Tuned In
High Performance Academy
Updated 3 days agoHigh 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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Episodes (364)
027: Why the R35 GTR is NOT a Great Time Attack Car.
On this week's episode of the High Performance Academy Tuned In podcast, Andre is joined by Time Attack and Pikes Peak veteran Cole Powelson of Lyfe Motorsport. Cole has a lot of experience when it comes to making all sorts of vehicles go as fast as possible through chassis, suspension, engine, and aerodynamic development and as such, has plenty to say on what makes a quick car and how to achieve it. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-inThe guys start by talking about Cole's unlikely come up through the motorsport world, and how it was always about figuring out how he could engineer his life around getting behind the wheel of a race car – if that meant crewing for teams, training as a tech, using other people's money, or starting his own business, he was all about it. With that in mind, Cole discusses the prohibitive costs of motorsport and the ways that this limiting factor can be minimized. Cole also talks about his two companies, Lyfe Motorsport and Sierra Cars. Lyfe facilitates the complete build of bespoke race cars – that means fabrication, engineering, and development – and can take one to two years with everything done in house, while Sierra Cars produces incredibly trick open wheel cross-kart style weapons that utilise screaming Hayabusa drivetrains and plenty of trick engineering. Many lessons have been learnt along the way in both of these businesses, and Cole is happy to share them. Interested in learning how to do your own wheel alignment for the track or street? Start with a free alignment & suspension 101 lesson now: hpcdmy.co/alignmentfThere is, of course, plenty of discussion to be had around time attack and hill climbing, as well as Cole's thoughts on the R35 GTR platform – with which he holds numerous time attack records and is currently in the midst of building a new project that is powered by a 6-litre Ford Powerstroke – as well as the huge importance and benefits of properly-designed aero. Cole is a wealth of knowledge and we enjoyed his frank and open take on all things speed – there's plenty of golden nuggets in this episode for anyone who's interested in going fast!
Field Report: How Do You Tame 3000hp With Torque Management?
2000-3000HP GT-Rs are not uncommon in today's performance car world, and Tony Palo of T1 Race Development runs us through some of the nuances that go into tuning these highly strung, modern beasts and ensuring that power goes to the ground.Discussed is how the MoTeC M150 ECU controls the torque via a variety of parameters such as speed, boost, knock throttle etc. Also discussed is how the gear shifting is done to ensure the torque output does not exceed the gearboxes threshold when the driver requests a change, and also touched on is how the ECU actually calculates the torque and the need to be accurate in your tune to ensure this information is also accurate and safe.Want to develop your own skills further? Start with a free live lesson! Claim your spot now: https://www.hpacademy.com/free
026: Building a Tube Frame 1100hp Time Attack Weapon.
Is there something in the water? Is it a cultural thing? Maybe it's the 9 months of cold and dark per year that forces enthusiasts into their garages and workshops that results in some of the world's most extreme race car builds. Whatever the answer, there's no denying that Scandinavia is rich with incredible DIY engineers, fabricators, and engine builders, and Sweden's Karel Silha is one of the best. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-inThe brains behind Karel S. Motorsport, Karel recently sat down with Tuned In's host Andre Simon talk all things race car design and fabrication, building big-power BMW M motors, aerodynamics, and much more.In this episode, Karel and Andre dive deep into his latest build – an insane tubeframe time attack weapon based off a BMW M4 DTM and running a 1100hp twin-turbo BMW S65 V8 from an E90 M3. Absolutely everything on this machine is custom, designed and fabricated from the ground up, and Karel goes into plenty of detail about the process – including the initial body design, which began as a 3D scan of a detailed 1:18 scale model of the actual DTM race car. The ups and downs of building high-powered yet reliable BMW motors are discussed, as are the insane aerodynamic aspects of the car and the suspension needed to work with it, along with the intense electronics and data acquisition capabilities that Karel has built in. Interested in learning how to do your own wheel alignment for the track or street? Start with a free alignment & suspension 101 lesson now: hpcdmy.co/alignmentfKarel has a lot of experience when it comes to going all-in on a build, and that means that plenty of lessons have been learnt along the way – many of which he's more than happy to discuss with Andre in this insightful and sometimes inspiring episode of the podcast. If you like building cool things, going fast, and maybe taking things just a little too far in the workshop, this is one episode you're not going to want to miss.Check out Karel's Instagram here: karel_s_motorsport
Field Report: Are Piston Coatings Worth Having AND Can Coatings Save Your Engine?
