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Imagine if Formula 1 got rid of most of its rules and regulations — how fast could they go? The freedom to design and build whatever will result in the fastest time is a dream for many in the higher levels of motorsport, but for British hillclimb champion Alex Summers, it’s a reality.
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There have been a lot of great families in motorsport over the years — the Earnhardts, the McRaes, the Andrettis — but when it comes to the prestigious world of British hillclimbing, one surname is better recognised than most — the Summers. This week’s guest, Alex Summers, comes from legendary hillclimbing stock, with his grandfather, father, and mother all committed participants of the sport at the highest levels. That Alex is a British hillclimb champion and three-time runner-up isn’t much of a surprise with that kind of family history.
In this episode, we first cover Alex’s early days in racing, as well as his schooling and engineering education. Starting out working for McLaren during a university placement, Alex then moved to Aston Martin, where he’s been for the last decade. During all that time, he’s never stopped racing.
This leads us to his current weapon of choice, the ‘P4t’. This absolute rocketship was designed, engineered, and built by Alex himself. It weighs 500kg and runs a 700hp, 16,000rpm Cosworth IndyCar V8, resulting in one of the fastest cars on the generally very short venues that make up the British hillclimb championship season. Unlike many overseas competitions, Britain doesn’t have much in the way of elevation, meaning runs generally last well under a minute.
This form of very short and sharp racing is described as “drag racing with corners” by Alex, and this, along with very few regulations, makes for some very unique requirements when building a competitive car. We dig deep into the P4t build, asking the big questions about the engine, chassis, and suspension setup.
Alex is also known for his involvement with the McMurtry Spéirling development team, and was one of the first drivers to test the insanely fast 1000hp fan car. We find out what a car as fast and unique as the Spéirling and its 2000kg of downforce is actually like to drive and what it takes to get record-setting runs out of it.
Follow Alex here:
IG: @alex_summers_hillclimb
YT: Alex Summers
TK: @alex.summers.hillclimb
Don’t forget, you can use ALEX100 to get $100 OFF HPA’s Track Day Package: https://hpcdmy.co/trackdayb
Timestamps:
3:47 How did you develop an interest in cars?
6:27 How much time do you need to spend in a kart to be really good?
11:57 Seriousness of the British Hill Climb Championship
18:42 What’s your formal education?
26:39 Opportunities in the UK for high-end motorsport
31:29 Australian V8 Supercars and British touring cars
34:34 What happened after you finished your degree?
40:20 How do you mentally switch on for a hill climb run?
47:55 How do you improve at hill climb when track and car time is limited?
59:44 What are these hill climb cars based off?
1:02:28 Would a British hill climb car be competitive at Pikes Peak?
1:05:36 Pros and cons of turbocharging in these cars, different engine combinations
1:12:57 How do you set up suspension with your aero package for hill climb?
1:18:13 What is a heave spring and how does it work?
1:21:05 How and why the carbon monocoque?
1:35:10 How did you get involved with the McMurtry team?
1:41:08 How do you guess as a driver the level of grip available from -
1200hp is nothing to sneeze at in a full-fat RB-powered Nissan R32 GT-R 'Godzilla', but it's outright wild in an SR20-powered 4wd Nissan pulsar GTi-R running 45 psi of boost! With the naming convention so close is this car worthy of the title 'Mini Godzilla?'
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Owner Akin Uykun gave us some insight into this build, which features a lot of great work from the PowerTune team, including their adaptor kit that allows the use of a Holinger sequential designed for the Mitsubishi EVO platform.
Running a MoTeC electronics package, the SR20 has a VE head, and some of the issues with the DE/DET heads at this level are discussed along with the cylinder head sealing the dry deck Bullet Engineering billet block utilises. The difference between a dry vs wet block is also explained, along with some insight into the fuel setup.
A high performance Precision 72-75 turbocharger is used to make the bulk of the 1200hp, but nitrous is also use lower in the rev range to help with spooling and up top to add the last 200hp to the peak output.
Without a doubt, this is one of the fastest Pulars in Australia if not THE fastest, and if Akin manages to hit the low 8's in the future, a world record could even be possible, but he's not quite there yet. -
Braking at 3g = approximately -105kph (-65mph) in 1 second.
