0:00 / 0:00
Adam Rogash of MPW Performance

Adam Rogash of MPW Performance

Oil and Whiskey with Roadster Shop Apr 13, 2026 123 min
0:00
0:00

About this episode

Adam Rogash of MPW Performance drops into Oil & Whiskey with a mix of migraine-med ad copy, Aussie car-culture history, and serious drag-racing tech. He explains how LS swaps and turbo setups evolved in Australia, why regulations make “streetable” builds harder, and how his shop targets straight-line cars that can drive to the track. The conversation also tackles parts shortages, QC issues, and the modern hiring/work-ethic problem fueled by instant gratification. They wrap with Summonats USA plans, event culture, and a chaotic-airport rant.

Filter:
|
Technical Too Afraid to Ask
Term

Botox

"Botox, Anabacha linem toxin A, prevents headaches in adults with chronic migraine. It's not for those with 14 or fewer headache days a month."

Botox is a medicine doctors can use to help prevent frequent migraines. It’s injected and can reduce how often headaches happen.

Concept

camshaft

"So, we will do everything from your basic camshaft at LSDL up to three and a half thousand plus horsepower street cars."

A camshaft controls when engine valves open and close, which strongly affects power, torque, and how the engine “feels” across the RPM range. In performance builds, camshaft choice is a major part of matching the engine to the intended use (street, drag, track).

Term

welding

"but they'll teach the basics of welding and metal craft and whatever. Enough to find out if you're interested in pursuing that path, I guess."

Welding is how you join two pieces of metal together so they become one. In car work, it’s used for making or repairing metal parts like brackets and exhaust pieces.

Concept

racetrack

"No, I know. That is definitely where all of Bob Jane's old tires went to die underneath some dirt and turned it into a racetrack."

A racetrack is a place designed for cars to drive fast and safely. Here, they’re talking about a track that was made from/with old tires and dirt, kind of like a DIY racing setup.

Concept

quarter mile

"We had a quarter mile marked out at the road. We'd all go out racing and stuff like that."

A quarter mile is a standard drag-racing distance. It’s basically a fixed straight stretch people race down to compare who’s faster.

Concept

Hot Rod Magazine

"So it's like Hot Rod Magazine, popular hot rodding. [514.2s] What kind of..."

Hot Rod Magazine is a car magazine that talks about hot rods and performance builds. People in the U.S. use it as a guide for what kinds of cars and modifications are popular.

Brand

Street Machine Magazine

"Yeah, and Street Machine Magazine was the thing growing up. [517.7s] So Street Machine Magazine has been around forever in Australia"

Street Machine Magazine is an Australian car magazine. The speaker is saying it was a big deal for learning about cars and trends while growing up.

Term

Haltech

"You run all this on standalone or either Haltech or FuelTech. No, so that was back in the day"

Haltech is an aftermarket computer for the engine. It helps the tuner control fuel and spark more precisely than the factory system, especially when you’re making big power.

Term

low profile tires

"...big billet wheels and low profile tires. And like you're looking at that and you're like, it's, that's a crazy build."

Low-profile tires have less rubber on the sidewall, so the ride can feel firmer. They also don’t protect the wheel as well as taller tires.

Company

MPW Performance

"Podcast: Oil & Whiskey Episode: Adam Rogash of MPW Performance [1124.8s] How did you get started?"

MPW Performance is the shop Adam runs. They’re talking about how the business started, how it grew, and what tools and people they use.

Concept

CNC's

"[1152.7s] oh shit, we've kind of achieved something here. [1154.3s] We've got 1000 square meters of factory space [1156.4s] with our own CNC's and benders and folders"

CNCs are machines that use a computer to make parts very accurately. That means the shop can build custom pieces that fit better and are made consistently.

Company

CAD gear

"[1158.4s] and scanners and CAD gear and all that kind of gear, [1161.6s] which isn't that common over in Australia at the moment."

CAD tools let you design parts on a computer first. That way the shop can plan the shape and fitment before cutting or bending metal.

Part

roll cages

"I've been working with Street Machine doing some builds for them, fabrication, roll cages, tuning, getting cars down the track type deal for their YouTube channel."

A roll cage is a metal safety frame inside the car. It helps protect you if the car flips or crashes hard.

Company

FuelTech FT 700

"[2243.8s] powered it with a FuelTech FT 700 [2246.3s] and made over 4000 out of it. [2248.5s] What rear suspensions that got?"

FuelTech FT 700 is the computer that runs the engine. On a turbo drag car, it helps control fuel and spark so the engine can make big power reliably.

Term

ECU

"It figures out how high it is, and we set it up in the ECU of over race time, how much lift you can have on that before it shuts you off."

The ECU is the car’s computer. It takes sensor readings and decides what the engine should do. In this case, it’s also used to limit how much lift you can have before the system shuts you down.

Term

spinning tires

"As soon as it starts getting over the plot, it normally means that we're spinning tires or whatever."

Spinning tires indicates excessive wheel slip, where the tires rotate faster than the vehicle’s actual traction allows. Traction control detects this condition and reduces power to restore grip.

Term

boost

"So we call a three step where we'll bring it up higher than what our launch RPM is to build boost and then it pulls it back down onto the two step. Once we make the boost that we want to make, because at 5,000 RPM, we're going to overpower the track."

