172: More Than Just HP: The Engineering Behind Drifting

What happens when a passion for drifting, engineering and making things turns into a full-scale manufacturing business? For Josiah Fallaise, it became FDF Race Shop — an operation built around solving problems, designing better parts and putting engineering theory to the test on track.

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In this episode of Tuned In, Josiah shares how his background in manufacturing engineering, welding and CNC machining evolved into FDF Race Shop. We discuss moving from one-off fabrication and roll cages to scalable products, bringing manufacturing in-house and building a workshop packed with CNC machines, laser cutting, waterjet cutting and 3D printing.

We dive into modern design and manufacturing, covering CAD, CAM, 3D scanning, generative design, additive manufacturing and why designing a part is only half the battle. Josiah explains the importance of designing for manufacture, validating scan data and understanding where new technologies genuinely make sense.

The conversation also gets technical on Josiah’s other passion — competitive drifting. We break down angle kits, Ackermann, bump steer, roll centre, tyre grip and why suspension geometry changes once a car is sideways. Josiah also explains his 900hp naturally aspirated LS setup and why the use of nitrous is so effective in competition.

Ultimately, this episode is all about solving problems. Whether it’s designing a better suspension component, improving a manufacturing process or finding more performance from a drift car, Josiah’s approach proves the value of understanding the fundamentals, testing ideas and continually refining the result.

👉 Use the code ‘PODCAST500’ to get $500 OFF HPA's VIP Package: https://hpcdmy.co/podvip

Follow Josiah here:

Instagram: josiahfallaise
Facebook: josiahfallaise
Youtube: josiahfallaise
Tiktok josiahfallaise
WWW: fdfraceshop.com

Timestamps:

0:00 More Than Just HP: The Engineering Behind Drifting
3:40 How did you develop an interest in cars?
8:33 How do you model a part in CAD so it can actually be machined?
11:33 The possibilities of additive manufacturing (3d printing)\
16:17 What is generative design?
23:47 When did you start using these modern technologies in your workflow? 
28:35 How does a 3d scanner work?
38:19 What CAD software would you recommend? 
43:17 Is AI going to be helping us build and tune cars?
47:29 How do you produce accurate load values for FEA? 
54:29 How did you start your own business? FDF Race Shop 
1:03:06 What does FDF look like today?
1:05:58 As an enthusiast, is outsourcing CNC parts to craftcloud a good option?
1:11:14 Did you fall into the classic entrepreneurial trap? 
1:20:34 How do you decide what products to develop?
1:23:29 What drew you to drifting?
1:25:48 Is there any affordable platform to start drifting these days?
1:28:21 V8 vs turbo 6 cylinder, pros and cons?
1:36:55 How does bump steer affect a drift car?
1:40:32 What is ackermann and how does it affect the car?
1:44:30 How does roll centre affect the car?
1:53:42 How does chamber affect a drift car?
1:55:11 How do you feel about the current state of drifting as a sport?
2:04:12 Final 3 Questions

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