237 episodes

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.

Tuned In High Performance Academy

    • Leisure
    • 4.9 • 104 Ratings

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.

    109: Is Ford's Coyote Better Than GM's LS?

    109: Is Ford's Coyote Better Than GM's LS?

    The Snot Rocket is here! This week on Tuned In, we welcome Brett Lasala, the owner, builder, and driver of 2024’s Sick Week-winning Mustang, Snot Rocket. In this episode, we find out what it takes to secure the outright win at a drive-and-drag competition like Sick Week, how he’s extracted over 3000hp from his Coyote V8, why he prefers Ford machinery, and a whole lot more.

    Use “BRETT50” to get 50% OFF our HPA Practical Engine Building Course: https://hpcdmy.co/practicalengineb

    Ever since trading an old washing machine for his first car as a teenager, Brett Lasala has been obsessed with making vehicles go faster. This led to a lifelong career in the automotive industry, first learning the ropes through local shops, then becoming an accomplished Mercedes Benz tech specialising in AMG products, to then moving full time into the aftermarket space working with legendary companies like Real Street.

    Over that time, Brett has absorbed the knowledge of everyone around him, and is now in a position where he’s able to perform much of the work himself — although with that said, the level of success this car has seen is only possible thanks to the wealth of talent found in the other members of the team.

    In this conversation, we first discuss drive and drag events like Sick Week, and the unique challenges in tuning, engine building, and setup that a brutal day-after-day race and road trip presents. Competing is one thing — but winning outright is a whole different ball game entirely.

    This brings us to Brett’s well-known ‘Snot Rocket’ bright green Ford Mustang. We dive deep into the build, discussing its beginnings all the way through to its current state as a consistent low six-second pass twin-turbo monster. Powered by Ford’s Coyote motor, the Snot Rocket has allowed Brett to really get to know everything there is to know about the 5.0-litre DOHC V8.

    In this conversation, Brett is kind enough to share some of that knowledge with us, discussing the motor’s strengths and weaknesses, how to get good results from them, and if they’re actually better than GM’s ubiquitous rival motor, the LS.

    With conversations around engine and transmission tuning strategies, CO2-regulated boost control, and much more, this episode is jam-packed with quality information!

    Follow Brett here:
    IG: @brett_lasala
    YT: Brett Lasala
    WWW: brettlasala.com

    Don’t forget, you can use “BRETT50” to get 50% OFF our HPA Practical Engine Building Course: https://hpcdmy.co/practicalengineb

    Timestamps:
    4:44 How did you develop an interest in cars?
    9:00 Where did the passion for drag racing come from?
    10:26 Have you got any formal qualifications?
    13:03 Spinning spanners on modern vehicles?
    15:02 Fabrication skills?
    18:21 What was your position at Real Street?
    22:05 What is a Drag and Drive event?
    26:15 Overview of original car
    29:15 Why did you start from fresh rather than further modifying the original car?
    32:15 Why turbos over supercharger?
    33:34 Coyote vs LS3? Pros and cons.
    34:36 What have you done to the Coyote engine?
    47:59 What’s your head gasket sealing solution?
    56:25 Do you think you’ll need to move to a billet block?
    1:00:01 What is the electronics package in the car?
    1:08:22 What is DA in Drag Racing?
    1:11:03 How does your wheelie detection work?
    1:18:06 How has moving up turbo sizes affected drivability?
    1:22:25 Are you using traction control?
    1:27:43 Transmission
    1:32:20 How much faster would the car be if it was a dedicated drag car?
    1:36:35 Final 3 questions

    • 1 hr 47 min
    Field Report: Why Stock Brakes Suck & How To Fix Them.

    Field Report: Why Stock Brakes Suck & How To Fix Them.

    Numbers like ‘1000HP’ and ‘100 PSI of boost’ catch our attention the most when it comes to motorsport builds as we can easily understand what they mean, but brake setups, while being equally if not more important, take a backstage role by comparison. For most, admittedly, it is much harder to get excited about figures or terms like ‘380mm’ and ‘staggered-piston design’, at least it is until you understand what it all means...

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

    In this interview with Phil Stubbs of Alcon Brakes, we’re going to take a look at why stock brakes on a production-turned-race car are terrible on track and what aspects you need to consider when looking to bin your OEM discs and calipers for something more effective.

