Race track fuel

[graeme]

Do you use it? I don't 'cos I don't particularly trust it - I think it's probably been sitting there for months/years. At testing I'd often nip out to the nearest Shell station rather than top up at the circuit pumps (the joy of a road-legal race car!). What would change my mind? Better opening hours; A tie up with Optimax; refuelling from dated drums so you can see it's not been hanging around for years...???

[josvandeperre]

I'd say Silverstone was an exception - they even have real four star with lead - for a price......

[zefarelly]

the Top Hat series has struck a deal . . . .if your wallet can take it we can get 105 octane lead loaded fuel at each race, I think they'll ship barrells to you as well if you need it . . . I've bought some and the car ran like a dream !

[dtype38]

Interesting that you found a difference in how your car runs with high octane fuel. Not an area I know much about, but I thought you only needed high octane if you're using too much compression / too much advance for ordinary fuel to cope with. If it runs better on higher octane, does that not mean its not set up properly for standard fuel?

[haggispeed]

76 produce a range of fuels which apprently stay in grade, I have a local contact who gets it for drag cars - rated at 138 !
Have done a little research. Bayford Thrust 4* leaded is rated minimum 97oct but higher (98 or 99) when fresh so check when you supplier had a delivery. Shell Optimax is 99oct when delivered, does down to 97 in two weeks then stable, my local garage sells so much of it it has 2 deliveries per week so always fresh. Apparently Shell are considering introducing "V-Power" fuel, it's currently only available in the US but has more power, not sure about octane rating.
I mix 50/50 Optimax and 4 star, always fresh though, gave best overall results on dyno compared with a number of additives, best additive we found was Tetraboost.

[topwelshman]

Originally Posted by josvandeperre

I'd say Silverstone was an exception - they even have real four star with lead - for a price......

£1.68 / litre if I remember!

[cosworth BDG]

Just a note ,fuels will stay in the grade you purchased it at from the respective oil company, if you keep it in A SEALED VERY CLEAN CONTAINER, preferably in a very cool ,dry area, do'not purchase from an underground supply at the race circuit. this is a NEVER NEVER/...

[cosworth BDG]

One other piont i forgot to mention, under no circumstances puchase AVGAS from a pump or un-sealed supply source. This is a receipe for engine disasters. CHEERS , COMPLIMENTS OF THE SEASON TO ALL ------

[1200Datto27]

AVGAS from a pump at an airport HAS to be of the quality suggested, and gets tested quite regulary, The airport next door to me has theirs tested 16 times a year, so I think that the fuel that your getting from them is going to be OK. Remember, if you have an engine failure in a plane, this is what happens if you are lucky.

Oops

They walked away Ok.

[cosworth BDG]

you are right about aircraft STD,S ,but in this thread we are talking about general motorsports, of which very rarely abide to GENERAL AVIATION standards on anything like fuel and mechanical proceedures..

[ianpearson]

i always try to use optimax, i did get stuck at oulton park a few years ago & had to use fuel from a garage called SAVE, got pole, fatest lap (new record) & the win, I was over moon, even saved a few pence per litre. Chucked the rest of the can in the tow car to get home

[JohnMiller]

Originally Posted by zefarelly

the Top Hat series has struck a deal . . . .if your wallet can take it we can get 105 octane lead loaded fuel at each race, I think they'll ship barrells to you as well if you need it . . . I've bought some and the car ran like a dream !

Sounds like Carless F3 fuel.

[haggispeed]

err - isn't the blue book limit 100 octane ???

[Keith Wheeler]

Re the point about fuel 'sitting there for months / years', don't forget that if a particular circuit has it's own raceschool / corporate events, then it is likely that fuel gets used up (and therefore replaced) regularly.

[zefarelly]

Dtype38 . . . .the engine was built the day before the event virtually so no it wasnt set up properly, it was just something to get us out for the demonstration runs at Aintree, I am upping compression from 10 to 12:1 however so the higher octane will help, the main reason for smooth running is lead, of all my engines over the last 6 years or so they all run smoother on leaded fuel

The intention is to run a 50/50 mix to save a few bob and maintain a 100 octane leaded mix, this should be as much as I'll need

[dtype38]

Hmmm... now that I come to think of it, many moons ago, not long after unleaded came out, a mate of mine tried running his car on it to be more environmentally friendly..... it ran like a bag of blots So then he tried a 50/50mix of unleaded and 4star so that he'd at least be 50% environmentally friendly... it ran like half a bag of bolts.

More seriously, a chap I know who works in the petrochem industry claimed to me a little while ago that current 4star only has about 20-30% of the lead in that it had 20years ago. Dunno if anyone can verify that

Maybe some engines are just piccy about their food

[Tim Falce]

I don't think there is much difference, it all comes out of one big tank at Purfleet into different coloured tankers.