Sunoco fuel at Indy

[FED 387]

VP= Volatile Products I believe---FED 387

[DIV3CR]

Thank you. That was the name when I raced 50 yrs ago.
A while back I asked A person who worked for VP for
25 yrs and he didn't know. Thanks again.

[House of Darts]

This info is about 10-15 years old. I believe that it still holds true. Sunoco Blue and Purple are blended gasolines. VP equivalents are specifically designed race fuels. This why VP is more expensive. It even smells different. It was designed for the turbo and supercharged "gasoline" powered engines many years ago( outlaw cars etc.). It then trickled down to a variety of race fuels. Sunoco to the best of my knowledge is fortified pump 260 that was available in the 60's and early 70's. This is why it burns well in older iron. The two are hard to compare, sort a like big box store spring water and Fiji water. When you have a system that works it is hard to change it. If you test and tune or dyno with a specific fuel you do get different results. Tuning to a new fuel can be difficult when cars are run on the edge. When fuel or gasoline is tested in a lab they NEVER put it in plastic containers. It screws up their testing. It is sold in metal containers not plastic. Storing one type of fuel in a plastic container for many months can taint a new manufacturers fuel. There is a difference. As far as bulk sales, you always have to consider who is delivering it and how professional are their standards .

[Mike Croley]

All of the leading brands of race fuel are specifically designed as race fuels. The various brands differ in their approach to making the fuels, what chemicals and compounds they use, and in what quantities.
It looks as though the problems aren't solved yet. So for anyone wanting to find another brand of fuel to use, simply go to the web site of each manufacture on the NHRA Accepted Fuels list and compare the specs of the fuel you were using to the other brands. There aren't many secrets in the race fuel business. If one manufacturer has a blend that works great for a specific application, you can bet that some of the other companies will have a comparable or better fuel available.
And the advice of not using plastic containers for race fuel is right on the money.
Buying bulk race gas can be an issue if the fuel isn't handled properly. A tank that's vented to the atmosphere is not a good idea. Most stations that have race gas in ground have different vent systems that retain the light ends.

[Bill Bagley]

This whole thread is kind of disturbing. I've used Sunoco 110 (purple) since 2009 when I reentered the racing scene. The fuel choice was primarily a matter of convenience due to having a local wholesale distributor, and secondarily a matter of performance when testing on the dyno in 2012 yielded no real performance difference.

Continued using Sunoco fuel until the April 2015 Div. 4 race in Ennis where we failed fuel check with a fresh load of 110 purple. We drained and refueled with VP (sold at the track) and passed.

Now I'm 'gun shy'..

[terral]

Ttt

[Bill Bagley]

Originally Posted by Bill Bagley

This whole thread is kind of disturbing. I've used Sunoco 110 (purple) since 2009 when I reentered the racing scene. The fuel choice was primarily a matter of convenience due to having a local wholesale distributor, and secondarily a matter of performance when testing on the dyno in 2012 yielded no real performance difference.

Continued using Sunoco fuel until the April 2015 Div. 4 race in Ennis where we failed fuel check with a fresh load of 110 purple. We drained and refueled with VP (sold at the track) and passed.

Now I'm 'gun shy'..

For a follow up and to be fair to Sunoco, we're at the div. 4 race this weekend in Gilliam, LA at Thunder Road Raceway. Sunoco is the fuel source and we loaded up with fresh 110 purple. Fuel check was no problem.

[Bryan Worner]

I know all of you that are bashing Sunoco on here are doing it because of bad experiences with the fuel, but who is really to blame? Sunoco? I really don't think so. My family has always run Sunoco, except for a year Byron ran VP for half a season. We have a local Sunoco dealer very close to us. Our fuel is always transported in sealed drums, except the leftover fuel in my plastic jug I keep in my trailer between races. We only had a problem one time and that was an issue with the supply being shipped to our dealer in a contaminated tanker. All fuel was replaced by our dealer at no cost and the supplier took the fuel back.

My point here is how the fuel is handled by the supplier, dealer and you are what is making your fuel good or bad. So if you use additives, put dry ice in your fuel cell, mix fuels, etc. expect your fuel to change and fail. I have only had that one issue in over 10 years of using Sunoco myself. My family has used it for over 20 years.

[MR DERBY CITY]

I noticed a comp racer who won rd. 2 at Dallas was just DQ ed at fuel check. I wonder what fuel he was using ??

[Dan Fletcher]

I haven't run Comp since earlier in the year, but if memory serves, I think Sunoco is the NHRA mandated fuel. Good seeing you at St. Louis MJ...