Tuned In
High Performance Academy
High Performance Academy Presents: Tuned In. A podcast interviewing influential people from around the world at the top of their respected fields. Covering topics such as Tuning, CAD, Performance Engine Building, Automotive/Motorsport Wiring, Data Analysis, Driver Coaching/Training, Motorsport Fabrication and Car Setup.
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Top 10 Tuned In Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Tuned In episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Tuned In for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Tuned In episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
09/05/23 • 13 min
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 @semashow. Build wise forged @MAHLEGroup pistons and @Lunatipower connecting rods are used along with @KingBearings engine bearings, ported LS3 head and aftermarket cams. The twin @BorgWarnerCorporate Airwerks S257 SX-E run around 13psi but there is room to go up to 20psi on occasion thanks in part to the use of an E50 flavoured ethanol fuel blend.
A @haltech Elite 2500 manages the engine with an I/O expander to increase sensor inputs for a well set up and nicely prioritised engine protection strategy. This Nissan is AWD with the use of a TR6060 mated to a transfer case from a Chevy Blazer which gave Stephen an easier job of using the likes of a Y62 Patrol rear diff with that rear end seeing 70% of the torque split.
The LS retains a wet sump, however, it has been modified and an Accusump is fitted for extra insurance and with essentially only @vikingperformance2574 Berserker coil-overs fitted there are plans to upgrade much of the suspension components in the future to remove excess compliance as well as a focus on weight reduction.
12/26/23 • 13 min
You might argue that it's not hard to build a better Ferrari than Ferrari could in the 80's, but good fabrication is only half the battle when it comes time to hit the race track and dial it all in on the international stage.
Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in
With very little stock Ferrari left, this 640hp at 14psi (1000hp capable future proofing included too 👌) could be expected to face some massive teething issues and hours upon hours of adjustments before a major motorsport event, but that is not how Mike Burroughs of StanceWorks rolls, nor does he need to after putting the hard yards into to logical and quality fabrication work over the last few years.
With a quick pad change to counter some brake bias issues, Mike was setting lap times out the gate, also thanks to time spent on the simulator pre event. This left the team free to make methodical, iterative changes over the weekend so Mike could chase his personal goal of continuous improvement remembering he is an expert fabricator, not Logan Sargent (which is a good thing in a way since it meant he didn't crash).
Mike and the crew did have some gearbox issues a while after this interview. It's all covered by some very polished content on the@stanceworks YT channel. It's well worth the watch.
What would be done differently if the clock could be reset and can we expect Mike back at the World Time Attack Challenge again?
08/31/23 • 95 min
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 sport, what the future of rally might look like, and much more.
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Born in a little town in the South Island of New Zealand, Hayden Paddon was introduced to the world of motorsport early thanks to his rally-driving father. Racing karts and rally events growing up, Hayden went from strength to strength before claiming the first of five national rally titles in 2008. Hayden then burst onto the world stage, becoming the PWRC world champion in 2011, and soon found his way into the big leagues with the factory Hyundai WRC team, claiming a hard-fought win in 2016’s Rally of Argentina.
For any driver outside of Europe to get a seat in a factory WRC team is impressive — let alone a round win. It sounds like a fairytale, but the reality is of course very different — it’s been far from all rainbows and unicorns, and Hayden opens up in this episode about just how hard the journey to the top is. And then staying there? Well that’s even harder still.
Hayden talks us through the various machinations, politics, and extreme levels of pressure at this elite level of motorsport — and this includes some really good advice around getting and, more importantly, keeping sponsors.
These days, when he’s not dominating the European Rally Championship, recently becoming the first non-European to win it, Hayden spends as much time back home in New Zealand as possible, developing his own take on the possible future of the sport in his Hyundai Kona EV rally weapon. Hayden breaks down the build, explaining how it all works and what advantages and disadvantages an electric vehicle has over the traditional ICE-powered rally car.
This episode provides a fantastic look inside the world of WRC, covering everything from the insane stress of leading a rally with a seven-time world champion only two seconds behind, to how a co-driver and driver relationship actually works, and much more.
*NOTE* At the time of recording, Hayden was yet to secure this year’s European Rally Championship.
