Field Report: Is Sim Racing A WASTE OF TIME?

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?

Previous Episode

Field Report: Too much BOOST for your engine block? This MIGHT be a solution.

The factory design of engine blocks did not anticipate the extreme boost pressures we see today, often struggling to even handle 15 psi let alone 100 psi or more which many are pushing down the drag strip. Fortunately, there are aftermarket modifications available that allow us to push the limits without the risk of splitting our engine blocks in half.
Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in
Modern engine builds now achieve power levels that were unimaginable not long ago, especially in small 4-cylinder applications, with boost pressures exceeding 100 psi. Products like Darton Sleeves have turned this once-unbelievable potential into reality.
John Catapang from @DartonSleeves1 answers our questions regarding the limitations of OEM sleeves and how their MID sleeves and improved fitment have addressed these issues. He also discusses the importance of precision machining and selecting a knowledgeable company, as a bad one certainly won't foot the bill for replacing your entire engine if they overpromise and underdeliver. Make sure to do your due diligence and choose a reputable company capable of delivering repeatable results.

Next Episode

Revisited: Is Toyota’s 4A-GE Worthy of its Legendary Status?

**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.**
The 2JZ-GTE isn’t Toyota’s only iconic tuner engine — before the famous straight six was anywhere near production-ready, enthusiasts and racers were already years deep into the development of the venerable 1600cc four-cylinder 4A-GE. In this episode, we sit down with Matt Trevena of MT Performance Engines to discuss everything Toyota 4A-GE, engine building, and much more.
Use “MTPERFORMANCE50” for 50% off our HPA Engine Building Fundamentals course here: https://hpcdmy.co/enginebuild
As a teenager, Matt Trevena fell in love with a neighbour’s 4A-GE powered KE70, and that exposure, combined with a healthy dose of Initial D, started Matt on a path that would shape his entire career, culminating in where it is today, building some of the most hardcore 4A-GEs around — including a genuine holy-grail Formula Atlantic motor.
Matt spent the first few years of his career building everything from lawnmower engines to massive car-sized 16-cylinder train engines before jumping on board with Sydney’s Maatouk’s Racing to put together big-power RBs and everything else in between. Now running his own performance engine building company, Matt has become the go-to guy when it comes to hardcore Japanese motors — but especially the Toyota 4A-GE.
As you probably already guessed, this episode goes way deep into the weeds on all things 4A-GE, covering the differences between the available variants, the best combinations of parts and generations, how to extract the most power, revs, and longevity out of them, as well as a deep dive into the ultimate 4A-GE — the Formula Atlantic motor.
This conversation also covers plenty of general performance engine building information, so even if this classic Toyota motor isn’t of particular interest to you, the knowledge found in this episode makes it a must-listen for any self-respecting enthusiast.
Follow MT Performance Engines here:
IG: @mtperformanceengines
FB: MT Performance Engines
YT: 199niko199
Don’t forget, use “MTPERFORMANCE50” for 50% off our HPA Engine Building Fundamentals course here: https://hpcdmy.co/enginebuild

Tuned In - Field Report: Is Sim Racing A WASTE OF TIME?

Transcript

Speaker 100:00:00.401

One of the standout cars that I was really looking forward to catching up with here World Time Attack Challenge 2023 , is Mike Burrow's Ferrari . There's Honda powered Ferrari specifically

Speaker 100:00:18.179

Welcome to High Performance Academy's tuned in field report podcast series . In these special midweek episodes , we look back through our archives to find