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Meet the RP968: A 1500hp capable beast that shattered the Sydney Motorsport Park lap record with a blistering 1:17.860, dominating WTAC for four straight years in the EMtron Pro class.
It takes the full package to smash an outright lap record, and that's what the RP968 has done with teams of clever people like Ashley Field of 909 Motorsport behind the scenes and Barton Mawer behind the wheel. Despite running a large capacity 4-cylinder engine and a 1500hp+ capable Thor billet block from Elmer Racing, amongst other performance goodies, the Bosch Motorsport ABS system that is there to reduce speed, not increase it, has been a key player in getting the lap times as low as possible on the day.
With a switch from the M4 to the M5 unit and more fine-tuning of brake pad compounds and spring rates, the team has gone from seeing 2g under braking to 3g, giving everything on and in the car (especially the driver) a huge workout.
To reach this level of performance takes more than just slapping on a 'big brake kit' and calling it good, however, and Ashley discusses some of the considerations that go into a high downforce car when it comes to trying to have braking performance at both high and low speed without bouncing or loss of traction. -
Embarking on a big build with limited experience can be a disaster as the builder quickly finds themselves out of their depth — and while this scratch-built, tube-frame Pontiac Firebird Trans Am project wasn’t without its bumps in the road, builder Riley Stair has pulled it off incredibly well and learned a whole lot in the process.
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Riley Stair had a unique journey towards cars. Before picking up a TIG torch or heading anywhere near a race circuit, he spent his days honing his craft as a professional BMX racer.
It was only after one too many injuries on the bike that Riley decided it was time to stop racing and start building serious cars. Instead of following the usual route and enrolling in a trade school, he decided to dive in with both feet and build a vicious track car from scratch in what just might be the boldest hands-on learning exercise we’ve ever seen.
We start this episode by following Riley’s path towards starting his own business, RS Motorsport, and delve into his reasoning behind learning everything by doing. Riley came out the other side of this process as a great welder, fabricator, and builder of very cool cars. He also has a super-high-quality 1000hp, 10,000rpm, tube-frame Pontiac to show for it.
This conversation dives deep into a host of motorsport fabrication topics, discussing everything from TIG welding tips and tricks, to choosing the right material for your project, designing and building a tube frame chassis, and much more.
We also dig into the 1970 Firebird Trans Am build in detail, covering why Riley wanted to keep it NA, how he designed the pushrod suspension system and the mistakes that needed to happen so he could learn and improve.
As a one-man-band outfit, RS Motorsport has its limitations and challenges — so to finish up, Riley discusses the business side of the equation, talking about the hidden headaches of setting up and running a company offering services that are very much in demand.
Watch the interview with Carl Thompson here: https://youtu.be/9TIrPvG7iHM?si=Q75nyYJi5PC_r_EO
Follow Riley here:
IG: @riley_rsmotorsport
YT: RS Motorsport
WWW: rsmotorsportusa.com
Don’t forget, you can use “RILEY100” to get $100 Off HPA’s Fabrication Starter Package: https://hpcdmy.co/fabpackageb
Timestamps:
4:07 How did you develop an interest in cars?
6:41 What drew you towards road racing over drag racing?
9:09 Do you have any formal qualifications that relate to your business?
13:50 How did you learn to TIG weld?
16:23 Welding process for reactive metals, shielding gas
23:47 Accurate fit up when TIG welding
25:35 Materials for turbo manifolds pros and cons?
32:47 Using off-the-shelf merge collectors vs hand fabricating
34:31 Gas lenses and cups, what are they and how do they work?
40:12 What are the challenges with aluminium welding?
56:11 Pontiac Firebird build
1:11:11 How did you plan out the tube chassis?
1:17:05 Pushrod suspension
1:18:49 Why NA? And why the aim for 1000HP?
1:24:19 8 into 1 headers
1:27:42 What ECU is the Firebird running?
1:28:08 What happened when you got the car to the track?
133:58 What changes have been made since you got the car on track?
1:40:42 Challenges with RS Motorsport business
1:56:36 Are you using any 3D scanning or CAD in your fab work?
