Kartweb Techart VP Fuel

Advancing the Science of Motorsports™ Tech Bulletin prepared by Steve Burns, Research & Development

MR Series -- VP Racing’s MR series fuels are all AMA-legal and designed to make the maximum power within AMA fuel rule specifications. The MR Series fuels run substantially cleaner than any other motorcycle-specific fuel. Tear-downs of factory team engines after Daytona races revealed that MR fuels ran significantly cleaner in intake and exhaust valves. Keeping the intake track and valves deposit-free is important to maintain proper airflow and full power for the entire race.

MR9 – MR9 is our newest 4-stroke road racing and MX fuel where lower octane can be tolerated. It’s also targeted for supersport and some superbike applications that can run on a lower octane fuel. Dyno tests have proven a 2% to 3% increase in power over our MR1. There is nothing on the market that makes more power than MR9! Attack Performance Suzuki's Richard Stanborli said, "MR9 is almost like cheating!" Premier factory and factory support teams confirmed using MR9 for 2003 are Honda, Erion Honda, Yamaha, Graves Yamaha, Valvoline Emgo Suzuki, Attack Performance, and Kawasaki.

MR1 – MR1 is currently our most popular 4-stroke road race fuel for AMA Pro Racing, although we believe that will change with the introduction of MR9 in 2003. MR1 delivers up to 6% more power over pump gas. MR1 powered factory Honda to the 2002 AMA Superbike Championship and is also used by Factory Yamaha. MR1 can be used in Supersport, Superbike, most Formula Extreme type applications and 4-stroke motocross where the octane requirements are fairly low. Factory Yamaha and Yamaha of Troy use MR1 in their 4-stroke MX bikes as well.

MRX01 – MRX01 was introduced in 2002 to meet the demands of the top professional motocross teams. They wanted the power of MR1 but with enough octane to run in 2-stroke applications. MRX01 was conceived for that purpose and is currently used by Factory Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and KTM, as well as Factory Connection Honda, Team ECC, Motoworld and Pro Circuit. The 2002 AMA 125cc and 250cc Supercross and Outdoor National championships were won on MRX01! MRX01 makes 1- 2% more power than MR2 but has a lower octane value and is slightly harder to tune. This fuel also is excellent in high compression or Formula Extreme type 4-stroke road race applications where the octane of MR1 is not high enough.

MR2 – MR2 is still the best all-round 2-stroke MX fuel given its power to cost ratio. MR2 has a high motor octane of 102 and produces 3% more power than standard type race fuels. MR2 was designed specifically for 2-stroke motocross and has won multiple AMA Supercross and MX championships each year since its introduction in 1998 through 2001.

MR8 – MR8 is designed specifically for 125cc and 250cc GP 2-stroke engines where high octane is needed. MR8 makes significantly more power than standard type race fuels. Chuck Sorenson rode to the 2002 AMA 250 GP title using MR8, which is also used by Rich Oliver.

C12 – C12 was first produced by VP Racing Fuels 27 years ago. Ongoing improvements have kept C12 as the fuel of choice for 75% of VP’s customers. C12 was the first racing fuel to make more power, proving that burning speed, vaporization and BTU value were as important as octane. C12 has the highest octane and resistance to detonation of any of these fuels, making it an excellent choice for power and protection. More motorcycle National Championships (motocross or roadracing) have been won with C12 than any other single fuel. Because of its value, it’s still the choice for amateur racing as well. C12 is readily available at every VP dealer.

Ultimate 4 – Ultimate 4, released in June 2002, was produced to meet the demands of the 4-stroke road race and MX markets that wanted the power of MR1 at a lower cost. VP was able to achieve this by ignoring AMA Pro Racing fuel rules and concentrating on the club and amateur rules. Ultimate 4 passes AMA amateur fuel rules and is perfect for club level racing, CCS, WERA and AFM. Ultimate 4 is not legal for AMA Pro Racing. This fuel makes up to 6% more power over pump gas. It’s also ideal for stock 2-stroke MX applications and sells for substantially less that MR1.

To maintain the original properties and comply with Health and Safety regulations, this fuel should be handled and stored in a cool place and always maintained in tightly sealed drums.

VP RACING FUELS, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS, USA TEL: 210-635-7744 FAX: 210-635-7999

Offices in Delaware, Indiana, California, Georgia, Florida, Kansas and Washington.

