Tuned In

Have you ever caught yourself daydreaming about making your own bespoke engine — something completely new, that makes big power, and sounds like heaven. No? Maybe that's just us then. Either way, we were excited to sit down with this week's guest, as he's one of the few people out there that has taken the leap and turned his daydreams into reality.

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

Craig Williams is the brains behind the much-hyped Neutron Engines, and on this episode of High Performance Academy's 'Tuned In' podcast, the mechanical engineer sits down with Andre to dive into his fascinating world. Craig takes us through all the whats, whys, hows, and whens of his bespoke engine design, which is essentially two Honda K24s mated together to create a 750hp, 10,000rpm, flat-plane crank, 4.8 litre V8 in naturally aspirated form — with upwards of 1500hp possible when adding forced induction into the mix.

Learn more about Performance Engine Building by coming along to the next FREE lesson: hpcdmy.co/enginebuildingf

Craig also discusses how someone actually kicks off a major project like this,  starting with a blank piece of paper, through to designing in Fusion 360, to actually creating and prototyping every single part. There's plenty of technical nuggets to uncover here, so this episode is going to be perfect for any listeners with an interest in the internal workings of an engine, as well as how an engine is designed and the challenges that need to be overcome before being put into production.

In this fascinating episode of High Performance Academy's Tuned In podcast, we head off on a real tangent as America's Cup electrical engineer Peter Knight — a member of this year's winning Emirates Team New Zealand syndicate — drops by the studio to give us some insight into the high-stakes world of top-tier boat racing.

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

While motorsport is more our speed, we were blown away by Peter's insight into this big-money racing arena. We take a look at the parallels between the two worlds when it comes to the wiring, data logging, and aerodynamics, as well as the big differences. How do you accurately measure velocity, for example, when the "track" you're racing on is moving and has a speed and direction of its own?

Peter also gives us a really interesting look into how these jaw-dropping hydrofoils actually work, and how the incredible speeds — up to three times the actual windspeed and magnitudes faster than the previous generation of Americas Cup's boats -—are achieved.

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

To wrap up, Peter talks about how data can be used to improve the tactics and strategies when racing, as well as his own climb up through the ranks in the sailing world, dealing with sensitive electronics in some extremely challenging environments, and finally rebuilding and rewiring an entire boat overnight after a catastrophic near-sinking. 

All this and much more can be found inside this unique episode of High Performance Academy Tuned In podcast.

Plenty of people in the industry think that blowing up engines and destroying parts is an essential and unavoidable aspect of the learning process when it comes to tuning, but is that really the case? In this episode of High Performance Academy's Tuned In podcast, Andre sits down with Haltech's Scott Hilzinger to answer that question, and much, much more.

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

Sydney-based Hilzinger discusses his first DOS-based forays into tuning as a teenager, as well as leaving that stone age behind over the next 20 years through helping to build and develop Haltech ECUs into one of the best options out there in the market.

Scott and Andre also talk about life at the sharp end of the field when dealing with extremely high horsepower builds and the different strategies and considerations that need to be kept in mind once you start pushing 3000, 4000, and even 5000hp. At this level, it's not even so much about making the power, it's about managing that power to ensure the car makes it to the finish line in one piece.

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

The pair also discuss the most common mistakes and questions that Scott always gets from his customers, as well as how you can avoid them with a little thought and commonsense.  Scott really knows his stuff – knowledge that's been hard-earned over 20 years spent tuning, developing, and building engine management technology with Haltech. 

Trial and error, wheels-up launches, and tuning in the stone age – all this and plenty more in this episode of High Performance Academy's Tuned In podcast with Australian tuning legend Scott Hilzinger. 

This week's High Performance Academy 'Tuned In' episode is all about big boost, big launches, and even bigger power figures as we sit down for an in-depth chat with T1 Race Development's Tony Palo.

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

Self-taught and always learning by doing, T1 Race Development's Tony Palo is a long-time industry veteran that has spent years pushing the limits of just what's possible in the import drag racing scene. Over the last decade, Tony has narrowed his focus on the venerable Nissan R35 platform, and now runs some of the fastest GTRs in the world.  

In this episode, Tony talks to Andre about getting his start in the tuning world and his initial dealings with "fast" Hondas during a time when going quicker largely meant a process of trial and error. These days, things are a lot more precise, and the pair discuss the many advances that the industry has seen over the last decade that have allowed tuners like Tony to push the boundaries of just what's possible.

Learn more about Performance Engine Building by coming along to the next FREE lesson: hpcdmy.co/enginebuildingf

When it comes to R35s, Tony really knows his stuff — something that's immediately obvious as this episode progresses. Massive turbos, billet VR blocks, pushing way past 2500hp, and the lessons that have been learnt along the way are all discussed in detail. 

This week's instalment of Tuned In is all about life on the bleeding edge, and it's a wild ride.

What does a team need to do to take a complete open-wheeler rookie and prepare them for one of the world's most competitive race series? How does anyone even get a job working in a top-tier race series like IndyCar, and do Chevrolet or Honda even actually let teams make any changes to the engine tune?  Listen to this week's 'HPA Tuned In' podcast for answers to these questions and much, much more.