2:02:25 Final 3 questions -
Don't waste time shifting gears.
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The 1000hp capable Honda K24 in Mike Burroughs Stanceworks 244 GTK Ferrari build is useless without the ability to put power to the ground, and Scott Hilzinger of Haltech explains how the Haltech electronics system handles this via a Quaife 5-speed dog engagement gearbox.
This setup utilises a load cell gear knob and shift position sensor as well as other sensors on the car to give data on if the gear changing is optimal when it comes to keeping the car balanced and as fast as possible, with INCREASED reliability over manual gear shifts.
Also, why are 'pops and bangs' bad for an engine, and what can a tuner do to help avoid them to give some mechanical sympathy? -
Driving talent only gets you so far in professional motorsport — if you want to make it, you’ll need the full package… Plus a healthy dose of luck.
In this episode, professional driver Billy Johnson gives us his thoughts on the challenges of turning driving into a job, the best way to spend 10k as a track newbie, why the Skyline GT-R is seriously overrated, the less glamorous realities of 24-hour racing, and much more.
Use “BILLY50” to get $50 off HPA’s Race Driving Fundamentals course: https://hpcdmy.co/raceb
Billy Johnson is a professional driving coach, race driver, and factory development driver who has had a long career in the game despite his young age.
We start by discussing the path Billy took to be able to drive for a living full-time, despite not coming from a motorsport family. Predictably, this involves a deep dive into karts and his progression through the ranks towards working for Ford developing the GT, GT350, and GT500.
Billy has also raced for Ford in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and NASCAR, as well as many other prestigious competitions all over the globe, meaning he’s able to give some great insight into what it takes to drive these gruelling competitions and the extremely long stints they sometimes demand.
This discussion provides a fascinating insight into the cutthroat world of motorsport at the higher levels, giving us a much better idea of what it takes to rise above all the other equally talented drivers out there gunning for the same seat.
The conversation also covers the cars themselves. With Billy’s experience behind the wheel of extremely rapid time-attack Honda NSXs, we have to ask him what makes this 90s icon so good, and, in his opinion, why it's so superior to another popular time attack weapon — the Skyline GT-R.
With some interesting discussion around motorsport-level driving aids, simulators, and the best beginner track car for under 10 and 50k (is Miata always the answer?), this episode is packed with great info!
Follow Billy here:
IG: @billyjracing
FB: Billy J Racing
X: @billyjracing
LI: Billy Johnson
WWW: billyjohnsonracing.com
Don’t forget, you can use “BILLY50” to get $50 off HPA’s Race Driving Fundamentals course: https://hpcdmy.co/raceb
Timestamps:
4:04 How did you develop an interest in cars?
13:38 Having an understanding of engineering as a driver
18:49 Why are karts a normal stepping stone into a motorsport career?
20:28 What is race craft?
31:18 What is it that makes time attack an interesting form of racing?
39:24 Difficulties of going from one warm-up lap to a flying lap in time attack?
44:21 What do I do to improve my lap times?
54:28 Time Attack NSX and its handling
1:07:14 Engine package in the NSX
1:09:08 Oil starvation and dry sumps
1:15:53 NSX aero package
1:18:18 Driver aids
1:32:40 24-hour endurance racing, physical and mental fitness
1:37:13 Tyre management over a long stint
1:44:29 Tips for novice drivers taking their car to the track
1:50:41 Does sim driving improve driver skills?
1:56:32 What is a good entry-level track car?
2:03:29 Final three questions -
Why an RB26 is better than a 2JZ and vice versa is a common discussion between many 6 cylinder fans and while the 2JZ might have the edge when it comes to OEM components on lightly modified street builds, the RB hasn't been pushed or developed as far as the 2jz yet to see how things compare at the other end of the scale…
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Since filming the team has run a PB of 6.35 @ 222mph to set a new RB-Powered world record.
Dom from Tony Rigoli Performance runs us through some of the 12,000rpm spinning Nissan 350z build which uses a ‘tickled’ RB26 pushing out 2140HP (Mainline Dyno) at the hubs...for now. The plan is to fit a larger Garrett G57 turbocharger and GFB wastegates to push for 2300-2400HP in the quest to hit the 5’s with this full tube chassis car that runs an EMtron KV16 ECU, M&W CDI system, Rams cylinder head, Plazmaman inlet manifold, a Liberty Gears 5 speed, EZ Motorsports clutch, Spool crankshaft, Supertech valvetrain and in-house TRP pistons, rods and cam grinding.