Are piston coatings going to save you from a bad tune, and if not, what’s the point? MAHLE Motorsports engineer Eric Grilliot answers these questions and more during a Performance Racing Industry Trade Show visit.Discussed are how different coatings can look identical to the naked eye but will often have different purposes and intents between manufacturers and also locations on the piston. Top Fuel piston coating vs OEM vs racing and even street applications are touched on along with why different areas of the piston might be focused on, or in the case of Top Fuel Drag Racing why it is beneficial to simply coat the entire piston. Want to develop your own skills further? Start with a free live lesson! Claim your spot now: https://www.hpacademy.com/free
025: No Mods. Tune Only. 25% MORE POWER.
How much power is hiding behind a factory diesel tune? What are the traps a gasoline tuner can fall into when dipping their toes into the diesel world? And what's a sure-fire way to create a nifty inspection hole in your diesel block on the dyno? If you want the answers to any of these questions, as well as many more, check out this week's episode of the High Performance Academy Tuned In podcast with our guest, Nick Priegnitz of Duramaxtuner.com.Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-inIt can be tricky to find good, solid information in the performance tuning industry when it comes to learning and improving our craft (that is, after all, why we originally founded High Performance Academy) and for whatever reason, it's even harder to find in the diesel world. This is where Nick Priegnitz comes in – he's long been an open book when it comes to mastering and teaching aftermarket diesel tuning, and in this episode, Andre and Nick discuss the many ups and downs of the field, as well as the many differences seen when compared to gasoline performance tuning. Learn more about performance diesel engine tuning. Start instantly with 4 free lessons: hpcdmy.co/essential-dieselThis is going to be a great listen for anyone that's even remotely interested in the world of performance diesel tuning – even if it's not your thing, learning about just how differently these systems operate and how your approach to tuning them needs to be drastically modified is well worth your time.
Field Report: Swapping a Ferrari engine into a GT86
Want your GT86 to rev out to 9,000 RPM? Here’s one way to do it.The 570HP 4.5L Ferrari V8 powered ‘GT4586’ of Ryan Tuerck was at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and we caught up with Brian Hartsock of Unicorn Garage to get a few more details of one of the more unusual GT86 engine swaps you’re ever likely to see. The engine hails from the F136 V8 family and originally was housed in a Ferrari 458. Other than some setup changes for fitment, it remains relatively stock and despite boasting 80% of its 540Nm of torque being on tap from 3,250 rpm, Nitrous Oxide is injected up until 6,000 rpm to prevent a lot of clutch work and increased maintenance to keep it sliding.Want to develop your own skills further? Start with a free live lesson! Claim your spot now: https://www.hpacademy.com/free
024: Driving Fast And Keeping Secrets With The Stig, Ben Collins
We've got an absolute banger for this week's episode of the High Performance Academy Tuned In podcast, as the legendary Ben Collins sits down for some quality chats with Andre about all things driving and, of course, being the Stig. You may not know the name, but you'll definitely recognise the white overalls and helmet. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-inAndre first leans in on Ben's wealth of experience when it comes to professional motorsport and driver training to talk about honing your skills behind the wheel. Ben's insight into common mistakes to avoid, how to get the most out of your car, and things he wishes all drivers knew are valuable ones.The pair then move on to the real meat and potatoes of the whole thing — how does someone even become the Stig? Ben charts his unexpected rise from an inexperienced driver who'd never even been in race car before 18, to becoming one of the most famous drivers in the world — if not by name. This is a man that has driven and raced almost every type of race and street car, from open-wheelers, to NASCAR, to V8 Supercars, to the 24 Hours of Le Mans and countless roadgoing exoticas — and that means there's just a huge amount of gold worth diving into. Interested in learning how to do your own wheel alignment for the track or street? Start with a free alignment & suspension 101 lesson now: hpcdmy.co/alignmentfWhat was life like as the Stig? How did he keep his identity secret for so long? How much pressure was there for manufacturers to turn in a good lap? What was the best car he ever drove? Andre was bursting full of questions for Ben in this fascinating podcast — so if you want answers to any of the above and much, much more, this is going to be a great podcast for you.