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

From humble beginnings at the bottom of the world, data engineer Malcolm Finch has quickly climbed up the ranks and now finds himself working as a data engineer for one of the world's premier motorsport outfits, Team Penske.

In this episode, Malcolm talks us through the world of IndyCar racing. We discuss the kind of testing and precision that's needed to win at famous circuits like Tallageda, Road Atlanta, and of course — the holy grail — Indianapolis. Malcolm explains how the three very different styles of track — oval, road course, and street — found in the IndyCar series are approached from a data engineer's perspective, as well as fuel strategies, what can and can't be changed on an IndyCar, and exactly how a big team like Team Penske operates throughout the season.

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

Malcolm also talks us through his rise in the industry from a university graduate in New Zealand to running one of Team Penske's incredible cars in the States. Seven-post rigs, weight-jacking, and wickers — it's all covered and explained. This podcast is going to drastically expand your knowledge base when it comes to high-level motorsport, data analysis, aerodynamics, and much more.

Obsidian Motorsport's Sander Marques is one of the smartest people we've ever met in the motorsport industry. In this week's HPA Tuned In podcast, the long-time tuner and MoTec guru sits down with Andre to talk about how he got to where he is now, what's changed through the years, as well as some of the mistakes he's made along the way.   

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

Sander provides some interesting insight into what you do and don't need to know to begin tuning from his perspective, and why having a good understanding of the mechanical side of a vehicle is so important if you want to become a good, well-rounded tuner. Sander also spends time discussing some of the cooler projects he's been involved with, in particular BBI Autosport's Pikes Peak class-winning twin-turbo Porsche 911 GT3  hill climb car, which was not only tuned remotely but also without a dyno.

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

For the nerdier listeners, Sander and Andre also get deep into the ins and outs of MoTeC's powerful M1 Build software and discuss how properly understanding it can unlock huge potential for the switched-on tuner. VE tables, torque curves, and a whole lot of tuning geekery are the flavour of the day for this episode, so if that sounds like a bit of you, get settled in for a big healthy dump of knowledge from one of the best. 

What does it take to run multiple cars at some of the world's toughest endurance races? Is the life of a top-tier race engineer as glamorous as it all seems? And what's the difference between GT3 and GTE classes anyway? Listen to this week's 'HPA Tuned In' podcast to find out.

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

Race Engineer Arne Peeters has spent the better part of the last decade working across Europe and North America for both OEMs and race teams alike, all in the never-ending hunt for more performance and better results. In this episode of HPA's 'Tuned In' we discuss how Arne set his career in motion, his time spent perfecting OEM vehicles for the mass market, and the many intricacies and challenges involved with running teams in endurance racing across the world.

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

We also spend time talking about the big gap between amateur drivers and true professionals, and how important it is that a racecar's setup accurately reflect a driver's skill level — something that can be quite challenging when you have people of different abilities on the same team. The importance of understanding and making the most of aerodynamics is also delved into, as well as thoughts on achieving the perfect car balance, the compromises that need to be made to have a career in top-tier motorsport, and plenty more.

How should I learn how to tune? Do you need to be a mechanic to be the best EFI tuner? Let's find out.

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

Chris Wall of Prestige Tuning and Motorsport is easily one of New Zealand's leading, and busiest, EFI Tuners. In this episode of HPA's 'Tuned In' we're going to talk about how he got started with tuning, his time working with Andre at STM (the tuning shop from which HPA was born) along with insight into how to get started, and more importantly how to be the best tuner you can.

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

Some other topics also discussed in this in-depth episode focus around Chris's trackside support role he offers to some customers, how he guides customers to make the best choices they can for their ECU and tuning upgrades for their application, when reflash tuning is better than fitting an aftermarket ECU, the future of reflash tuning, what motorsport disciples are the hardest on gear and much much more than we can fit in a description, so have a listen.

What are some of the BEST 'bang for buck' modifications you can do to your car gain performance and improve your lap times?

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

In this episode of  Tuned In, Andre & Tim are talking to Grant Hosking from Honed Developments about their the technical skills and desire to develop specialist components for various Honda vehicles with a focus on the 90s models.

Topics discussed are the reason why Honed was created and the philosophy behind what parts Honed decided to make. The biggest errors people make when modifying cars and what can actually prove to be the biggest gains with modifications.

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

Another key point discussed is the approach of tuning car setups for the track vs the road and what the biggest compromises that need to be considered are.

Finding the perfect ECU is hard, but not when you're Scott Kuhner who instead of settling for compromises decided to create & build the EMtron ECU platform himself instead.

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

Andre and Tim dive into  a bit of history on EMtron, why Scott wanted to create his own ECU and what is the process to do so was, along with the experience/knowledge he had before starting plus what he's learnt along the way.

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

Also talked about is what goes into developing an industry leading ECU, what functions EMtron is bringing to the aftermarket world such as 'Geo Fencing' and 'Throttle Mass Flow'. Scott also gives us insight into the future for EMtron, what sort of development path is the ECU brand heading towards and what potential new products are in the pipeline.