Also discussed via this Sydney Jamboree interview is the switch from the old Nissan 300zx ¾ tube chassis to their new 350z full tune chassis, the difference between them and some of the advantages a full tube chassis allows the team. The clutch setup is also discussed as being something constantly being reset and adjusted, as well as up to this power level how bearings are the only major part that is checked regularly to ensure reliability.
As the event was rained off we didn't manage to get any in-car, but we'll be back. -
What considerations go into tuning a 1300HP EV such as the Palatov D2EV?
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While electric vehicles (EV's) have long been touted as the future of the performance world for a long time by many, the reality is between the costs, lack of aftermarket support and products that are not suited to motorsports have kept us waiting.
Thanks to the likes of Cascadia Motion, AEM Performance Electronics and their team including John Romero, aftermarket control for EV applications is gaining traction and in this interview from PRI we dive into some of the equipment required, what the main considerations are for an EV tuning compared to internal combustion engine (ICE) applications for motorsport.
Topics covered include the uniquely EV issues such as battery temperature related to output and how cooler isn't actually always better plus interestingly the difference between production line EVs like Teslas or Nissans Leafs and the way they DON'T manage this well. An AEM VCU can be used to give you power where and when you want it for motorsports applications by letting to focus on this aspect, and also even for a street application you will be able to 'tune' for longer battery life too. -
Legendary tuner Shane Tecklenburg returns to talk about turning LMP3 race cars into hill climb monsters, calibrating V12 air race planes, the realities of compound turbo setups, and much more.
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Shane Tecklenburg, or “Shane T” as he’s more commonly known, is one of the biggest names in the tuning industry, and for good reason. This long-time friend of High Performance Academy has been in the EFI tuning game for many years now, and has a reputation as the ultimate problem solver who can rectify all manner of difficult tuning issues that others have given up on.
After appearing in episode #1 back in 2021, Shane now returns for episode #120, allowing us to catch up on his latest projects, starting with an in-depth look at what it takes to transform an LMP3 circuit racer into a hill climb weapon with a sub-10 minute Pikes Peak ascent in its sights.
This leads us into a fascinating conversation around anti-lag, IMAP vs EMAP, and retaining as much power as possible as a car gains altitude.
Next, we get an interesting insight into the world of air racing, as Shane details his tuning adventures with V12-powered Thunder Mustang race planes and the unique challenges that come with calibrating these unique machines and their dual ECUs.
Back in 2021, we talked to Shane about one of the most interesting projects he’s been involved with — the Mazworx SR20VE-powered triple-compound turbo drag car. This machine is fairly well-known online thanks to its incredible aesthetics and unique turbo setup, so the update on this project from Shane is a very welcome one as the team strives for that magical 3000hp goal. The conversation then falls down the very deep compound turbo rabbit hole as Shane gets into the finer details of this forced induction arrangement.
As mentioned, you can listen to episode 60 featuring JT Oliver of JTO Power here.
Follow Shane here:
IG: @tunedbyshanet
FB: Tuned By Shane T
YT: TunedbyShaneT
WWW: motorsportcontrol.com
Don’t forget, you can use “SHANET100” to get $100 off HPA’s Tuning Starter Package: https://hpcdmy.co/tuningpackageb -
With the ability to go over 250MPH and make 5 second passes despite strict parity regulations, the NHRA Pro Modified drag racing series is possibly one of the most competitive in existence.
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At the last PRI trade show, we managed to catch Shane Tecklenburg once again to gain an insight into his exploits with the NHRA - E3 Spark Plugs Pro Mod Drag Racing Series via the Elite Motorsports/Modern Racing team. With 3 cars on track piloted by Erica Enders, Alex Laughlin and Steve Matusek the Pro Mod series was a new project after the teams' success in the Pro Stock series, but it didn’t come without a steep learning curve given the heavy dependence on experience (guessing and checking) the Pro Mod drag racing regulations spur.
