Fuel check question

[Bob Don]

Originally Posted by Bob Bender

When I worked for NHRA in the 80`s I did fuel check. The numbers should run in the middle. Low numbers means fuel is old and losing its octane. High numbers means there is more then just racing fuel in there. I think NHRA should throw out the low numbers, if the fuel is old and bad it does not make the car go faster. They have always tested like that. Hope that helped or Im just full of *****........

Whether or not that was helpful, you still might be full of *****! Ha ha!

[philip miles]

I went to the PRI show in Orlando and asked the Sunoco technical representitives how long the shelf live is on their racing fuel. They told me 1.5 to 2 years. With that said, I went to a race with fuel that was about 1 year old, it had lost it's color purple. I told the NHRA fuel check person that I was claiming Sunoco purple, well it passed the fuel check, but he told me to add some fresher fuel with color so that he can recognize it by the color. The car ran the same with the older fuel as well as with the fresher fuel.

Casey Miles
248H "F" NHRA Stock!

[Pistol Pete]

Yeah, but even when you buy " fresh" gas, how long was it sitting in their drum ???

I got a bad reading from Englishtown last year & they said, give me another sample
& the second sample passed.

If no one else believes you Bender, I believe ya.......


Pistol Pete
1374
I/SA

[Michael Beard]

I've had Sunoco sit in a vented fuel cell and in jugs over the winter, go racing and never have a problem in fuel check. It's pretty stable stuff. On the flip side, VP has a high "pop off" rate. The fuel check guy at Atlanta told me the best thing to do would be to drain the fuel cell each week and put the fuel back in a sealed container, or at least plug the fuel cell vent. Seriously?

You know it's volatile stuff when we've generated a habit of holding our hand over the cup while waiting in the fuel check line.

And for those that didn't read the Atlanta thread, beware purchasing any 112 octane blue VP at your local bracket track. It's not on the approved fuels list, and it doesn't check as anything. The southeast VP rep said it is something they formulated that's "close" to Sunoco Blue, but a little different in this spec or that, and they just sell it to the bracket tracks. Why have a readily available fuel and not have it on the list?

[Ryan Horensky]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

I've had Sunoco sit in a vented fuel cell and in jugs over the winter, go racing and never have a problem in fuel check. It's pretty stable stuff. On the flip side, VP has a high "pop off" rate. The fuel check guy at Atlanta told me the best thing to do would be to drain the fuel cell each week and put the fuel back in a sealed container, or at least plug the fuel cell vent. Seriously?

You know it's volatile stuff when we've generated a habit of holding our hand over the cup while waiting in the fuel check line.

And for those that didn't read the Atlanta thread, beware purchasing any 112 octane blue VP at your local bracket track. It's not on the approved fuels list, and it doesn't check as anything. The southeast VP rep said it is something they formulated that's "close" to Sunoco Blue, but a little different in this spec or that, and they just sell it to the bracket tracks. Why have a readily available fuel and not have it on the list?

We've had the opposite effect. I have not had good luck with Sunoco checking in recent years. I have bought from tracks and sealed drums. Each time I take Sunoco to fuel check it is a problem. I have had great luck with VP C-12. After laying in the sand at Atco last year in 90 degree weather draining the sunoco and wasting gallons of C-12 trying to flush the system I think I 'm just going to stay with VP for now. For the amount of bracket racing I do...I would love to just run Sunoco at the cheaper price, but I don't want to switch the car back each time I want to race stock. Has anyone else had issues getting Sunoco purple or Blue to pass?

[Bob Don]

I bought fresh Sunoco purple at Numidia last year and went to Englishtown the following week and it failed fuel check at the Supernationals. I put in 2 year old Sunoco purple and it passed (Brian Bachedler said it was "dead on").

I'm all for what Bob Bender was saying - let anyone who fails on the low side race. They're not gaining anything.

[Myron Piatek]

Originally Posted by Ryan Horensky

Has anyone else had issues getting Sunoco purple or Blue to pass?

I've used Sunoco Purple since I started in IHRA Stock in 1999 with a short experiment with Blue. I never had a problem except for once when I ran out and couldn't get a drum in time. I bought "something" purple that a questionable local speed shop claimed to be Sunoco. But my fuel sits in the car in the off season also and goes through the hot and humid Florida weather with no issues.

[James Perrone]

I have been buying my fuel at the Event I am racing .It seems to be the safest way to pass.They should just stop checking fuel? Really...When NHRA checked fuel after each run we all said ..Why are they wasting our time with fuel check?..I think the officals check everyones fuel the same.Now that its random and some poor racer was tossed ..Lets get rid of fuel check?. NHRA is the game we choose to play...Rules are rules ..I would rather have the spot check..Heads up runs should be tested ,,But that makes too much sense ..

[danny waters sr]

Originally Posted by James Perrone

I have been buying my fuel at the Event I am racing .It seems to be the safest way to pass.They should just stop checking fuel? Really...When NHRA checked fuel after each run we all said ..Why are they wasting our time with fuel check?..I think the officals check everyones fuel the same.Now that its random and some poor racer was tossed ..Lets get rid of fuel check?. NHRA is the game we choose to play...Rules are rules ..I would rather have the spot check..Heads up runs should be tested ,,But that makes too much sense ..

I agree 100%.

Scales should be the same way.. Qualifying ,heads-up and finals is all you need.
That sure would save a lot of time.It would free up more time to spot check for other things.

[Lyn Smith]

I have run Sunoco standard( purple) for years with no problems.Sometimes a drum will last years ,and still check.From what I have been told by the Sunoco reps, there is no such thing as a sealed drum from the factory. It comes from Sunoco in a tanker,and is put in the drums at the dealer.So if you get a drum that doesn't check,it got contaminated when it was loaded off of the tanker,or put in a tank at the track,or gas station.