What separates a race fuel from a street fuel? | Fuel Tips

Photograph Courtesy Nissan

From the start, race fuels are typically cleaner and more consistent than pump fuels. The reasons why are due to economics and the environment.

Pump gas is a product largely driven by cost, and standards allow a certain amount of agents that over time can cause gum and varnish. Since a tank of pump gas is usually consumed fairly quickly, the presence of those agents is rarely noticed by the consumer.

Race gas is produced for a more exacting consumer, so quality and consistency become the driving factors. According to Zachary J. Santner, senior specialist of quality at Sunoco, race gases start with a base product that, in rough figures, can be called 10 times cleaner than its street-bred counterparts. A tangible benefit of that cleanliness: Race fuels are a lot more stable and can be stored for at least two years without any noticeable changes.

Then there’s consistency. As per EPA standards, pump gas formulas vary based on season and location. A winter-blend fuel, for example, is formulated to produce quick starts in cold weather. During the summer months, though, that winter fuel would lead to increased emissions. Altitude, local air quality and other factors can further affect the blend, and the end result can be dozens of variations for just a single brand and grade of fuel. Race fuels, Santner continues, are consistent. They come from one source, and the formula never changes. Running race fuels simply eliminates one variable from the equation.

Comments

Appleseed MegaDork
3/14/18 6:06 p.m.

How sweet the lead smells. Which also separates the street from the airport.

GameboyRMH GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
3/14/18 6:41 p.m.

Appleseed said:
How sweet the lead smells. Which also separates the street from the airport.

My first thought was also "Brain-poisoning lead?"

bentwrench SuperDork
3/14/18 6:49 p.m.

Most race fuel is unleaded.....

Race fuel is real gasoline

Pump gas is a cluster of flammable hazardous waste products that need to be disposed of mixed with enough gas so it will light easy then tempered with 10% ethanol.

Brian_13 New Reader
3/14/18 7:18 p.m.

In reply to Appleseed :

Although most aviation gasoline is leaded (100LL), many race fuels are not... and there is no need for lead in any fuel in this century.

Toyman01 GRM+ Memberand MegaDork
3/14/18 7:28 p.m.

The difference between race fuel and street fuel? Are you in a race?

These guys? Yep, race fuel.

te72 New Reader
3/14/18 9:00 p.m.

Shame that race fuel isn't available in more places, at the pump. Understandable, absolutely, but still unfortunate.

That said, about 90% of the highway driving I do is just cruising anyway, so no real need for the good stuff, and the car makes plenty of power when I do need it, on a reasonable tune.

Still remember the smell of Q17 though... Mmmm... cotton candy and most likely carcinogens...

Toebra HalfDork
3/14/18 10:39 p.m.

Race fuel vs pump gas?

You can crank up more boost before things go poof in an unfortunate way with it, and there is no ethanol in it to rot my rubber

That smell you notice with petrochemicals is from aromatic compounds. These can smell good, but they have a benzene ring in them, so they can also give you cancer.

jharry3 GRM+ Memberand Reader
3/15/18 8:29 a.m.

How about the difference in BTU/gal?

Ethanol reduces this of course but even in pure gasoline this can vary. Does race gasoline go to outer limits of gasoline , like above the 114,000 btu/gal the internet says pure gasoline has to offer? Internet says E10 is 111,836 btu/gal.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gasoline_gallon_equivalent