Some of the differences between a turbocharged and supercharged car are discussed along with some of the processes the NHRA implements to ensure ECU’s supplied by MoTeC and other companies do not give teams any technical advantage over one another in the form of traction or boost control of which there is a restriction that can be changed during a season in the interests of parity. -
What's the point of drag racing if you're limiting performance via rules and regulations?
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Varun Sharma gives us a rundown on the 3.3L 2100HP at 75PSI Oceania College/101 Motorsport X275 Drag Radial JZA80 Supra which runs a methanol fed Bullet Race Engineering Billet block-based 2jz engine with a best ET of 6.79s at 212mph making it the fastest Sport Compact in Australia at the time of filming at Sydney Jamboree.
Discussed is the decision behind running a TH400 3 speed automatic and the lock up converter setup that is required to prevent transmission slippage as they dial the power level higher and higher. The safety a billet block offers is also touched on along with how despite the extra weight the team run a water to air intercooler setup. We also talk about some of the class limitations including the tyre size which see any loss of traction turned into an aborted run and how the old independent rear suspension setup is much more difficult to get dialled in for the drag strip along with behaving differently too.
The X275 Drag Radial class sees competitors restricted by tyre and power adder sizes among other rules added and changed over the years around the use of a stock location firewall, factory roof and quarters and an emphasis on equipment that was originally produced in an OEM form or is readily available in the aftermarket. As Varun explains this, along with the use of a 1/8th mile strip at many events, helps keep the competition close and the costs lower to help ensure a healthy field of competitors. -
Do I need electronic wastegate control? What about CO2? And how do I know what size wastegate is needed for my build? These questions and a whole lot more are answered thanks to this week’s guest, Matt Wright from Turbosmart.
Use “MATT25” to get $25 OFF HPA’s Boost Control course: https://hpcdmy.co/boostb
Matt has a unique understanding of the industry, having worked for two of Australia's biggest aftermarket performance brands — two decades at Haltech and a more recent move to Turbosmart.
We start this episode by delving into the path that Matt took to get where he is today, covering the early days of Haltech that saw him dealing with some fairly rudimentary electronics and software as a support tech. Matt grew with the company and would go on to head up Haltech’s expansion into the United States. There are some great discussions here about VE-based tuning, the future of standalone ECUs, and what Matt thinks is missing from the current crop of standalone offerings.
After 20 years of service, Matt decided to move across the road to Turbosmart, where he’s helped push the development of new products — especially its new range of turbochargers. Matt discusses these new turbos before diving deep into the world of boost control, getting way into the weeds on all things external wastegate.
Sure, the idea behind a wastegate is simple enough, but things get a little more demanding and complex when a vehicle’s performance starts to get pushed to its limits.
Follow Matt here:
IG: @turbosmarthq
FB: Turbosmart
YT: Turbosmart
WWW: turbosmart.com
Don’t forget, you can use “MATT25” to get $25 OFF HPA’s Boost Control course: https://hpcdmy.co/boostbTimestamps:
4:39:20 How did you gain an interest in cars?
16:54 Did you move into Haltech tech support with almost no tuning experience
24:28 What was your role at Haltech?
27:10 The difference between American and Australian car scenes
32:15 Haltech’s growth into the US market
39:45 Key changes in ECU tech over the years
47:30 What do you think is missing from aftermarket ECUs?
54:43 How does an ECU company balance technical features while keeping it user-friendly?
1:03:55 How did the opportunity at Turbosmart come up?
1:08:38 Overview of Turbosmart
1:13:10 Turbosmart’s external wastegate, Why is it so good?
1:17:54 Pros and cons of electronic wastegate?
1:34:08 What is a StraightGate?
1:42:52 How do we pick the right size wastegate?
1:47:30 Bringing Turbosmart turbochargers to market
2:05:35 Final 3 questions -
What are some of the advantages of having an automatic gearbox in a 2400HP 6-second drag car?
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Nate from 99 Racing gives us some insight into the transmission setup in their 6.29s at 225mph 2400HP Toyota Camry drag car and how it allows for more consistent passes without some of the disadvantages of the past.
