This month "Ask the Experts" sat down with Automotorsports (AMS) Inc. President, Martin Musial, to talk about his experience in the tuner industry and how his background as a mechanical engineer helps him run a business.

How did you get involved in the tuner industry?

"I've loved cars since I was a little kid and took apart everything I could get my hands on. The first car I worked on was my dad's Alfa Romeo. I was two years old and took a screwdriver down the side of its fresh paint job. Needless to say it was a while before I was allowed to touch my dad's tools again. It wasn't until after college that I started my first serious build. My best friend, roommate, and now business partner bought a Merkur XR4Ti and I traded building his car for rent. This was the first time I built a turbo kit, fab'ed an intercooler, ported a head, assembled an engine and even tuned a car! Sometimes I still think, what was I getting myself into? My first trip to the local dyno shop brought amazement as the glorified relic Pinto motor put out over 400 horsepower and 400 ft-lbs of torque on regular pump gas. That was back in 1999 and I knew at that point that I had a talent for tuning and building cars. The rest you could say is pretty much history!"

I know your background is in mechanical engineering. How does this help out in running your business?

"I use a lot of what I learned in school in our product development and testing. The whole learning process in school also helps you tackle problems outside your knowledge base as it gives you a set of problem solving skills that can be applied to anything. Although it doesn't replace common sense, education prepares you for the challenges in the work environment."

Can you tell us a little more about your company AMS Performance? How the company was started and what you specialize in specifically?

"I started AMS in early 2001 working on the Diamond Star Motors series of cars, including a Mitsubishi Eclipse and Galant VR4, Eagle Talon and Plymouth Laser. Within a year I knew I had to develop my own products for the aftermarket. When the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution came here we jumped all over it and developed a whole product line for the car. We started with turbo kits, intercoolers, exhausts, and engines. More recently we are concentrating on the whole performance package of a car including handling and power. We've recently moved into a new and much larger facility, allowing us to expand our market to other makes and models of cars."

Do you have any recommendations for tire sizes/styles for tuner performance set-ups?

"We started road racing two years ago and have learned so much, including how important tires are to the performance of the vehicle. Even for the spirited street driver the right tires truly make a difference. For our Mitsubishi Time Attack car we run 295/30/18 BFGoodrich^® g-Force™ R1™ tires, and I must say they were a key component in our eight wins this year. For street use, I recently did some track testing with the BFGoodrich g-Force™ T/A^® KDW tire and was so impressed on how much grip the tire provides. The g-Force T/A KDW tire is a very impressive tire given its wet traction and high treadwear rating. What else could you ask for in a tire!"

What kind of projects are you working on at the moment?

"Right now we're in the process of building a new Time Attack car for 2008. We've started from scratch and with everything we've learned on our current EVO, we have decided to build this one faster and lighter. Power and reliability was never an issue so we're concentrating on aerodynamics and chassis/suspension for the new car. Building on success, our aptly named TA2.0 will once again be wearing BFGoodrich g-Force R1 tires."

How important is tire performance for your project cars?

"The tire is the last thing between the road and your car, so why compromise? Grip and power are the two most important factors on the road course, so tire performance is critical. For any serious track car I use the BFGoodrich R1 tire, not only does it outperform the competition but it also outlasts them."