Field Report: The World's Quickest Street Legal R32 GT-R
Running 80 PSI of boost and in excess of 2500HP Croyden Racing Developments 'JUN II' is one of the quickest GT-R Skylines in the world with a 6.86 1/4 mile pass at 204mph at the time of recording, most impressively with a street-legal chassis and the weight that comes with that!This interview with Con from CRD was filmed at Sydney Jamboree where unfortunately race day was rained off but we're excited to see what the car and bigger turbo setup can do in the future.Want to develop your own skills further? Start with a free live lesson! Claim your spot now: https://www.hpacademy.com/free
023: Do We Still Need To Read Spark Plugs? The Finer Details With Mick's Motorsport.
On this week's episode of High Performance Academy's Tuned In podcast, Andre is joined by a legend of the Australian tuning scene, Micks Motorsport's Michael Baghdadi. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-inMick has been a long time friend of Andre and of HPA, and comes into the conversation ready to lay down a wealth of knowledge when it comes to all things engine building, dyno tuning, and drag racing. With a common shared interest in both Mitsubishi's 4G63 and Nissan's SR20 engine platforms, Andre and Mick go way off the deep end in this one. We couldn't quite tell if this conversation evolved into a 'who knows more about these engines' contest, or it was simply – to put it crassly – just a couple of very knowledgable pigs in sh*t, talking shop. Either way, it's a great listen for anyone who wants to get way into the finer details on what makes these two Japanese performance engine staples great, and not so great. Want to learn how to EFI tune? Start with some free lessons right here: hpcdmy.co/efilessonMick also drops a surprising amount of trade secrets into the mix over the hour-long conversation, and there are some great discussions on the differences between pump fuel, E85, race gas, and methanol – not just the price and the numbers, but what they all actually mean for a tuner sitting on a dyno. Do you enjoy listening to two experts go full geek on their chosen field? If so, this is the episode for you. Mick's Evo VIII tech tour: https://youtu.be/VUUx7AICy_c
Field Report: Can You Put an Aftermarket ECU In ANY Vehicle?
More and more late-model vehicles are using CAN bus to help control almost every function in a car from engine-related functions to touch-sensitive door handles. While on the surface this technology is great, when we want to start modifying a vehicle for track use it can cause complications.Want to develop your own skills further? Start with a free live lesson! Claim your spot now: https://www.hpacademy.com/free
022: Is There Such a Thing as Too Much Power?
In this week's episode of High Performance Academy's Tuned In podcast, Andre reaches out to Finland to talk billet, big horsepower, and engine building with Elmer Racing's Oskar Elmgren.Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-inElmer Racing is best known for its incredible bespoke billet engines and its success with the PR Tech Racing Porsche 968 at World Time Attack Challenge. The 'RP968' runs one of Elmer Racing's monster four-litre, four-cylinder Thor engines. It holds the time attack record at Sydney's Eastern Creek circuit and is shockingly close to the outright record, held by Nico Hülkenberg in an A1GP car. With Thor engines dominating out in the wild and a new five-litre 'Hell' engine based on the Nissan VR38 nearly ready to hit the market, we thought this would be the perfect time to sit Oskar down and talk about how someone even goes about building an exquisite piece of tech like this. Where do you start? Is it all trial and error? What are the limitations? Is a billet engine for anyone that can afford it?Learn more about Performance Engine Building by coming along to the next FREE lesson: hpcdmy.co/enginebuildingfThankfully, Oskar is a fairly open book, and his insights into the very pointy end of the industry is a fascinating one. This episode dives deep into the weeds of the performance engine building world, and there's plenty in here that'll surprise even the most seasoned performance enthusiast.