International: Calgary, Montreal and Toronto, Canada; Sydney, Australia; Tijuana, Mexico.

Property	MR1	MR2	MR8	MR9	MRX01	C12	Ultimate 4	Test Methods
Specific Gravity @ 60ْ F	.740	.726	.730	.718	.717	.717	.718	ASTM D 4052
API Gravity	63.0			65.6	65.8			ASTM D 1298-85
Motor Octane	90	102	107	87	98	108	92	ASTM D 2700-86
Reid Vapor Pressure	6.1	8.41	6.69	11.22	9.73	7.3	9.66	ASTM D 323
Distillation Fْ								ISO 33405
Initial Boiling Point	102.3	104.4	95.9	95.8	103.4	103.0	100.2
10% Evap.	118.1	126.9	144.0	112.0	121.5	131.0	122.2
50% Evap.	126.8	157.3	203.7	135.9	151.8	194.0	149.7
90% Evap.	220.2	216.9	218.0	240.1	214.5	228.0	219.1
E.P.	240.1	240.4	237.3	328.6	230.0	233.3	266.7
Lead	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	ASTM D 3237
Oxygen Content M/%	2.75	2.43	2.40	2.7	2.65	-	-	Elem Analysis
Color	Clear	Green	Yellow	Clear	Pink	Green	Clear

At VP, we've been making the best fuels for motorsports since 1975. We’ve developed a well-earned reputation for producing high quality racing fuels respected for their power and consistency. In fact, we've fueled the NHRA Pro Stock Champions for 27 consecutive years – a record unmatched by any major sponsor in the industry.

However, our track record isn't limited to the drag strip. We've fueled champions in off-road, off-shore, circle track, road race, motocross and even airplanes. A VP-powered racer has won every major championship in North America that allowed the competitor a choice of any fuel producer.

VP’s involvement in motorcycle racing dates to the late ‘70s, producing fuels for the U.S. racing divisions of Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha. In the late ‘80s, VP became involved in Europe with F1 teams and VP continues to be a major producer in all forms of motorcycle racing on the continent. VP currently produces fuels for U.S. factory teams of Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Suzuki and Yamaha.

Total control over our products is just one of the reasons VP has achieved such consistent success. We blend all our own fuels. We lead them. We dye them. We drum them, test and store them. Our chemists, engineers, dynos and test engines are dedicated to one single-minded purpose – creating the best fuels in the industry. But we don't spend all our time in-house. You'll find us working with racers on their dynos and at the races working with their vehicles. We do all this to stay ahead of our competition so that you can stay ahead of yours.

VP Racing products are conveniently distributed through warehouses across the United States, Canada, Australia, Mexico and Europe.

You can't make a racing fuel that has the best of everything, but you can produce one that will give your engine the most power. This is why we produce different fuels for different applications. The key to getting the best racing gasoline is not necessarily buying the fuel with the highest octane, but getting one that is best suited for your engine.

1. OCTANE - The rating of fuels’ ability to resist detonation and/or preignition. Octane is rated in Research Octane Numbers (RON), Motor Octane Numbers (MON), and Pump Octane Numbers (R+M/2). Pump Octane Numbers are what you see on the yellow decal at the gas stations and represents an average of RON and MON. VP uses MON because this test method is more prevalent in racing. Most other companies use RON because it is higher, easier to come by, and sounds better in marketing messages. Don't be fooled by high RON numbers or an average -- MON is the most important for a racing application. However, the ability of the fuel to resist preignition is more that just a function of octane.

2. BURNING SPEED - The speed at which fuel releases its energy. In a high-speed internal combustion engine, there is very little time (real time - not crank rotation) for the fuel to release its energy. Peak cylinder pressure should occur around 20° ATDC. If the fuel is still burning after this, it is not contributing to peak cylinder pressure, which is what the rear wheels see.

3. ENERGY VALUE - An expression of the potential in the fuel. The energy value is measured in BTUs per pound, not per gallon. The difference is important. The air fuel ratio is in weight, not volume. Remember, this is the potential energy value of the fuel. This difference will show up at any compression ratio or engine speed.

4. COOLING EFFECT: The cooling effect on fuel is related to the heat of vaporization. The higher the heat of vaporization, the better its effect on cooling the intake mixture. This is of some benefit in a four- stroke engine, but can be a big gain in two-stroke engines.