The Sydney Jamboree event was sadly rained off but we're keen to see what the team can do with their new GCG Turbochargers Garrett Gen 2 106mm Turbo once things wind back up. -
Racing simulators are becoming more popular in the home and, if you're lucky, office, but are they good enough on a professional level without an endless budget?
Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in
Jota Sport WEC LMP2 Race Engineer Tomoki Takahashi runs us through some of the advantages a simulator setup offers, the limitations and why a motion platform can be more hindrance than help without a blank chequebook.
Discussed is a direct comparison between two drivers at the same event, one who practised on the simulator beforehand, the other who couldn't, how the race engineer and data engineer treat simulated sessions the same as physical practice sessions, which interesting can lead to better results when it comes to quick decisions on car setups and track conditions come race day. -
What does it take to build, tune, and drive a monster Mitsubishi Evolution VIII with a 4.1-litre VR38DETT putting down 1065 hp to all four treads — on pump gas, no less? On this episode of Tuned In, we talk to the Armchair Tuner to find out.
Why ditch the 4G63?Why the VR38DETT?How is it still 4WD?What was the hardest part of the build and how was it dealt with? Has it changed how the car drives?Why even build something as unique as this car in the first place?
Use “EVO100” to get $100 off HPA’s Tuning Starter Package: https://hpcdmy.co/tuningpackageb
Conrad Bradley has been building fast cars and bikes for a long time, although he currently works outside of the automotive industry in the nuclear field. Conrad couldn’t tell us much about his current work projects for obvious reasons, but when it comes to his many interesting automotive projects, he’s an open book.
Over the years, Conrad’s built many fast cars — from rapid Subarus, to even faster Evos, to an immaculate Beams-powered AE86 — we discuss all those builds in this conversation, but it’s his one-of-a-kind Evolution VIII that we’re most interested in.
We dive deep into this build with Conrad, digging into the big questions, like:This is a fascinating look into a very serious build that presented a lot of problems, requiring unique solutions.
Further into the conversation, we also discuss the challenges of owning and operating a tuning shop, reflashing challenges, Evo strengths and weaknesses, and much more. This is a great listen for anyone interested in thinking outside the box when it comes to building cars and going fast.
Follow Conrad here:
IG: @armchairtuner
FB: Armchairtuner
YT: Armchair Tuner
Don’t forget, you can use “EVO100” to get $100 off HPA’s Tuning Starter Package: https://hpcdmy.co/tuningpackagebTime Stamps:
4:25 How did you form an interest in cars?
14:01 How did you end up owning a tuning shop?
20:43 Pros and cons of owning a tuning shop.
27:50 Transition from motorbikes to cars.
29:23 Why JDM vehicles?
34:05 Reflashing JDM vehicles.
39:29 Was it Subaru's reliability issues that drove you to the Mitsubishi platform?
43:04 Toyota AE86.
58:03 Back into the Mitsubishi world? Evo X.
1:04:17 Manufacturers making it difficult for us to tune modern engines.
1:09:34 What came after the Evo X?
1:11:31 Building an Evo for drag racing.
1:24:36 How did the Evo GT-R come about?
1:27:36 What was involved in fitting the VR38?
1:34:49 What is the transmission?
1:41:22 Motec M1 custom package for 4wd setup
1:47:10 How much does it weigh with the VR38?
1:48:06 What was the goal for the VR38?
1:56:07 Are you running PDMs?
1:58:50 Are you using the data from all your sensors for anything in particular?
2:00:02 Is the Evo GT-R finished?
2:06:09 Final 3 questions. -
Using the Blueprint Racing 6.53 @ 213mph Mazda 6 for some examples we dive a little into how to build a rotary engine for drag racing.
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Getting 1500HP out of a rotary engine isn't hard these days with the knowledge in the industry, but doing it with a window of safety and repeat reliability is still a struggle as Jon of Jon Blanch Racing explains. Naturally, some comparisons are made between the rotary and piston world in respect to aftermarket part support which has been growing in recent years but still lacks in many areas no matter how big your budget is, but most interestingly from what is out there the OEM Mazda rotors with some modification are still the go-to choice for performance builds.
