Race fuel vs. street fuel: What’s the real difference? | Fuel Tips

Consistency

Even if sticking with the same brand and the same grade, in accordance with EPA regulations, street fuels can vary due to retail location, season of the year and other factors. A winter-blend fuel, for example, is formulated with a higher Reid Vapor Pressure to produce quick starts in cold weather–but that same formula would lead to increased emissions during the summertime months.

As Santner notes, though, Sunoco Race Fuels always follow the same formula. The ever-popular 260 GT, for example, always has a Reid Vapor Pressure of 6.4.

Why does this consistency matter? It allows a tuner to eliminate a variable from the process. 

Cleanliness

From the start, race fuels are typically cleaner than pump fuels. Why? Blame economics. 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, however, 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–and that comes at a price. Sunoco’s race fuels, Santner explains, start with a base product that, in rough figures, can be called 10 times cleaner than its street-bred counterparts. 

Why does this cleanliness matter? Race fuels are a lot more stable and can be stored for at least two years without any noticeable changes.

Special blends

Let’s be realistic: The average consumer just doesn’t need a 100-octane fuel or one specifically blended to satisfy a high-revving, large-bore race engine. Hey, not everyone drives a Can-Am car. And that’s where race fuels come in, with dozens of products tailored for specific needs and without the restrictions that bind the gasolines sold at the corner station.