Track grit and low octane gas

[Xcentric]

Deserts are gritty places. How clean do they keep the Utah Motorsports Campus track? All it takes is a big wind the night before and the track could become a sandblaster. While you guys getting new cars are worrying about wrapping your tire treads and brake pads to prevent wear, I'm wondering if a few rolls of wide painters tape is recommended for track day.

I think 91 octane premium is generally available in Utah, but I've been in places where premium is 89. SLC is 4,000 ft elev. The track is 5,000 ft. Park City is way higher. NA engines generally do fine on 4 point lower octane at high altitude. I don't know about forced induction engines and custom tunes. If running a 93 octane tune, is installing a 91 tune recommended?

 

[dbk]

I've done a half dozen track days at "UMC" and the track is clean, but I would definitely throw some tracwrap on. I should also note, the track was clean when it was MMP and it is under new ownership, but they run all of the Ford Performance Racing schools in Utah, using Ford cars on the track, so it's unlikely that has changed. Ford is out there for the next two weeks doing media drives for new Ford GT. The first several times I went I had no clear bra or anything of any kind.

http://www.xpel.com/xpel-tracwrap-temporary-ppf/

I bought a roll of that stuff in an emergency and it works well, and looks a lot less idiotic than when you see some dude who rolls 63 rolls of painters tape (which stops next to nothing) on his car. Can be applied dry. I've seen people use it if they buy a car and have to drive it back long distance as a temporary PPF. They have race gas at the track.

Camilo and I were in total bumble#$*! Utah and both ran dangerously low on fuel, ended up driving back very gingerly on a tank of (gulp) 85 octane at the only pump around. I'm going to assume any tuner you have has a 91 calibration on it.

 

[texas mongrel]

I just had the same problem in West Texas where the best fuel is 91. I just used octane booster. There's lots of advice on the web about this, Lucas or Royal Purple usually wins the comparisons. One bottle in our tanks takes it up by 3 points.
A note of caution, the new GT350s give information in the manual about which products you should not use, something to do with corroding the injectors., but there's nothing I could find in the GTs manual.

 

[ChipBeck]

If running a 93 octane tune, is installing a 91 tune recommended?

Gentlemen,

Other than at a track there are no gas stations out here in the west that sell gasoline with an octane higher than 91. We will be doing a lot of driving at R12 so YES a 91 octane tune should be installed before heading to Utah. Cheers.

Chip

 

[Joe Dozzo]

I just had the same problem in West Texas where the best fuel is 91. I just used octane booster. There's lots of advice on the web about this, Lucas or Royal Purple usually wins the comparisons. One bottle in our tanks takes it up by 3 points.
A note of caution, the new GT350s give information in the manual about which products you should not use, something to do with corroding the injectors., but there's nothing I could find in the GTs manual.

That 3 points takes one from 91.0 to 91.3... If one was hoping to get to 94, that's a LOT of Octane booster...

 

[Indy GT]

I think Joe's comment above is correct.
You have to be very careful in reading the fine print as to how the manufacturer defines octane "points".
And I have heard others make the same comment that the claimed octane boost is really in 1/10 units of typical RON/MOT octane units.

 

[texas mongrel]

Nope, the good stuff takes it from 91 to 94.

 

[fjpikul]

I don't remember having trouble getting gas or altitude problems last time there in my stock engine.

 

[Indy GT]

Nope, the good stuff takes it from 91 to 94.

Dave,

A quick check of the Lucas Oil web site for their octane boost produce does not appear to claim a specific increase in octane rating. Only that Lucas’ product has been “Tested and proven to deliver three times more boost than most other brands.” So octane alteration is highly dependent on the baseline for comparison.

https://lucasoil.com/products/fuel-treatments/lucas-octane-booster

The attached Technical Data Sheet (TDS) similarly does not claim any specific octane number enhancement. But the last sentence in the Lucas data sheet is interesting and corroborates what Joe had posted earlier.

The Lucas Octane Booster Safety Data Sheet states the product is 30-60% Solvent naphtha (petroleum), medium aliphatic which in lay-speak is Stoddard solvent (white spirit or mineral spirits). This solvent is typically used in the dry cleaning industry.

 

[texas mongrel]

Use the intergooglweb and type in "best octane boosters" , all will be revealed. I've just driven 1700 miles, with a lot at high speed/high load and there was never a hint of pinging. I'm no defender of additives, but pouring stuff in the tank is easier than uploading/unloading new tunes!

 

[Specracer]

Our car will be fully clear filmed before R12. I may get some of the track wrap to even protect further (basically protect the film).

As for octane, threads like this, make me so happy, I have a stock tune, no pulley.... Runs fine on 91. It will move along plenty quickly on the track.

 

[GKW05GT]

Runs fine on 91. It will move along plenty quickly on the track.

That is probably understated!

 

[AtomicGT]

There's 91 octane in Park City (two gas stations, Top Shop on Hwy 224 across from the Park City Hotel and one on Bonanza, north side of Park City), and several gas stations on the Hwy 224 - I 80 interchange including a large Chevron Station. Never heard of not being able to get 91 in Utah? Really?

Park City is 8 miles from the Interstate I-80. Can't imagine and petrol problems.