An area where the aftermarket has made massive improvements, however, is when it comes to the plates with billet options not necessarily helping engine builders and tuners make more power but instead giving a little more reliability and tolerance to the small windows you have to work within when it comes to getting power out of your rotary.
Porting is also discussed and Jon shares why a semi-peripheral port (semi-pp) is preferred along with why the perfect port placement depends on more than just a single perfect physical location. -
Quad Rotor vs V8, Procharger vs Natural Aspiration and more.
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It's hard to nail form and function, but Carl Thompson has it down to a fine art when it comes to drift builds between his old 1300HP 26B 4-rotor Aristo/GS300 build and this high compression 'small block' @Mast Motorsports 454ci (7.4L) LSX based V8 Nissan S15 Silva one that is another work of art. Even if you are a solid rotary fan it's hard not to appreciate the same level of detail and perfection that has gone into this LS-based S15 build.
We'll discuss why Carl moved away from his 4 rotors (one of which now powers Rob Dahms AWD RX7 build) and towards the MoTeC M130-controlled LS V8 platform as he has gotten more serious about competing and doing full-season campaigns along with why he chose a naturally aspirated setup despite having a procharger bolted on at some point in time.
The difference in power levels required for D1NZ and US series also pops up as well as the performance increases gained from his Dailey Engineering dry sump system and what the main driver displays and warnings he pays attention to during a competition run and interestingly why he went with a cast-iron LSX based block over the aluminium LS(x) blocks that are also able to handle sizeable power figures.
00:00 Intro
00:25 Rotary Vs LSX
01:31 Engine Specs
02:10 Iron Vs Alloy Decision
03:35 Procharger Vs N/A
05:06 Procharger Powerband
06:08 Dry Sump Setup
07:02 30HP+ From Good Vacuum
08:49 @MoTeCAustralia ECU, Indiindividual cylinder fuel delivery
10:55 Dash Display Settings
12:21 Drivetrain
14:00 Diff, Suspension
To get power to the ground the car runs a Holinger Engineering RD6 sequential, Tilton bell housing, flywheel and triple-plate carbon clutch leading to the Winters 25cm IRS quick-change and 35-spline stub axles.
A MoTeC M130, PDM30 and C125 logger/dash display and EMtron ETC4’s (for individual cylinder monitoring) round up the electronics side of things and giving Carl the ability to clutchless shift off the line. -
If you’re planning a big race or street car build, it’s worth thinking about how you can harness the power of 3D scanning, CAD, and additive manufacturing on the big jobs.
In this episode, BBi Autosport’s Dmitriy Orlov explains how you can incorporate these tools into your build process, how he utilised them when building the infamous “Hoonipigasus” Porsche 911, and a whole lot more.
Use “ORLOV50” to get $50 OFF your 3D Modelling & CAD for Motorsport course: https://hpcdmy.co/CADb
BBi Autosport is one of the best known aftermarket Porsche specialists out there, pumping out a range of high-quality parts and builds over the last decade. Based at the company’s California facility, Dmitriy is the product development engineer behind it all, despite not having the educational background in mechanical engineering that you might expect of someone in his line of work.
Dmitriy is self taught, and that gives him a unique perspective on design and manufacturing. He talks us through his design process, and discusses how far technology has come in the last few years — both in terms of what it can achieve and how accessible it’s become to the home enthusiast. Dmitriy explains how the average person can harness all this tech to drastically trim down the amount of time and money being spent on a serious race or street car build.
This then gets us on to the topic of 3D printing final parts in metal, and Dimitri dives into just how useful this technology has become. As he points out — sure, you might not have the capability to print metal at home, but it’s now becoming viable to send your design to a third party which can then create the part using its own multi-million dollar printers.
The conversation then moves on to Dmitriy's most well-known project, the “Hoonipigasus” Porsche 911 hillclimb monster. This is a car that most people will be aware of and think they know a lot about, however Dmitriy is able to give us some really interesting insights into the build, its immense challenges, and how he and his team overcame those challenges.
Follow Dmitriy and BBi Autosport here:
IG: @orlovdesign, @bbiautosport
YT: BBi Autosport
WWW: orlovdesign.com, bbiautosport.com
Don’t forget, you can use “ORLOV50” to get $50 OFF your 3D Modelling & CAD for Motorsport course: https://hpcdmy.co/CADb
Timestamps:
4:06 How did you become passionate about the automotive industry?