    Slots and gloves plus caliper and disc size in relation to braking performance are discussed along with airflow requirements, where sliding calipers braided brake lines sit when it comes to brake feel, plus on the other end of the spectrum what carbon-carbon brakes are vs carbon ceramic and what their weaknesses are compared to cast iron.

    What is actually happening when you are bedding your brakes and the importance of doing that process correctly is also touched on, along with how in the motorsport world, companies like Alcon and similar offer pre-bedded brake packages, which save race teams time and potential inconsistency of doing it themselves on a race weekend when they should be focused on car setup and increasing driver confidence.

    • 13 min
    Field Report: Why Don't Pro Race Cars Use Brake Boosters?

    Field Report: Why Don't Pro Race Cars Use Brake Boosters?

    Why don't race cars use brake boosters and does your master cylinder size really matter all that much compared to your brake caliper sizing?

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

    In this video, we talk to Kirk from Tilton Engineering about the importance of creating a perfectly balanced braking system for your motorsport vehicle. He discusses the differences between tandem master cylinders and dual master cylinders, the importance of pedal ratio, and how to size your master cylinders and calipers correctly.

    Key takeaways:

    - Dual master cylinders are typically used in motorsport vehicles because they provide better brake balance and tunability.
    - The size of your master cylinders should be based on the piston sizes in your calipers, rotor diameter, tire diameter, vehicle weight, weight distribution, and pedal ratio.
    - A manual brake system will give you more driver feedback and a firmer pedal feel than a boosted system.
    - The typical pedal ratio for an OEM vehicle with a brake booster is 4:1.
    - The typical pedal ratio for a motorsport vehicle with a dual master cylinder is 5:1 to 6.5:1.
    - The balance bar on a dual master cylinder allows you to make fine adjustments to your brake bias on the track.

    • 6 min
    108: The Gap Between Reflashing and Standalone is Only Getting Smaller!

    108: The Gap Between Reflashing and Standalone is Only Getting Smaller!

    As cars become more and more complex and ECU reflashing technology becomes more advanced, the gap between sticking with a vehicle’s factory computer and going to an aftermarket standalone only gets narrower and a little less clear. On this episode of Tuned In, we dive into this topic, along with many others, with PCMTec’s Roland Harrison.

    Use “PCMTEC50” to get 50% OFF our HPA Practical Reflash Course: https://hpcdmy.co/reflashb

    As a co-owner and founder of PCMTec, Roland is extremely well versed in the world of reflashing, with the company traditionally focusing its efforts on the Australian market Ford Falcon platforms, which of course includes the famous four-litre Barra straight six. Recently though, PCMTec has been moving into the more global Ford market, offering advanced tuning options for Mustang, F150, and Explorer models.

    It wasn’t always all about cars for Roland though, having spent a good majority of his working life in the oil and gas industry, calibrating and maintaining massive industrial engines and electrical systems. After learning all he could from the business, Roland, along with a business partner, decided to turn his hobby of messing around with reflashing into a business and full-time career.

    Roland takes us through the whats, whys, and hows of making this transition — even spending some time discussing some of the more surprisingly interesting aspects of his work in oil and gas. With that said, the real meat and potatoes of this conversation come when Roland and host Andre Simon move into the world of reflashing, discussing all aspects of this sometimes very complicated field.

    There’s a lot to learn here as Roland breaks down the process of creating a reflash solution for Ford’s sometimes extremely complex ECUs, as well as how they’ve added an impressive array of custom functionality to these computers, and more.

    You’ll also find a great discussion around one of the main differences between most reflash options and standalone ECUs — live tuning, as well as map switching on the fly and plenty more.

    PCMTech is currently offering solid discounts off its US DIY and Workshop Editor editions, and the deep dive development blog mentioned in this episode can be found here.

