High Performance Academy

01/09/2026

Data is perhaps the most valuable resource in motorsport — but the reality is that the vast majority of drivers don’t utilise it to anywhere near its full potential, if at all. But what do we really need to make a data logger an effective investment? What’s the best type of logger for us for example, and how do we get the most out of it?

Let’s find out: hpcdmy.co/DataLogging101

Data is perhaps the most valuable resource in motorsport — but the reality is that the vast majority of drivers don’t utilise it to anywhere near its full potential, if at all. If you want to go faster, this article will help.

01/09/2026

Alcohol, It's The Lord's Fuel

It’s hard to believe — some would even say crazy — what modern Drag and Drive cars are capable of. Thousands of horsepower, five- and six-second passes, all while towing a trailer loaded with spares hundreds of miles to the next event. It’s a challenge that perfectly reflects Devin’s approach to performance: serious power, smart engineering, and reliability that matters just as much as outright speed.

Snippet from the Tuned In podcast episode 168: How Do You Make 3000+HP Survive Drag and Drive?

Full episode available at ‘Tuned In’ on your favourite podcasting platform. Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube etc

Follow Devin Vanderhoof here: Devin Vanderhoof HCR Innovations

👉 Use the code ‘PODCAST500’ to get $500 OFF HPA's VIP Package.

31/08/2026

When learning any new skill that requires specialist equipment, part of that learning process involves discovering what works, what doesn't, and how important some tools are in relation to others.

Here's a rundown on some of the equipment we use and recommend to help YOU get started: hpcdmy.co/AlignmentTools

If you want to perform your own wheel alignments at home, there are a few essential pieces of kit you're going to need. This article will help you pick up the right pieces to get the job done, even if you're on a budget.

31/08/2026

Having a silky-smooth automatic alongside a quick-shifting manual transmission capable of handling 1000HP in the same transmission seems impossible—but the ZF 8HP might just achieve it. Andrew Astley from 8speed joins us to explain why this transmission has become such a popular choice.

Snippet from the Tuned In podcast episode 158: No Compromise? Why the 8HP Might Be the Ultimate Transmission

Full episode available at ‘Tuned in’ on your favourite podcasting platform. Spotify, Apple Podcast, Youtube etc

Follow Andrew on Youtube:

👉 Use the code ‘PODCAST500’ to get $500 OFF HPA's VIP Package.

30/08/2026

The truth is, though, no matter how good you are, there’s always room for improvement, and no one knows this better than High Performance Academy’s professional driving coach, Andrew Waite. We sat down with Andrew to get some insight into exactly what it is that makes a driver ‘good’ behind the wheel of a race car.

Get the answer and read the full Q&A session here: hpcdmy.co/7dk

We know you're an excellent driver, but the question is, could you go even faster? If you want to find out this article will help.

29/08/2026

Which standalone ECU is the best...?

Find out here - hpcdmy.co/whichECU

The most common questions I hear when it comes to standalone ECUs is, "Which is the best ECU for my car?" In this article I'll explain.

28/08/2026

A lot goes into keeping a race engine alive and ensuring reliability and a long service life. In particular much wear can occur during cold startup and the subsequent running until the engine reaches normal operating temperatures. With the majority of high end race engines you’ll see the crews actually pre-heat the oil and coolant prior to starting the engine for the first time. This is the norm for example with the likes of engines.

The common urban myth that this is because the clearances are so tight that the engines can’t be turned over without preheating them first. This actually isn’t the reality and if you think through the logistics of assembling an engine that you can’t turn over by hand, clearly this doesn’t make sense! The block however will grow as it heats up and the cold clearances for the bearings will certainly not be the same as the clearances at a normal operating temperature, piston to cylinder wall clearances too.

Cold oil temperature will also be a long way from what we’d expect under normal running conditions (perhaps 100-120 deg C) and this affects the oil viscosity and in turn the oil pressure. Particularly with a Time Attack application where the car is only run hard for a single lap before returning to the pits, it can be difficult or impossible to get the oil temperature into the normal operating window.