Don’t forget, use “PADDON100” to get $100 OFF our HPA Track Day Package: https://hpcdmy.co/trackdayb
Follow Hayden here:
IG: @haydenpaddon
FB: Hayden Paddon
WWW: haydenpaddon.com
12/08/22 • 84 min
**We're spending a couple of weeks away from the microphone over the Christmas and New Year period. This means that although we won’t be publishing any new guest appearances until mid-January, we’re going to be bringing back some of our favourite older episodes that deserve another listen.**
3000HP+ 4 cylinder drag cars, EKanoo's World Record breaking 5-second door slammer, LMP3-turned-Pikes Peak hill climbers, 460mph++ land speeders, the list goes on and on, and this is only a portion of what Shane Tecklenburg, aka Shane T of TunedByShaneT is and has been involved with throughout his career.
Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in
Let's dive into some of this along with how his career really got rolling leading to his involvement in projects like this and so much more leading Shane to be one of the most passionate and pointed people we know in the industry.
Also discussed are some of the specific challenges of tuning a car to race at Pikes Peak international hill climb which see's competitors finishing at over 14,000ft. That's high enough for aircraft to require the use of oxygen in the cabin.
Want to learn how to EFI tune? Start with some free lessons right here: hpcdmy.co/efilesson
NOTE: Some scientists claim swearing can be a sign of intelligence, and if they used Shane as a subject we'd say they're right, so be warned Shane has a 'diverse' vocabulary that may be unsuitable if you're still convinced that your children will never hear such words or use swear words themselves 😅
01/26/23 • 97 min
After an extended break over the new year period, The HPA Tuned In podcast is back with our first guest for 2023 — the talented Devin Schultz of Boostin Performance.
Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in
Devin and his shop Boostin Performance are best known for their absolute mastery of the DSM world thanks to their ‘Red Demon’ Talon/Eclipse, which is currently the world’s fastest Mitsubishi, running as quick as a 6.97 @ 213mph.
This 2000hp car is capable of a 1.4 second 0-60 sprint, and is in fact the first 4WD four-cylinder to break into the sixes, anywhere in the world. Now, if you’ve been following this podcast for a while, you’re probably already aware of host Andre Simon’s passion for all things Mitsubishi 4G63, so as you might guess, this conversation between two 4G fanatics dives very deep into the Mitsubishi weeds to discuss these iconic four-cylinder engines in detail.
Time is spent talking through what’s involved in getting a 2000hp four-cylinder to run reliably and hold together pass after pass, as well as the pros and cons of billet blocks, big and small port heads, and solid-filling your block. Round that out with some discussion around turbo technology, slipper clutches, and nitrous strategy, and you’ve got plenty of tech-heavy info to dig into.
Devin also discusses how he built his business, his branching out into GT-Rs and Supras, and just how important it is to have a solid level of mechanical understanding to back up your tuning career.
It doesn’t really matter if you’re a Mitsubishi fan or not, this episode is full of interesting engine-building and tuning yarns that are well worth the listen.
Follow Boostin Performance here:
IG: @Boostin Performance
FB: @Boostin Performance
YT: Boostin Performance
WWW: shop.boostinperformance.com
Want to learn how to tune EFI? Start here instantly, and for free: https://hpcdmy.co/tuneb
02/02/23 • 111 min
This week, powertrain performance and race data engineer Chloé Lerin joins the podcast from snowy Milwaukee to give us a little insight into something we’ve never covered before — motorcycle engine development and data analysis.
Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in
During the week, Chloé works as a combustion engineer for Harley Davidson, while on the weekend she moonlights as an Aimsport analysis specialist/data engineer for various teams competing in the MotoAmerica championship.
Chloé took the route of education in her career, so we first look into her path towards a master's degree in combustion engineering and how that has affected her career as she went off to work for big equipment manufacturers like John Deere and Cummins. This eventually lead to her current role at Harley Davidson, and it’s here that we’re able to dig deep into the motorcycle engine development world — there’s probably quite a lot of information here that’ll surprise you, especially when it comes to the perception of Harley Davidson versus the engineering reality.
The conversation gets pretty deep in the weeds when discussing the very fine points of combustion characteristics, knock avoidance, and cam phase control, but to counter that Chloe also answers some very basic questions like; why do Harleys sound like that, and just why do they have to be so damn loud?
The latter half of the episode is all about motorsport — Chloe is currently building her own Yamaha R6 race bike and has long been heading to track days, which is where she began working with Aimsport as a data engineer for privateer teams in the MotoAmerica championship. There’s some really interesting insight to be found here as Chloe discusses the differences between motorcycle and car data acquisition — some obvious, and some that you might never have thought of.
You may or may not have an interest in bikes — either way, the engineering is all relevant and the knowledge that Chloe drops in this episode is well worth taking in.
