Fuel for Franklin and western PA

[Bob Rusnak]

Other groups do not have a problem, just APBA. I do not know of anyone using Nitro if that is the only issue. Better off with a bigger penalty if caught using this stuff. Like one year suspension from racing. Nitro will take its toll on any engine using it. There will be time where only Ethanol gas will be available so make the transaction now and make things a little easier on the racer. Expensive AV gas does not help the sport. I figure the mod guys would be all for the "pump" gas. After all what is a mod class for? I would think since allowing modifications to the engines, the fuel problem should be the last thing to worry about. All these restrictions and rules does not put boats on the water....Just my opinion......Bob

[wagner-racing16-s]

I can get 87 octaine 100% gas from a local station here in 5 gallon pails for $35.00. If people are interested I can deliver to franklin if money is sent prior to the race and I can go pick the cans up. I will be at franklin friday night.

[PopPop]

Oh, the things we think we know,
so much of which simply isn't so !

[racerv24]

Fuels

I guess No one has been to the drag strip. You can smell the Gas ,Nitro and methenol cars. Pro got away From Nitro just tears stuff up.

[ram95]

Well we can't go around sniffing and making accusations based upon our olefactory nerves. Jet sizes aren't a way to trap the 'no-soap racers' * either... some jet bodies are simple adjustable (Yamato).

Up to now, the fuel meter has been the means of (theoretically) keeping the playing field level. Times are changing.................this aint yer granmmas Oldsmobile!!! What???

Today..., we need to jump-step above all this. Afterall, this is racing! Grass-roots racing at that. We aint NASCAR.... and we are not commandanding a listening/viewing audience, and we (WE WE WE WE WE) never will. And, if we try to model ourselves as some "level-playing-field" organization, we will never achieve, nor create, a level of excitement which will attract new members. It's that simple...... ie create exciement. Make people think: I can do that!!! I can make my engine do that!!! I can make an engine do that!!! And, once we get those folks interested, we can recruit them for turn boaters, inspectors, scorers, referees, etc,

But, first.... we have to provide these potential members with the feeling that THEY can beat the crap out of the rest of us.


Alex
the Mad Russian 12A (sometimes 8A) DSH and FE hydro

[Dave M]

Expensive ?

Here's the problem not addressed by proponents of ethanol: it is expensive to differentiate between ethanol and nitromethane at race sites with an inexpensive test


If you allow alcohol, race committees must poney up much more money for fuel testing. Expensive chemical tests are required, there is no inexpensive meter like the Digitron for nitro.

Maybe some of the Crown money should be spent on testing equipment.............. or is the equipment much more than they gave Crown ? Here is a way around that, have 55 gallon drums of pump gas at each race and fill the race boats up at cost. Hmm, maybe there could be a break in the price per gallon as well if bought by the drum ? Put someone in charge of the drum and fill up the tanks to the boats just prior to race, giving enough time to dry fire, warm up, etc. And if guy wants to dry fire early on, put a splash in so they can. It isn't rocket science, it is common sense.

Bottom line, if an organization wants to move forward, they must adapt quickly to the ever changing enviroment. This fuel deal should have been dealt with ten years ago....

[sam]

There is no meter ... one time use chemical test. Most regions have a small supply incase of a fuel protest, but it is not commonly used on a daily basis because of the cost.

55 gallon drum of stock gas would work for stock, but not mods that are allowed unlimited compression. The down side is the 55 gallon batch stuff might not be what every racer has his motor tuned for (not likely but might actually slow some motors down) and the gas might cost more per gallon than some racers could bring legal gas from home for ... more griping about costs ...

Solution: raise entry fees enough to cover real costs including random fuel chemical testing.

There is no need to increase the penalty for stuff that fails the chemical test, its already very harsh.