Field Report: Getting 110 PSI At 80,000 RPM Turbo Speed?
Jett Racing recently reset the world record with a 6.20 at 229 mph with their 2200HP, 110 PSI compound turbocharged 4g63 monster.Want to develop your own skills further? Start with a free live lesson! Claim your spot now: https://www.hpacademy.com/free
021: Motorsport Wiring is Less Daunting Than You Think
After a week off for the new year's break, we're back and starting off 2022 strong with an interesting and very informative chat with HPA's wiring and motorsport electronics tutor, Zac Perston. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-inAlthough Zac currently spends most of his time working for a prestigious university here in New Zealand, he's also the brains behind all our motorsport wiring courses, and any time not spent at the university is used up working on fresh HPA lessons and helping out our members in the forums. Unlike many in the industry, Zac received a tertiary education before getting involved in motorsport, and his perspective on education and whether you need a degree to work at a high level is an interesting one. It's perhaps this qualification that also got him the tick when going to work for Rodin Cars, a fascinating high-end hypercar and racecar facility in the South Island of New Zealand. Zac discusses the ups and downs of working in such an intense and demanding environment. Want to learn more about motorsport wiring? Claim your spot to the next FREE lesson: hpcdmy.co/wiringlessonfAndre and Zac also talk all things motorsport wiring — that means everything from PMUs, to the dreaded 'MILspec' term that's so often thrown about these days, and how much knowledge you actually need to start creating your own high-end, super reliable motorsport wiring systems. There's a lot here for anyone remotely interested in motorsport wiring here, and Zac, as always, is a fountain of knowledge and interesting insight in the field.
Field Report: How do you get 500HP out of a 105kg engine?
Ever wondered what it would take to build a 10,500RPM, 500HP V8 motorcycle-based engine? Wonder no more as the RPE RP-V8 is just that.Want to develop your own skills further? Start with a free live lesson! Claim your spot now: https://www.hpacademy.com/free
Field Report: 590HP 4G63 Time Attack EVO 6
The 2.3L 4G63 in this EVO 6 can produce up to 590HP, but why is that not necessarily a good thing?Benjamin Perry of Benchmark Solutions runs us through the Evolution Racing Spares EVO 6 which took out first place honours in the Clubsprint Class at the last World Time Attack Challenge. Running up to 590HP from 37 PSI (440KW at 2.5 Bar) the team actually turned down the boost from the Garrett GTX3576R GEN II in order to make suspension and driver changes in order to get a PB out of both around Sydney Motorsports Park.Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in
020: The Realities of Building a Monster From Scratch With Cody Loveland
On this week's episode of High Performance Academy's Tuned In podcast, Andre is joined by race car fabricator extraordinaire Cody Loveland. Cody's name is probably best known for its association with the famous Pikes Peak hill climb race, held annually in Colorado, where he has campaigned various extremely quick vehicles over the last decade. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-inCody and Andre spend some time talking about the race itself, as well as Cody's best known machine, the incredible Enviate Hypercar. This 1000kg, twin-turbo LS-powered monster is bristling with extreme carbon fibre aero and runs in the unlimited class at Pikes Peak. The single-seater weapon benefits from some seriously cool engineering and input from Formula 1 engineers and aerodynamicists out of Europe. Interested in learning how to do your own wheel alignment for the track or street? Start with a free alignment & suspension 101 lesson now: hpcdmy.co/alignmentfCody talks us through the inevitable ups and downs that come with running such an extreme vehicle in one of the most demanding races on the planet, as well as how he got to where he is today and what it takes to stay there. While your own involvement in motorsport might be as grassroots as it gets, there are plenty of lessons to be learnt by listening to Cody discuss the challenges and downright disasters he's faced, and how he and his team eventually overcame them. If you like to build your racecars instead of buying them, this is going to be an unmissable episode for you.