Follow Chloé here:
IG: @enginerdissima, @unicornium_engineering
Want to start your own data acquisition journey? Check this out: https://hpcdmy.co/datab
05/09/24 • 128 min
If you’ve spent any time on YouTube, you’re probably already aware of this episode’s guest and the various projects his channel is involved in — most famously “Project Binky”, a classic Mini running a Toyota Celica GT-Four engine and AWD driveline.
Richard Brunning from Bad Obsession Motorsport joins us to down a few cups of tea, talk motorsport, and run through the ins and outs of neverending project cars, the business of operating a popular automotive YouTube channel, and much more.
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Richard, like many guests of this podcast, has his father to blame for his motorsport obsession. Some of his earliest memories involve hanging out in old sheds while his Dad restored vintage vehicles, tickling up RC cars to get the edge in racing, and days spent on the couch watching Formula 1.
This early focus on all things automotive drove Richard towards a life that revolved around motorsport, first starting out in kart racing, before moving on to Caterhams, formula cars, and even some Formula Mazda racing in the States. In this episode, Richard spends time talking us through these different forms of motorsport, and discusses how each type of vehicle could be set up, tweaked, and modified within the rules in order to gain more speed.
Eventually, Richard’s good friend and eventual partner in crime, Nik Blackhurst, enticed Richard back to the UK to help him go rallying, and it was at this point, way back in 1992, that Bad Obsession Motorsport began.
Fast forward a good few years, and Richard and Nick were fed up with the car modification TV shows like Pimp My Ride, Monster Garage, and their contemporaries that were on offer at the time — none of them actually showed why and how any of the work was done. This got the pair thinking that they might be able to do better, and with that goal in mind, the Bad Obsession Motorsport YouTube channel was founded.
It took a couple of years, but Richard and Nick’s channel began picking up steam, not in small part thanks to “Project Binky”, a Toyota Celica GT-4 powered and driven classic Mini. Richard dives deep into this build, answering our burning questions — chiefly ‘Why’? But also “What’s taking so long”?
This in-depth discussion around the challenges of fitting so much engine and driveline into such a small package is a great look into what it takes to complete a complicated project to a high standard. Lastly, we also spare some time time to touch on the joys of motorsport wiring, ultra-budget racing in the City Car Cup, and making a living out of building cars on YouTube.
Follow Bad Obsession Motorsport here:
IG: @badobsessionmsp
FB: Bad Obsession Motorsport
YT: Bad Obsession Motorsport
WWW: badobsessionmotorsport.co.uk
Don’t forget, you can use “BAD100” to get $100 OFF our HPA Motorsport Fabrication Package: https://hpcdmy.co/fabpackageb
Timestamps:
4:04 How did you develop an interest in cars?
7:00 Did you learn anything from racing RC cars that could transfer to driving a go-kart?
8:10 How was your experience driving karts?
17:46 What is it about karts that makes it such a good learning platform for racing?
22:53 What is a cost-effective way to get into racing?
25:26 What other motorsports have you been involved in?
32:49 Transition from racing to Bad Obsession Motorsport
36:23 Automotive skill set before starting Bad Obsession Motorsport?
40:20 What were you thinking when you decided to start a YouTub
03/08/22 • 13 min
With a 6.921s at 200mph run at Texas 2K19, this alleged 2500HP 2JZ-powered 1995 Supra easily caught our attention.
Jay Meagher of Real Street Performance gives Andre Simon the goods on this build, including the fact that although data etc has indicated the car is pushing 2500HP, he believes it is closer to 2200 or 2300HP. No matter that number, the car is a performer and with owner Geo Castillo peddling the team took out the 2JZ elimination class at TX2K.
Want to learn how to EFI tune? Start with some free lessons right here: hpcdmy.co/efilesson
The MoTeC M150 controlled 3.2L 2jz has had ‘a bit of a tune up’ and is running a Brian Crower crank, RNR aluminium connecting rods, CP-Carrillo pistons, King Racing bearings all within a billet block. Up the top is a Mazworx CNC cylinder head, Supertech valve train, GSC Power Division R1 cam, and a 2 stage NOS system that helps the Precision Pro Mod 88 XPR turbocharger hit the desired boost level for launch, and depending on the track conditions can give some extra power. Fuelling is taken care of by 12 x Injector Dynamics ID1700x injectors and a Weldon pump.