Boost is the increased air pressure produced by a turbocharger or supercharger, allowing more oxygen into the engine for more power. In tuning, the timing of boost buildup is critical to avoid overwhelming traction or engine limits.

Term

traction game

"Radial, you're leaving more horsepower on the table ... right? Because it's a traction game."

A “traction game” means the tires and grip are the main challenge, not just horsepower. If the tires can’t hook up, you can’t use all the power.

Concept

track prep

"[2707.6s] It's a track thing normally [2708.4s] because everything back home is prep for radial. [2716.3s] What's the difference on a track prep for radial?"

Track prep is what they do to the track surface before racing—basically making it stickier. That stickiness changes how well your tires can grab, which affects traction and stability when you accelerate.

Term

deadwind

"[2734.3s] because it's hooking up that much faster. [2736.1s] It's trying to deadwind. [2737.1s] You need a slicker track for a big tire."

“Deadwind” sounds like slang for when the car isn’t getting the traction it needs. Instead of smoothly pulling forward, the tire can feel like it’s fighting the power.

Concept

you're paying for an education, not just a product

"And yeah, we've got a great customer base like that, but we do have a lot of the younger guys that we're still educating. And I always say to my customers, you're paying for an education, not just a product."

This frames performance work as knowledge transfer: customers learn what’s required to achieve their goals, including tradeoffs and constraints. It also implies that the shop’s value includes guidance on parts selection, sequencing, and realistic outcomes—not just installing components.

Concept

import duties

"They're great, but as soon as it gets shipped over, the taxes and the import duties and everything we have to pay on that absolutely kills you."

When parts are shipped into a country, the government often charges extra taxes for bringing them in. Those costs can make the parts way more expensive than you’d expect.

Term

super chargers

"We've got snowmobile races with big old super chargers. Getting my dates confused, I'm thinking about now."

A supercharger is a device that forces more air into the engine so it can make more power. They’re saying the snowmobile races use boosted engines.

Concept

burnouts

"It used to be where we did all the burnouts. That was the draw to the show. So good guys used to have a show in Indy at the drag strip..."

A burnout is when the car’s tires spin in place and make smoke. People do it for show at car meets and drag events, and sometimes to warm the tires for grip.

Concept

dyno

"So when they're not doing burnouts, when they're not on the dyno, when they're not drag racing, they're driving around..."

A dyno is a machine that measures how much power a car makes. At events, cars may go on the dyno at certain times instead of racing nonstop.

Concept

drag racing

"...when they're not on the dyno, when they're not drag racing, they're driving around... The drag racing's on when the burnout's on."

Drag racing is when cars race in a straight line to see who’s fastest over a short distance. At events, it’s usually scheduled in rounds so other activities can happen too.

Concept

burnout pad

"The burnout pad was absolutely packed in standing room only. [3543.4s] It was really cool too."

A burnout pad is the designated area where drivers do burnouts to heat the tires and improve traction for the launch. It’s usually separate from the main track to manage smoke, tire debris, and safety.

Concept

EV

"[3756.7s] Yeah. [3756.9s] Not everybody enjoys EV Broncos. [3759.4s] Sorry to say, but I did notice that you got an EV Bronco down there."

EV just means “electric car.” Instead of burning gas, it uses electricity stored in a battery and you charge it.

Term

loud car

"And you have a look at a lefty put a video up where they're, they're shit canning us for having a loud car driving down a main street or something like that."

They mean a car that’s louder than normal, usually because of the exhaust. If you drive it through busy streets, people notice and complain.

Term

Burble tune

"And the kids would, they call it the Burble tune. Yeah. Is that what they call it? Yeah. The Burble tune."

A burble tune is a modification that makes the car sound like it’s popping or crackling, especially when you lift off the gas. It’s done by changing how the engine is controlled and/or how the exhaust flows.

Concept

aesthetic

"if you're modifying it, do it for the betterment or the improvement of that vehicle, either you're improving the aesthetic or you're improving the performance, right?"

“Aesthetic” means looks. The speaker is saying it’s okay to modify a vehicle if you’re improving how it looks, not just doing it randomly.

Term

crank triggers

"Hey, this is how we set crank triggers up or this is how we do this."

Crank triggers are sensors that help the engine computer “know” where the engine is at any moment. If the signal is wrong or set up poorly, the computer can fire the spark at the wrong time. That can lead to misfires and rough running.

Term

rear ends

"Hey, this is how we set crank triggers up or this is how we do this. Hey, this is how we set rear ends up."

“Rear end” usually means the back axle and the parts that help the wheels move. People talk about setting it up so the car hooks up better and drives the way they want. The exact work depends on the car and what differential/gear setup it has.

Request an Explanation

Heard something you'd like explained? We'll add it to this episode.

Sign in to request explanations for terms you heard.

Want to learn more?

Browse our glossary for plain-English explanations of automotive terms, jargon, and concepts.

Explore Terms

Help improve this episode

See something that's not quite right? Our annotations are AI-generated and can sometimes miss the mark. Click the flag icon on any annotation to suggest a correction.

Report incorrect info
Suggest better explanations
Flag missing cars