    Follow PCMTec here:
    IG: @pcmtec
    FB: PCMTEC
    YT: PCMTEC Tuning
    WWW: pcmtec.com

    Don’t forget, you can use “PCMTEC50” to get 50% OFF our HPA Practical Reflash Course: https://hpcdmy.co/reflashb

    Time Stamps:
    3:38 How did you get involved in the automotive scene?
    5:40 Do you have any formal mechanical education?
    13:28 PID algorithm cross over from oil and gas to auto industry
    19:01 Mechanical issues vs software issues while tuning
    23:25 Ziegler Nichols Method?
    25:18 How did PCMTec come about?
    42:25 Accessing parameters within the ECU based on the amount of modifications
    44:36 Features you’ve added that weren’t available in the OE controller.
    48:13 Reasons for re-flashing over standalone ECU
    51:55 How do you add features into an OE controller
    1:03:13 Overview of PCMTec today
    1:09:22 Weighing up functionality options for software
    1:13:25 Do you support live tuning or is it re-flash only?
    1:24:25 How does your data logging work?
    1:29:56 Are you providing any support for trans tuning?
    1:34:13 Final three questions

    • 1 hr 45 min
    Field Report: Will This Turbo 2JZ-GE Blow Up? (Probably Not).

    Field Report: Will This Turbo 2JZ-GE Blow Up? (Probably Not).

    Turbocharging N/A engines is nothing new, and has some known downsides...

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

    But like anything, if you know the weaknesses to watch out for it is easier to manage and avoid them as Haltech's Mitch Smith explains in relation to this 780whp 2JZ-GE being used in a time attack applications.

    Using modern aftermarket ECU systems one tool tuners have on hand is torque management, and Mitch explains how vis boost and ignition control, he can maintain a flat torque curve with the goal of mechanical sympathy on this stock 2jz bottom end.

    With a stock bottom end, build cylinder head, Precision 6870 turbo pushing 25 PSI at max boost this Supra is limited to around 7,500 rpm in order to help keep the stock rod bolts intact and the car doing laps.

    • 9 min
    Field Report: 350lbs Weight PENALTY & A First Place Finish!

    Field Report: 350lbs Weight PENALTY & A First Place Finish!

    After this interview, Feras went on to win the Plazamaman Pro-Am Class with a blistering 1:27.0160 🔥🔥🔥

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

    'If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail' is a well-worn saying that is as relevant today as it was decades ago. During Feras Qartoumy's WTAC trip we get to gain some insight into how some time spent on some basic preparations can make a world of difference, including sim racing.

    Interestingly, around 160kg (350lbs) of ballast has been added to meet tyre sizing and class rules, with WTAC entering a new era of tyre options from this year, helping cars like this Corvette have more grip and a bigger contact patch than previously possible.

    GENERAL INFO:
    28+ x Track Records, 1 x 1300HP Corvette C6  and one dedicated driver.

    With 780hp at 8psi low boost and 1300hp at 20psi high boost (that's 969kW at 1.38 Bar) options on tap via 2 externally-ish mounted Garrett G35-900 turbochargers and an LME-built, 430ci LSX, Feras Qartoumy's @momo equipped C6 Z06 Chevrolet Corvette is no stranger to a trophy or two as discussed at SEMA.

    The LSX is a 2000hp spec build using an RHS block, Callies crank, rods, Diamond pistons, Brodix head, a custom-ground camshaft from Comp Cams, and an MSD Atomic Airforce intake manifold. Part of building up to this level over the years involved using a lot of aftermarket parts that would support the required power levels, but were more suited for drag racing and dyno queen runs (no offence intended!), leading to some unexpected development requirements all for the better.

    The car uses a MoTeC traction control system via the M150 ECU to help keep the full boost from 3500rpm under control, and a Bosch Motorsport ABS system at the other end of the straights which has had the biggest impact on car confidence so far.

    • 7 min

Customer Reviews

4.9 out of 5
104 Ratings

104 Ratings

FrEteGi ,

Nothing else like it!

Really love this Podcast. I don’t know of anything else like it. As someone who casually goes to track days, this podcast really answers a lot of the questions I’ve had and gives me deeper insight into all the aspects of car performance. There are other podcasts that talk about cars in general and which cars are better than other cars, but not about what you do with those cars to get better performance. Thanks for all the content!

Dayton E. ,

Awesome podcast

Awesome podcast, extremely informative and a delight to listen to while I work and can’t watch any of the courses. Just finished every episode and ready for what’s to come! Keep up the good work!

BroncoAdkins ,

In it to win it

You guys do a great job, also in it for the Yokohamas

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