sunoco fuel

[GTX JOHN]

I heard from other racers that Sunoco was not checking legal consistantly
at Vegas. I know one race bought a barrel fresh this Feb. and flunked
in Pomona and Vegas. So far no satisifaction or replacement from Sunoco to date. He is upset.

[HR9121]

I ran Sonoco at Gainesville and Charlotte and had no problems. I bought it on site at both races though.

[Michael Beard]

Octane is little more than "unburnable" stuff which allows you to run more timing and/or compression without getting into preignition/detonation. For real comparisons, you need to look at burn rates, density of the fuel, etc.

Here's a good resource for additional info on fuels. (I became aware of this page more than a decade ago, and I doubt it's been updated. It's possible that some formulations have changed, so check with the manufacturers):
http://www.smithtex.com/racing/fuelcomp.html

[Mickey Whaley]

On the DYNO c-11 and sunoco supreme 112 back to back no changes to motor not a bit of difference in HP

[Mickey Whaley]

I have ran C-11 since i started racing but apparently at gainesville they would not let the truck in the gate i only had 2 gallons of C-11 left so i have to switch to sunoco so i figured run what is available at the track instead of draining the tank every race i cant get it if they still pay cont they should be able to sell it there just my thought

[Mike Croley]

Originally Posted by Michael Beard

Octane is little more than "unburnable" stuff which allows you to run more timing and/or compression without getting into preignition/detonation. For real comparisons, you need to look at burn rates, density of the fuel, etc.

Here's a good resource for additional info on fuels. (I became aware of this page more than a decade ago, and I doubt it's been updated. It's possible that some formulations have changed, so check with the manufacturers):
http://www.smithtex.com/racing/fuelcomp.html

That's a very good point, choosing a race fuel requires looking at all of the parameters. Motor Octane is the single most important factor, that's what allows you to make power without damage to the engine. The higher the Motor Octane number, the bigger the tuning window.
Specific gravity, or density, is also a useful number. But now days, the specific gravity doesn't vary much between brands of the same octane rating. Any change over or under .10 usually requires a jetting change of 1 jet size. For instance, moving from a race fuel that has a specific gravity of .710 to another brand with .715 wouldn't require a jet change normally. But going from .710 to .720 or .690 would require a jet change normally. And any change in specific gravity usually requires a float level check.
The above reference chart from smithtex is indeed very old, and should not be relied on for comparisons or information. All of the info is outdated, and many of the companies listed don't exist anymore.

[Duane Eiskant II]

Mickey I agree they should let VP in to sell fuel specially since forever they were the fuel for NHRA. I had issues with the sunoco years ago then between the dyno and running down the track i set everything up for the vp and never looked back. Since im not selling it anymore, im going to switch from the C11 to the C12. C&C in Manassas sells the vp and they keep the C12, no body i know of stocks the C11. We use to carry it where i worked (AED in Richmond) but it was just so i would always have it..

[Bryan Worner]

Originally Posted by GTX JOHN

I heard from other racers that Sunoco was not checking legal consistantly
at Vegas. I know one race bought a barrel fresh this Feb. and flunked
in Pomona and Vegas. So far no satisifaction or replacement from Sunoco to date. He is upset.

My dad, brother and I have run Sunoco for years, the only issue ever was at the IHRA Race of Champions in Virginia a few years ago. Never an issue at an NHRA race. I'm sure the Virginia situation was due to their equipment calibration.