Rotax Max and pump gas

Terry Grau · Joined: 25 Jul 2001 Posts: 12 Location: Evergreen. CO

Since most pump gas is now oxygenated and will not pass fuel tech, how is the Rotax Max Challange handling this problem? The regulation fuel is 98 octane max so race gas at 101 is not an option.
Terry

Dave Mancini · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2001 8:42 am Post subject: Rotax Max and pump gas

Terry,

I was actually thinking the same thing last night after reading a few posts about fuel dq's. I imagine this will be yet another rule that changes in the challenge

. IMHO, If everyone is running the same fuel, whether it be 98 or 101, who cares.

Dave

Stephen Buckley · Joined: 18 Jul 2001 Posts: 861

Terry,
We've all addressed this problem before. It seems that the fuel teching is a real problem and there really isn't a slam-bang way to truly test gas. I personally do not run race gas. The price is way out of my budget, so hi-test pump gas will have to do. And personally, I've never found any difference in performance. Not that I'm an expert, mind you. If I get DQ'd after winning a race because of fuel... oh, well. I know I really won and it wasn't the fuel that gave me the edge. If I recall, the factory manual says 94 octane pump gas. They certainly didn't pull that number out a hat, so since I'm not a scientist, I'll abide by what they recommend. This point is all mute, of course, if you race the RMC... they supply the fuel.

bird · Joined: 17 Jul 2001 Posts: 147

do you guys have Super Unleaded?

Stephen Buckley · Joined: 18 Jul 2001 Posts: 861

Bird...er...Mary-Ann

The PR and Marketing people have made up all sorts of fanciful names for gas. Yes, we do have super unleaded. It seems that in metropolitan areas, they add various chemicals to keep polution down. Actually, that's a good thing. Some companies don't distrubute a high octane gas blend. Plus, nearly all gas stations trade gas back and forth between their distibutors. I've seen Texaco trucks in ARCO's, BP trucks in Shell, on and on. And that's not counting the independent fuel distributors. I just find a station with 94 octane and get it.

Dave Mancini · Posted: Fri Jul 27, 2001 6:21 pm Post subject: Rotax Max and pump gas

quote:
Originally posted by Stephen Buckley:
Bird...er...Mary-Ann

I just find a station with 94 octane and get it.

Stephen... Where do you get 94 around here?

Dave

Roy Randolph · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2001 11:36 am Post subject: Rotax Max and pump gas

I have driven from Texas to Colorado, and what I have seen is the higher the altitude the lower the higest octance of fuel that is available. In Woodland Park, Colorado (~8500ft) the highest octance I could find was 91 and most being 89 to 90. In South Texas you will find 93 octance with no problem.

But I believe as others have stated it really doesn't matter what octane you are using as long as everyone is using the same. We are planning a Rotax OVAL Challenge Race this coming weekend. 103 octane will be used. I have used anything from 93 octane up to 109 and see very little difference in performance.

[ July 29, 2001: Message edited by: Roy Randolph ]

Nick Weil · Posted: Sun Jul 29, 2001 5:54 pm Post subject: Rotax Max and pump gas

In our FL Region ROTAX events, we have one supplier for the Event fuel. Everyone must purchase their fuel from this vendor. They pre-mix it and then everyone is running the same stuff. We have had NO problems with fuel tech DQ's as a result.

Nick

Stephen Buckley · Joined: 18 Jul 2001 Posts: 861

Dave,

I mostly race ASN/CIK in Canada. I get my gas at the Chevron stations. They carry a 94 octane gas. Also, it seems that they don't add the ethyl Glycol(?) that we do.

Heading towards the Spanaway track, just as I was leaving Spanaway, I found a station on the left side of the road (there was a latte stand in the lot) that had 93 or 94 octane gas.
S