The relative density can be measured by several methods. For example, the BTU content of a gallon of diesel fuel is higher than that of gasoline and fuels with a higher specific gravity will provide improved power and fuel economy. The BTU content per unit volume increases as the specific gravity increases. Energy content is measured in British Thermal Units (BTU) per gallon and is related to the fuel’s specific gravity and the temperature range at which it vaporizes. There are equal volumes of material present, but the bottle with the feathers will weigh less than that containing water the bottle with lead weights will weigh the most. Imagine a gallon bottle filled with water, a second filled with feathers, a third filled with lead weights. Specific Gravity: This is the relative density of the fuel compared to that of water when measured at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Minazzi tests for specific gravity using a digital meter to ensure the the fuel is in compliance with specifications. Normally fuel specifications require both a minimum RON and a minimum MON. Depending on the composition of the fuel, the MON of a modern gasoline will be about 10 points lower than the RON octane. Its definition is also based on the mixture of isooctane and n-heptane that has the same performance. So an 87-octane gasoline has the same knock resistance as a mixture of 87% isooctane and 13% n-heptane. It is measured relative to a mixture of 2,2,4-trimethylpentane (an octane) and n- heptane. RON is a measure of how resistant gasoline is to premature detonation, i.e., knocking. You’ll see two common methods for measuring octane: Research Octane Number (RON) and Motor Octane Number (MON). However, an uncontrolled ignition is a BAD THING! A fuel with a higher octane rating can be run at a higher compression ratio without causing detonation and we know compression or boost is directly related to power. It might seem odd that fuels with higher octane ratings are used in more powerful engines, since the fuel ignites less easily. The higher the number, the more resistant the fuel is to auto-ignition. Octane: This rating is a measure of the resistance of fuel to auto-ignition (spontaneously ignite, premature detonation, knocking or ping) in spark-ignition internal combustion engines. VP uses test engines to determine octane ratings for fuels. Knowing what your rules are before you pick a fuel, will save the embarrassment and shame of disqualification! They’ll use terms like: Octane (both Motor & Research), Specific Gravity, Oxidation Stability, Distillation, Reid Vapor Pressure and E.P. ![]() ![]() Most racing sanctioning bodies regulate the types of fuels you can run. Racers kill and/or sell their first born for a half second on the track! That’s the importance of the right fuel. A few other changes before the race made the car a little more comfortable and competitive, but no other change I made was nearly as significant. With no other changes, I picked up half a second and I was right there with the lead pack. ![]() I drained the tank on my car and filled it with the VP006 and headed back out for the second round. I was ready to load the car up and head home! Fortunately, I had a 5 gallon pail of VP006. Yeatts continued, “As an example, I showed up at Kenly two weeks ago with Brand-X Fuel in my car from the race the previous week at Shenandoah and I was over half a second off the pace. Steve Burns looks on as Duane Minazzi, VP's chief chemist, analyzes fuel using a gas chromatograph. If I show up at a speed track (like Kenly or South Boston or Shenandoah or Caraway) with Brand-X Fuel and there are guys there running oxygenated VP006 I am literally giving up as much as half a second a lap’s worth of horsepower”. These oxygenated fuels quite literally make non-oxygenated fuels obsolete. Champion Legends racer Kevin Yeatts explains it this way, “Let me just say that VP Fuels did an excellent job of making U4and VP006 (formerly VP600). Your author is a former INEX Legends Car racer (5/8th scale ’34 Ford Coupe powered by 1250cc Yamaha motors, racing on ¼ to ½ mile ovals), and knows the importance of having the right fuel in the fuel cell. So what is the magic “rocket” fuel to launch you quicker and faster than the next guy to victory lane? What fuel is best for your hot street steed? You know what octane rating means, but what about all those other chemical terms used to rate fuel? Follow along while the specialists at VP Racing Fuels, Freddie Turza for Circle Track applications and Jason Rueckert for hot street cars and drag racing, explain the basics of racing fuel, what the terms mean, and how to pick the correct fuel for you needs. Sometimes we overlook the simple stuff and the importance of what is fueling our race car. Every racer wants an advantage it’s in our very nature.
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