Field Report: Making 2000HP+ Reliable With Professional Motorsport Wiring
Solder Vs Crimping, PDM feasibility, documentation, and Mil-Spec vs Autosport connectors, this interview has it all.Cody Philips spared a bit of time for Andre and the team at TX2K to run through a large range of topics relating to his career, best practices when it comes to professional level motorsport wiring, materials and a few details on what he has done to his own 2000 odd horsepower, 7 second 2JZ powered JZA80 Supra.Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in
019: Tuning Ryan Tuerck's Screaming V10 With John Reed Racing
On this week's episode of High Performance Academy's Tuned In podcast, we've managed to pin down John from John Reed Racing. John isn't big on attention and prefers to let his work do the talking, so we're very thankful he's taken the time to speak with us.Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-inThese days, its getting harder and harder to simply replace your factory ECU with an aftermarket standalone unit due to the complexity of modern automotive systems, and this is where John comes in. John is one of Motec's biggest and best developers of custom firmware packages for different vehicles, for the M1 platform — if you don't know what that is, then listen on because we'll be diving deep into the subject. Want to learn how to EFI tune? Start with some free lessons right here: hpcdmy.co/efilessonJohn is also known for his work in many high profile builds, including the Underground Racing Lamborghini and Audi projects, as well as Ryan Tuerck's incredible Judd V10-powered A90 Toyota Supra. He breaks down what's involved in these mega builds, and goes into detail on tuning the absolutely ear-shattering V10 Judd motor — truly a bucket list job for any tuner.
Field Report: How Do You Become an EFI Tuner?
In this Field Report direct from the pits at Pike's Peak, Andre sits down with David Rowe from EPS, also known as Electronic Performance Systems, to discuss the path to become a professional aftermarket tuner.Considering that there are currently no university qualifications or industry-recognised standards to follow, this is a very important subject for a lot of people. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in
018: Is ‘Milspec’ Overhyped? Wiring Truths with Joel Vincze
On this week's episode of High Performance Academy's 'Tuned In' podcast, we chase down the ever-busy Joel Vincze of Race Spec in New York to talk all things motorsport wiring.Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-inJoel spends his days building wiring harnesses for some of the fastest vehicles in the world, and is a long-time friend of HPA. When it comes to high-performance automotive wiring, Race Spec is one of the most trusted names in the business. In this revealing chat with Andre, Joel talks us through his self-taught rise in the industry and discusses how things like Instagram, hashtags, and buzzwords have rapidly changed the game — for better and for worse.Want to learn more about motorsport wiring? Claim your spot to the next FREE lesson: hpcdmy.co/wiringlessonfWhat exactly is 'milspec wiring'? Is concentric twisting a waste of time? Should you solder or crimp? Answers to these questions and many more can be found inside this week's episode of Tuned In featuring Race Spec's Joel Vincze.