Jay talks about some of the changes the car has undergone in order to shoot for 6 second passes instead of 7’s, and how even just shaving a few 10ths of a second off a run can require some massive engine and setup work behind the scenes. He also tells us why the car runs a M&M built TH400 auto with ProTorque converter instead of a manual transmission.
06/16/22 • 102 min
You've seen him roasting tyres on Netflix, swinging wrenches on Donut Media's HiLow series, and smashing out laps in Formula D competition, and now Aaron Parker is here and ready to talk rotary engines, motorsport wiring, and a whole lot more on this week's episode of the HPA Tuned In podcast.
Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in
Aaron Parker will be a name and face known to many listeners thanks to his high-profile gigs in the industry — he's more than just a media personality though. Aaron has a wealth of experience and a whole lot of knowledge in the automotive space, particularly when it comes to Mazda's rotary engine and professional motorsport wiring.
Aaron and Tuned In host Andre Simon jump straight into Aaron's rise through the industry, beginning with his danger-soaked early obsession with street bikes and eventual progression onto four wheels — the rotary-powered Mazda FD3S RX-7 in particular.
Everything rotary then takes over the conversation, covering why these unique motors have such a shaky reputation for reliability, how you can build one properly and have it last for years' worth of hard driving, why rotary tuning and turbo selection needs to be approached differently, and plenty more.
When he's not building cars on the internet, competing in drift competitions in his RX-7, or stunt driving in Hollywood productions, Aaron spends his time running Wolf Motorsport Wire, providing high-end motorsport wiring solutions for some of the fastest cars on the planet.
Aaron and Andre get deep into the ins and outs of the motorsport wiring world, discussing future proofing, providing a service that keeps customers happy, and what makes a good wiring job in motorsport.
There's a lot to chew on in this episode — it's well worth a listen, especially if you think rotaries are garbage.
You can follow Aaron here:
IG: @aaparker.300, @wolfmotorsportswire
YT: Aaron Parker
As mentioned in the podcast, the Stephan Papadakis episode can be found here: https://hpcdmy.co/papadakis
Want to learn more about motorsport wiring? Claim your spot for the next FREE lesson: https://hpcdmy.co/wireb
12/03/24 • 17 min
Suspension dampers (aka shocks) are well-established products, so in this day and age, surely anything you get off the shelf from a high-end brand should be ready to roll, right? Wrong.
Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in
Andre Nader of DNA Autosport & Modal Suspension explains some of the variances that generic off-the-shelf products, no matter the price, must operate within compared to dialling in custom bespoke suspension for your car, tyre choice and driving style.
He runs through some key points around ride/suspension frequency and its relationship to spring rates, as well as what a driver might be looking for in order to know that his damper setup is sub-optimal, which includes hopping or skipping on the surface of the race track and instability under braking.
Why remote reservoirs are used, how a 'safe' car balance isn't necessarily fast and how trying to cover up the poor suspension with extreme alignment/setup changes is a slippery slope is also explained.
TIME STAMPS:
0:00 - Dampers: Omitted Performance?
0:25 - Andre Nader - DNA Autosport
0:38 - Why A Bespoke Damper?
1:10 - Race Suspension
1:34 - Window Of Performance
2:30 - Chasing Tyre Performance
3:20 - Issues To Look For
4:20 - Spring Rate Selection
5:16 - Ride Frequency
6:01 - Tyre Temperature Data
7:05 - Alignment Vs Springs & Dampening
8:18 - Car Balance Vs Spring Rate
9:26 - Ride Frequency Calculation
10:05 - Modal Damper Construction
11:01 - McPherson Strut Vs Multilink
11:43 - Compression And Rebound
13:21 - Why? - External Reservoirs
14:40 - Lap Time Gains: Off The Shelf Vs Custom
15:32 - Where To Spend Your Money?
16:22 - Modal Suspension
16:44 - BUILD.TUNE.DRIVE
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FAQ
How many episodes does Tuned In have?
Tuned In currently has 312 episodes available.
What topics does Tuned In cover?
The podcast is about Leisure, Motorsport, Performance, Courses, Podcasts, Automotive, Education and Racing.
What is the most popular episode on Tuned In?
The episode title 'Field Report: Swapping a Ferrari engine into a GT86' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Tuned In?
The average episode length on Tuned In is 54 minutes.
How often are episodes of Tuned In released?
Episodes of Tuned In are typically released every 5 days.
When was the first episode of Tuned In?
The first episode of Tuned In was released on Aug 5, 2021.
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