I agree that monitoring fuel would have its difficulties, but I don't think that should be a reason to avoid making a fuel rule... DME compliance isn't easy either, but we still have the stock chip rule. Sure, people can cheat and not get caught if they're smart about it, but that's true to some extent with every rule. For me, and I think many others, we may try to get the most out of the rules in some areas, but we wont cross the line of blatantly breaking the rules. However, right now fuel is clearly open and I can't blame anyone for finding an edge there, because we're basically encouraging this.

Weston wrote:


Yes when we started we had an open chip rule. Then that got abused by a select few and we had to go back and stay stock. Tough, but needed to be done.

I am not convice on the fuel thing especially when we are stuck with stock DME, stock AFM, stock injectors, stock FPR, stock timing, stock headers, etc.

Show me that you gain power using magic juice with an otherwise legal motor and there is a reason to make a change. Otherwise I say leave it open as defining pump gas via a test can be very complex as every blend of pump gas is different.

Weston just admitted that he is a cheat. We just don't know where yet.

OK, at Nationals, we need to tear his car down from the roof to the tires and leave it in a neat pile for him while we look for where he has:laugh:

Oh, yeah, we need to do it the day BEFORE the start of the competitions.

Big Dog

Big Dog wrote:


No cheating here... just spending some time thinking and testing, based on what the rules allow me to do, so that I can be reasonably competitive with my little '84 motor. I would really like to avoid paying big $$$ for fancy race fuel though...

joepaluch wrote:


It's not really abuse when the rules clearly allowed it, just as it wouldn't be abuse if someone is getting an advantage out of special race fuel today. It's just a rule that some people use to their benefit more than others. We can say that it's against "low cost equal racing" and all, but that really doesn't mean much when it's so clearly allowed, and not just some unforeseen loop hole.



I'm interested in hard numbers too, but in the meantime we already know that it's a significant enough problem in Spec Miata for NASA to require plain gasoline, and to get 233 drivers to pledge their support for "POG" here: www.plainoldgas.com/sm.html

We don't necessarily need engine management changes to be able to get something out of a more potent fuel, and they aren't really out of the question with stock parts anyway.

Big Dog pledges "No exotic fuel or additivies".

Big Dog pledges "No thoughful, Weston style cheating within the rules".

Big Dog pledges "No RA1's (unless someone else uses them)". And then, out come the new set:P

Weston, sometimes humor doesn't come out well in e-mails. I trust you know I am just having fun (at your expense, of course).

Jim