Race Fuel

[woodyracing]

4 star petrol was banned in UK right?
so what about older race cars that originally used 4 star ?
what fuel is used in them now ?

[Adam43]

It is possible to still get 4 star. I think quite a few garages are licenced to stock it. So if your car absolutely has to run on it then it's out there somewhere! However it tends to be quite expensive, but for a racer you don't need too much.

[josvandeperre]

There are several possibilities

a - real leaded four star from Bayford thrust available at lots of independents around the country - about 100 octane

b - at Silverstone there used to be racing four star (plus) leaded elf for about £ 1.50 a litre !

c - use Shell Optimax plus a lead replacement treatment such as Millers which conveniently then also boosts the octane to about 100

[woodyracing]

ok thanks so 4 star is not a problem then.

but whats the deal with racing fuel ?
does everyone use it for racing as opposed to regular high street fuel ? is it mad not to use it ?
As far as I know, the only difference in race fuel is the octane, right?
And what about regs that state that no power boosting fuel additives are allowed, is racing fuel still ok then ?

cheers for the info, im just curious about it all.

[Maisie]

I think it depends on your series regs. Most series, as far as I know, use ordinary pump fuel, which isn't that different from the pump fuel at race circuits. Where possible, though, most people go for something like Optimax or Super Unleaded which is cheaper than the stuff they sell at race circuits, but which gives you enough power.

I think as long as "race fuel" (if you mean the stuff sold at the circuit) isn't different in octane or composition to what's sold at garages, you're OK.

Special racing fuel mixes like that which the BTCC use are generally bought separately, but I don't think many championships run on custom fuel.

[Peter Mallett]

Be careful with additives. I beleive the only MSA (& FIA?) approved additive is Millers CVL. Everything else is banned.

[Stacy]

Originally posted by woodyracing
As far as I know, the only difference in race fuel is the octane, right?

A number of places sell MSA legal pump fuel, brewed to the limit of the MSA regs at 100octane. They have various gums and additives removed too. Any higher than this is not legal for our use anyway, and I believe for most racing here. GT's etc can use higher octane I believe.

Of course high octane is only an advantage if you're running high compression and advance anyway.

Whether it makes a difference at all in your application, or indeed is worth the cost, is something to ponder. It's certainly pricey to find out and tune with it, where the result might be another 1bhp.

Stacy

[mattray]

I have used 4 star, optimax, super unleaded, Lead substistute, Super with Miller additive and a mix of Super and Lead substitute. I think that all the ones we have tried, in a kent engined Formula Ford, and to be honest (which I realise is rare in a driver) I have never noticed a difference over the course of a race. Maybe if the "wrong" type of fuel were used over the course of a season then there would be some damage but really can anyone tell the differnce??

Maybe a differnce could be seen if a true back to back were tried on the same day etc. but from circuit to circuit or day to day I cant see it.

Anyway people looking for 1-5 hp in an engine are kidding themselves if they think that they dont make the equivilent in time gained from the HP in mistakes over the course of either a lap or a race. I kow I have never driven a perfect lap and certainly not a perfect race!!

Matt

[Tony Harman]

50/50 mix of 4 star and Optimax seems to be a good balance as far a power figures go. You get 100 Octane, the limit set by MSA and it is "pump" fuel, the 4 Star (I pay 1.05p per litre for Bayford), gives you the lead requirement without having to use an additive. Some series do ban additives but that is not an MSA rule, (I don't think Millers is the only approved additive Pete ?)
Like Mat says - being realistic the slight gains in power are more than wiped out by the inability of most of us to string together 10 decent laps ! I'm more interested in looking after my engine.

[Adam43]

I agree that things like looking after your engine is more important, but...

If a power increase gives you a tenth a lap then even if you make a mistake that lap is still a tenth quicker than it would have been without the power increase! (maybe more so because the power has made you accelerate back up from losinghte speed

But I agree there is no need to go silly for just a couple of bhp.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally posted by Tony Harman
Some series do ban additives but that is not an MSA rule, (I don't think Millers is the only approved additive Pete ?)
Like Mat says - being realistic the slight gains in power are more than wiped out by the inability of most of us to string together 10 decent laps ! I'm more interested in looking after my engine.

I use Millers because it has a lead substitute and seems to work. I run with CVL and unleaded. Although I have got hardened valve seats.

As far as additives are concerned I may have confused you. Millers is a lead substitute and an octane booster and as such is the only MSA approved product because it doesn't (apparently) contravene the pump fuel rule.

Pro boost or others of that ilk are definitely banned because they are primarily octane boosters.

It does depend on the engine though. As a f'rinstance a rotary runs perfectly well on low octane fuel whereas a four stroke high compression engine needs a high octane fuel.

However we can get into anti-knock and detonation discussions which frankly are beyond me. So, for my peace of mind I stick with Millers and unleaded.

Incidentally. I run super unleaded at Spa because I am confident in the Belgian fuel. I don't have the same confidence in UK fuel properties.

[zefarelly]

I've run a combination of the above suggestions in kent engines, from STd GT to tuned on twin 40's . . . .I used unleaded on its own in a 1600E for 15000 miles (with additive things in the tank- fitted by previous owner) and the exhaust seats recessed quite a lot on 2+3 cylinders

I have a 1700 crossflow, 234 cam and 40's, I drive it hard, and on the motorway quite a lot, it will pink a little bit with std unleaded, if you use optimax and millers it runs like a dream . . .not very economic @ 25/gallon though.

[JR Ewing]

Originally posted by mattray
I have used 4 star, optimax, super unleaded, Lead substistute, Super with Miller additive and a mix of Super and Lead substitute.

Is that allowed in FF1600 these days?

[tfg]

we are no on a controlled fuel for our Championship as this was the only thing that anyone could cheat on. We know some people where using 118 octane but as it costs £150 per test people where reluctent to take samples. Having 1 fuel for the whole championship means that the manufacture will test free of charge, they will also deliver the fuel to the circuits and pick up the empty drums. The other advanatge is that they make 1 patch for the whole year so you know that there will be no discrepencies. The only downside is that the cost is double of normal 95 ron fuel. However this extra is minimal when offset against the savings when your engine comes to be rebuilt. I know of too many drivers who have had engines let go because they have picked up a bad batch of fuel from a petrol station.