The solution used by the team on the carbon-clad is to incorporate pre-heaters for both the oil and the coolant. The oil is done by wrapping a heating pad around the outside of the dry sump oil reservoir and is connected to mains power in the pits. Immersible heating element/s inside of the tank are alternatives.

Coolant heating is handled via this neat little unit from It is connected to the system via a pair of dry break fittings meaning connection and removal is quick and easy and no air is introduced into the cooling system. The unit incorporates both a heater element and a pump to circulate the coolant through the engine. About an hour of preheating will have the coolant up to about the normal operating temp.

28/08/2026

All things being equal, the power we can achieve from an engine is defined by the volume of air it can consume, and in a naturally aspirated engine, this is limited by atmospheric pressure. It’s the difference between the pressure in the intake manifold and the low pressure created in the cylinder by the piston descending during the intake stroke that makes the air flow past the valves and fill the cylinder.

A supercharger artificially increases the pressure in the intake manifold and this creates a larger pressure differential between the intake manifold and the cylinder which has the effect of forcing more air into the engine. Within reason, the more boost pressure the supercharger produces, the more air that can be forced into the engine and the more power we can potentially make.

When it comes to superchargers, our choice comes down to two options – centrifugal, or positive displacement – and in this article we’ll examine the pros and cons of each.

Let's get stuck into it here - hpcdmy.co/SuperchargerSelection

Traditionally, when the term ‘supercharger’ is mentioned it evokes images of muscle cars with bulging Roots-style blowers climbing out of an engine bay and saying ‘mine’s bigger than yours’. Technology has evolved a long way over the years and this applies to the current crop of supercharg...

27/08/2026

Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, you’ll probably know that E85 is a fuel containing 85 per cent ethanol and 15 per cent gasoline. If you’re interested in performance the real value of E85 is that it provides race-fuel properties at bargain basement prices. It’s quite possible to see your engine power literally double in some cases when switching from pump gas to E85.

Obviously, there’s a bit more to consider than just the fuel, but stay with me and we’ll get to the good bits here - hpcdmy.co/e85

What exactly is E85 and how can you use it to make more power? Find out here.

26/08/2026

Making over 1000HP is one thing — building a car that can make that power, survive constant abuse, and still be driven hundreds of miles on the street is something else entirely. Gus Erickson’s E36 BMW has been through blown engines, broken drive trains and countless late nights, but every failure has helped turn it into one seriously capable street car.

Tuned In podcast episode 169: Pushing the BMW M50 Beyond 1000HP

Listen here: hpcdmy.co/podcastsf
Apple: hpcdmy.co/TunedInApple
Spotify: hpcdmy.co/TunedInSpotify

In this episode of Tuned In, Gus shares how growing up around BMWs in northern Minnesota eventually led him into the performance industry. After years of fixing, modifying and learning on countless different BMW’s, his obsession with the E36 platform became the foundation for a build that would eventually push well beyond his original 1000HP goal.

We dive into the evolution of Gus’s turbo E36, from stock-bottom-end engines and budget turbo setups to forged internals, serious boost and more than 1100HP at the wheels. Gus explains what repeated engine failures taught him about torque management, boost control and where the real limits of factory components start to appear.

The conversation also gets technical, covering Haltech engine management, DCT swaps, transmission control, traction control, head gasket sealing and why keeping the car genuinely streetable has always mattered. Despite the power, the car still retains a full interior, heat, power windows and sees thousands of street miles each year.

This episode is packed with real-world insight into turbo BMWs, engine development, electronics and learning through failure. Gus’s story proves that chasing big power is only part of the equation — making it reliable, usable and fun enough to actually drive is the real challenge.

👉 Use the code ‘PODCAST500’ to get $500 OFF HPA's VIP Package.