8:15 How did you learn your skillset?
9:57 Does having shop floor experience make you a better designer?
11:42 Are there any drawbacks to not having an engineering degree?
15:51 When did you start diving into 3D modelling and CAD?
20:32 What are the steps from CAD model to actually machining a physical part
23:10 What did you do before working for BBI and what is BBI?
32:28 Design process.
43:06 Choosing the right manufacturing process for the part.
51:07 Designing a manifold not just for 1000hp, but to fit and work on a factory vehicle.
58:05 How has 3D scanning changed things for BBI?
1:06:40 Are there affordable scanners that are worth buying?
1:12:10 What CAD software do you use and why?
1:20:46 Do you use FEA?
1:27:18 What is the Hoonipigisus?
1:31:15 Engine and gearbox configuration.
1:34:28 Biggest challenge?
1:38:49 Challenge of running a drive shaft from a rear trans to front differential?1:41:30 How much of a disadvantage would it have been rear wheel drive?
1:48:50 Are there any key aspects you’d do differently? -
Why does this 800hp car look like it belongs to racing classic DTM cars, and what's up with the 6 cylinders?
Aleck Kazakovski of GotItRex explains some of the tech talk story of how this GC8/Type R STi has grown into the monster it is today, with multiple time attack wins in Australia and a unique but well-proven setup.
The turbocharged EG33 is capable of 9,500rpm and 750kw (1000hp) at 40 PSI, but the team dials things back in the interests of reliability and wallet health to a 'modest' 600kw (800hp) at 25 PSI and a 9,000rpm limit. Madness!
There isn't much that hasn't been touched on the EG33 to make this happen, including being bored and stroked with extensive headwork to give a very usable powerband with full boost from 4,500 rpm. Lubrication is handled by a custom GIR dry sump setup using existing off-the-shelf components. Clever!
An EMtron electronics package helps keep it all working as intended, and a Modena sequential transmission package puts the power to the ground without turning into Swiss cheese as you would expect the OEM Subaru parts to; however, OEM housings and much of the physical placements are retained or at least are very close to where they were which keeps some of the heritage rather than being a complete Frankensteins monster. No doubt, this also enables an easy time with spares and repairs.
A PE Racing pedal box and AP Racing calipers and rotors help haul the car up for the corners, with Aleck and the team opting to avoid some of the oversized rear brake issues many Subaru owners fall into the trap of, and ABS is on the cards for the future to help leverage the system further. -
When building a performance engine, everyone talks endlessly about forged pistons, H vs. I beam connecting rods, high-flow injectors, and '1000hp capable' turbochargers ready to produce 60-100 PSI of boost. That's all exciting and, depending on your goals, critical, but what about your fittings and hoses that none of these components would last without?
Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in
Jamie from Raceworks runs us through some of the popular options you will find in all forms of motorsport, including monsters at events like the World Time Attack Challenge. These include braided rubber and PTFE (Teflon) hose options, what areas of the engine you might choose flexibility over comparative durability, push lock and crimped hose ends.
You will also get a quick rundown of AN fittings and adaptors, including how the AN fitting sizing system works and some insight into hard lines, Wiggins, clamps, and silicone couplers, along with some options on flaring your pipe/tube.
TIME STAMPS:
0:00 - AN Fittings
1:30 - Braided Hose
1:43 - Rubber
2:10 - PTFE
3:04 - Exotic Fuel Vs Rubber
3:50 - Push Lock
4:35 - PRO TIP!
4:48 - Reusable Hose Ends
5:22 - Crimp Hose Ends
6:15 - Weight PTFE Vs Rubber
6:35 - Hard Lines
7:24 - Silicone Couplers
7:50 - Wiggins Clamps
8:51 - Flare/Beads
9:47 - Don't Be A Gorilla
10:14 - Flexible Options
11:09 - Understanding 'Dash' Sizing
12:19 - Hose & Fittings Compatibility
12:51 - Raceworks - Thanks Jamie!
13:15 - BUILD.TUNE.DRIVE - もっと表示する