Field Report: 1170HP & 53 PSI+ of BOOST World's Fastest EVO X
4G63 vs 4B11, best turbo back pressure ratio, and is the biggest turbo you can fit the best? Let's find out!Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-inRunning 1170HP, 680 ft-lbs of torque and in excess of 53 PSI of boost, the English Racing Mitsubishi EVO X is pushing the boundaries and leading the pack to be the fastest Mitsubishi Evolution X in the world. Driver Myles Kerr discusses some of the challenges that come with pioneering a newer platform and where he sees the 4B11 being superior to the proven but now dated 4G63 power plant. Despite what a lot of people think, it does take more than just a healthy bank account to get this done 🤓
017: Garage Built, Mid Mounted, Twin Turbo Hayabusa V8 Hill Climb Car
Although we like to think of ourselves as a fairly capable bunch, we're certainly not above fanboying over some of the incredible builds and the people behind them that can be found out there on the internet. One example is Josh Valman and his incredible Alfa Romeo unlimited hillclimb build, which can be found on Instagram at @motorsport_engineering. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-inJosh and Andre sit down to talk about the absolutely insane Alfa build, which runs an 850hp twin-turbo Hayabusa V8 from Hartley Engines – the amount of actual Alfa parts can be counted on one hand, which gives you an idea for just how intense this car is. Although Josh has no specific motorsport training – in fact, this is the first car he's ever built – he has an extensive engineering background that stretches back to his tween years when he was a contestant on the Battlebots TV show. This goes a long long way in explaining just why the Alfa build is so intensely built and well designed.Want to learn more about motorsport wiring? Claim your spot to the next FREE lesson: hpcdmy.co/wiringlessonfAndre and Josh also discuss the pros and cons of CAD and FEA, the importance of failure in the learning process, and much more. This would have to be one of our favourite episodes yet, so if you're interested in engineering and automotive design, as well as motorsport electronics and data, then this is the perfect episode for you.
Field Report: 3200HP+ RB Block With A 2JZ Twist
With teams now pushing 100PSI of boost to hit power levels of 3200HP and more from existing setups, we’re excited to see what Bullet Race Engineerings new RB hybrid block can do.Darren Palumbo is no stranger to Nissan RB26’s, RB30’s or Toyota 2JZ engines with Bullet Race Engineering having produced billet blocks for each many times over the years and using this knowledge the team has gone one step further to try and remove some of the weaknesses holding the RB back, specifically the crankshaft. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-in
016: Reflash or Run a Standalone ECU With Mike McGinnis
On this week's episode of High Performance Academy's Tuned In podcast, long-time friend of HPA, Mike McGinnis, settles in for an hour's worth of high-quality, knowledge-filled tuning banter with our resident nerd Andre Simon.Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-inMike has been around the traps for a good few years now, and has become one of the world's top brains when it comes to both reflashing stock ECUs and aftermarket ECU tuning. Mike is currently occupied as chief calibration engineer for a top reflashing platform. Want to learn how to EFI tune? Start with some free lessons right here: hpcdmy.co/efilessonMike and Andre get deep into the weeds in this one, starting with Mike's development path and all its twists and turns, that got him to where he is today. The pair also spend time trying to answer the often-asked question — should I reflash the stock ECU, or should I go standalone aftermarket? This is a big and complicated subject, and there's a whole lot of grey area, overlap, other factors to consider, but Mike and Andre do their best to clear it up. Along with a discussion about just how quickly the reflashing industry has progressed with what's possible now and much, much more, this episode is jam-packed with useful information for anyone interested in tuning.
015: Squeezing More Performance Out of Your Race Car With AWA Racing
On this episode of High Performance Academy's Tuned In podcast, we sit down with AWA Racing's team owner and race engineer, Andrew Wojteczko. Use ‘PODCAST75’ for $75 off your first HPA course here: https://hpcdmy.co/hpa-tuned-inAndrew has been in the circuit racing scene for many years and more recently stepped out from the driver's seat to dedicate himself to running and engineering his own team. AWA Racing currently competes in the IMSA GT4 class running a McLaren 570S GT4. Andrew talks us through the ins and outs of the sport, as well as the lengths he needs to go to in order to get the absolute most out of a factory-built and very restricted race car. There is, as Andrew says, a lot to be said for how these tight restrictions tend to push engineers to become much more creative in the pursuit of speed. The important and often misunderstood role of bump stops when it comes to suspension tuning is also discussed in detail.Interested in learning how to do your own wheel alignment for the track or street? Start with a free alignment & suspension 101 lesson now: hpcdmy.co/alignmentfThis podcast is perfect ear fodder for those listeners who want to know exactly how racing at this higher level works and is perhaps looking to something useful to take away and use in their own race programs.