Handling of race fuel

[Mike Croley]

This is some pretty basic information about the care and handling of race fuels , but if done correctly it can make a big difference in performance and shelf life .
Speaking of shelf life , a sealed metal container of race fuel , thats kept in the shade or indoors , thats kept relatively cool ( compared to outdoors ) has a usefull shelf life of about 1 year . Once the container has been opened , the shelf life is about half that number . Methanol even more so . Methanol absorbs moisture from the atmosphere the way brake fluid does . And metal containers sweat internally , the opposite of what a glass of iced tea does on the outside . Metal drums or cans that are kept outdoors in the sun , or even indoors in extreme heat , will produce condensation on the inside .

One of the most important elements of race fuel are known as the light ends . Thats the vapor you see coming out of the fuel can or drum when you have it open . Top performance from racing fuel is only possible if you keep those vapors in side the container with the fuel . So never leave the top off of a race fuel container . When filling a race car or transferring race fuel between containers try to minimize the loss of the vapor and re-seal both containers as quickly as possibe .

Sunlight degrades the lead in leaded race fuel very quickly . So DO NOT use clear plastic fuel jugs . Use metal containers , or the darkest color plastic containers you can find .