[G Stillwill]

In Va its manditory for every station to sell 10 percent ethanol but there is a enviromental waver you can sign per purchase cost 2.95 for the waver.Doesnt matter if you buy one gal or a thousahd gallon. Now alot more staions have went back to clean gas and charge a few pennies more for it. As far a gas in a drum my Hotrods run racing gas and alot more oil then my other motors. There is only three races you need to find clean gas and that is the Nats, divisionals and NAC the rest can be fuel of the day.

[modracer7b]

Penalties

The fuel BS was one of the issues that factored into less fun and my decision to leave racing when I did. There is enough to do without having to get to the local airport for fuel.

My solution would be to relax the standard to a point that if you get caught, there is no doubt that you cheated. The penalty should then be a lifetime ban from the sport for willfully cheating. That is what I believe the pro sports should do with the steroid issue also.

Bill Rosado

[Bob Rusnak]

The fuel BS was one of the issues that factored into less fun and my decision to leave racing when I did. There is enough to do without having to get to the local airport for fuel.

My solution would be to relax the standard to a point that if you get caught, there is no doubt that you cheated. The penalty should then be a lifetime ban from the sport for willfully cheating. That is what I believe the pro sports should do with the steroid issue also.

Bill Rosado

Bill, I can't agree with you more. We ran 750 mod runabout with a brand new boat, and lots of money in a engine and lower unit. Only to find out that the gas I just bought at the local gas station was no good. We are all 100 % legal but because of an obsolete rule I would have been disqualified. That was the last time the rig was at a race. Any motor will run on the gas purchased at any local station. If special fuel for some of these Hot Rods or high compression mods as mentioned, we are now getting into exotic fuels for "stock?" engines. Again, only APBA has this problem....Bob

[Dave M]

More Common Sense

There is no meter ... one time use chemical test. Most regions have a small supply incase of a fuel protest, but it is not commonly used on a daily basis because of the cost.

55 gallon drum of stock gas would work for stock, but not mods that are allowed unlimited compression. The down side is the 55 gallon batch stuff might not be what every racer has his motor tuned for (not likely but might actually slow some motors down) and the gas might cost more per gallon than some racers could bring legal gas from home for ... more griping about costs ...

Solution: raise entry fees enough to cover real costs including random fuel chemical testing.

There is no need to increase the penalty for stuff that fails the chemical test, its already very harsh.

Okay, if they want to run what is considered "Race Gas" Buy a 55 gallon drum of VP as well. Just have it available at the races with the same person distributing. I just don't see how this is such a hard issue to grasp.

I think the thinkers are way over thinking things.

[sam]

Okay, if they want to run what is considered "Race Gas" Buy a 55 gallon drum of VP as well. Just have it available at the races with the same person distributing. I just don't see how this is such a hard issue to grasp.

I think the thinkers are way over thinking things.

You are volunteering to pick it up and bring it to the next race, right?

[Dave M]

No Need To

You are volunteering to pick it up and bring it to the next race, right?

Sam,

Where I race, the fuel is not an issue. We figured it out some time ago. So no, I will not be brigning it. I can run right up the street at any of the races and buy pump gas and be legal. Even at Nationals.......

Like I said, don't over think it. The problem is not with the gas, it is with all the people over analizing the fuel issue. Fight the fights that you can win. Ehtanol is here to stay for at least our lifetime.

[sam]

It must be "someone else's job"

[Dave M]

Sure Is

It must be "someone else's job"

I never said the solution I suggested was perfect. But I see an issue that needs a solution. Persoanlly I think my own idea is a little far fetched. Why ? Because it is another addition to an already busy schedule for a race director. So the best solution would be to simply allow pump gas.... right ?

I can say one thing, with issues like this, it is no wonder I went a different route. I got tired of going in circles on every freaking rule. It took me a whole winter to read the rule books... and I still did not know my arse from a hole in the ground. I think it confused me more than it helped.

So I will end it with this. If the solutions to all the problems in that organization are approached the same way this fuel issue is....... failure is a very likely outcome.