply replace your factory ECU with an aftermarket standalone unit due to the complexity of modern automotive systems, and this is where John comes in. John is one of Motec's biggest and best developers of custom firmware packages for different vehicles, for the M1 platform — if you don't know what that is, then listen on because we'll be diving deep into the subject.

Want to learn how to EFI tune? Start with some free lessons right here: hpcdmy.co/efilesson

John is also known for his work in many high profile builds, including the Underground Racing Lamborghini and Audi projects, as well as Ryan Tuerck's incredible Judd V10-powered A90 Toyota Supra. He breaks down what's involved in these mega builds, and goes into detail on tuning the absolutely ear-shattering V10 Judd motor — truly a bucket list job for any tuner.

In this Field Report direct from the pits at Pike's Peak, Andre sits down with David Rowe from EPS, also known as Electronic Performance Systems, to discuss the path to become a professional aftermarket tuner.

Considering that there are currently no university qualifications or industry-recognised standards to follow, this is a very important subject for a lot of people. 

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

On this week's episode of High Performance Academy's 'Tuned In' podcast, we chase down the ever-busy Joel Vincze of Race Spec in New York to talk all things motorsport wiring.

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

Joel spends his days building wiring harnesses for some of the fastest vehicles in the world, and is a long-time friend of HPA. When it comes to high-performance automotive wiring, Race Spec is one of the most trusted names in the business. In this revealing chat with Andre, Joel talks us through his self-taught rise in the industry and discusses how things like Instagram, hashtags, and buzzwords have rapidly changed the game — for better and for worse.

Want to learn more about motorsport wiring? Claim your spot to the next FREE lesson: hpcdmy.co/wiringlessonf

What exactly is 'milspec wiring'? Is concentric twisting a waste of time? Should you solder or crimp? Answers to these questions and many more can be found inside this week's episode of Tuned In featuring Race Spec's Joel Vincze. 

4G63 vs 4B11, best turbo back pressure ratio, and is the biggest turbo you can fit the best? Let's find out!

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

Running 1170HP, 680 ft-lbs of torque and in excess of 53 PSI of boost, the English Racing Mitsubishi EVO X is pushing the boundaries and leading the pack to be the fastest Mitsubishi Evolution X in the world. Driver Myles Kerr discusses some of the challenges that come with pioneering a newer platform and where he sees the 4B11 being superior to the proven but now dated 4G63 power plant. Despite what a lot of people think, it does take more than just a healthy bank account to get this done 🤓

Although we like to think of ourselves as a fairly capable bunch, we're certainly not above fanboying over some of the incredible builds and the people behind them that can be found out there on the internet. One example is Josh Valman and his incredible Alfa Romeo unlimited hillclimb build, which can be found on Instagram at @motorsport_engineering.

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

Josh and Andre sit down to talk about the absolutely insane Alfa build, which runs an 850hp twin-turbo Hayabusa V8 from Hartley Engines – the amount of actual Alfa parts can be counted on one hand, which gives you an idea for just how intense this car is.

Although Josh has no specific motorsport training – in fact, this is the first car he's ever built – he has an extensive engineering background that stretches back to his tween years when he was a contestant on the Battlebots TV show. This goes a long long way in explaining just why the Alfa build is so intensely built and well designed.

Want to learn more about motorsport wiring? Claim your spot to the next FREE lesson: hpcdmy.co/wiringlessonf

Andre and Josh also discuss the pros and cons of CAD and FEA, the importance of failure in the learning process, and much more. This would have to be one of our favourite episodes yet, so if you're interested in engineering and automotive design, as well as motorsport electronics and data, then this is the perfect episode for you.

With teams now pushing 100PSI of boost to hit power levels of 3200HP and more from existing setups, we’re excited to see what Bullet Race Engineerings new RB hybrid block can do.

Darren Palumbo is no stranger to Nissan RB26’s, RB30’s or Toyota 2JZ engines with Bullet Race Engineering having produced billet blocks for each many times over the years and using this knowledge the team has gone one step further to try and remove some of the weaknesses holding the RB back, specifically the crankshaft.

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

On this week's episode of High Performance Academy's Tuned In podcast, long-time friend of HPA, Mike McGinnis, settles in for an hour's worth of high-quality, knowledge-filled tuning banter with our resident nerd Andre Simon.

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

Mike has been around the traps for a good few years now, and has become one of the world's top brains when it comes to both reflashing stock ECUs and aftermarket ECU tuning. Mike is currently occupied as chief calibration engineer for a top reflashing platform.

Want to learn how to EFI tune? Start with some free lessons right here: hpcdmy.co/efilesson

Mike and Andre get deep into the weeds in this one, starting with Mike's development path and all its twists and turns, that got him to where he is today.  The pair also spend time trying to answer the often-asked question — should I reflash the stock ECU, or should I go standalone aftermarket? This is a big and complicated subject, and there's a whole lot of grey area, overlap, other factors to consider, but Mike and Andre do their best to clear it up. 

Along with a discussion about just how quickly the reflashing industry has progressed with what's possible now and much, much more, this episode is jam-packed with useful information for anyone interested in tuning.

On this episode of High Performance Academy's Tuned In podcast, we sit down with AWA Racing's team owner and race engineer, Andrew Wojteczko.

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

Andrew has been in the circuit racing scene for many years and more recently stepped out from the driver's seat to dedicate himself to running and engineering his own team. AWA Racing currently competes in the IMSA GT4 class running a McLaren 570S GT4.

Andrew talks us through the ins and outs of the sport, as well as the lengths he needs to go to in order to get the absolute most out of a factory-built and very restricted race car. There is, as Andrew says, a lot to be said for how these tight restrictions tend to push engineers to become much more creative in the pursuit of speed. The important and often misunderstood role of bump stops when it comes to suspension tuning is also discussed in detail.

Interested in learning how to do your own wheel alignment for the track or street? Start with a free alignment & suspension 101 lesson now: hpcdmy.co/alignmentf

This podcast is perfect ear fodder for those listeners who want to know exactly how racing at this higher level works and is perhaps looking to something useful to take away and use in their own race programs. 

If you have even a passing interest in fast Mitsubishis, you've probably heard of English Racing – few names hold as much weight when it comes to getting the absolute most out of the 4G63 and 4B11 engine platforms. In this episode of High Performance Academy's 'Tuned In' podcast, Andre is very much in his element as he sits down for a satisfyingly-nerdy chat with English Racing's Lucas English.

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

Lucas has a huge amount of experience in the tuning world, and you'll find some absolute gems sprinkled throughout this episode – covering everything from the usefulness of billet blocks in a fast Mitsubishi, to what it takes to run a seven-second Evo, and settling the age old rivalry between 4G63 and 4B11 engines.

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While you might already have a decent idea about what's involved in getting an all-wheel-drive drag car off the line quickly, Andre and Lucas dive deep into the subject, delving into some of the fascinating strategies around throttle, boost, and clutch management that are needed when you're running at the very pointy end of the sport. This, and much, much more can be found in today's episode of HPA's Tuned In.