Methanol's Power: Unlocking Speed In Car Racing

Methanol has been a preferred fuel for race-car drivers and teams for decades, for various reasons. Race-car engines are built to squeeze more power out of that less-energy-dense methanol, by adjusting the air-to-fuel ratio. Methanol burns cleaner than gasoline, is less flammable, and you can get more power out of it. Methanol also requires higher temperatures to detonate so it absorbs heat from the engine. This makes it ideal for running turbo or superchargers because you don't need to cool the intake air as much if at all and the fuel is more resistant to knock.

Methanol burns cleaner than gasoline

Methanol has less energy content than regular gasoline, so vehicles get about half the mpg out of the fuel. But it has a higher octane. As the smart people at Hot Rod magazine explain, race-car engines are built to squeeze more power out of that less-energy-dense methanol, by adjusting the air-to-fuel ratio.

Methanol has a richer air/fuel ratio than gasoline, running methanol means reduced fuel economy. It's also very corrosive, and can eat through fuel lines if left sitting. For racing, however, methanol makes for a very good fuel, so expect to see more of it at the track near you.

Since methanol makes more power and is more friendly in supercharged and turbocharged applications, why don't we use it instead of gasoline? Because there are drawbacks. Because it has a richer air/fuel ratio than gasoline, running methanol means reduced fuel economy. It's also very corrosive, and can eat through fuel lines if left sitting. For racing, however, methanol makes for a very good fuel, so expect to see more of it at the track near you.

To See A Real-World Example Of Just How Potent A Fuel Methanol Could Be In A Performance Application, Riverdale, California's Richard Brown Took His 9-Second, 434Ci, Small-Block-Chevy-Powered 1932 Ford Coupe And Made The Switch.

Methanol is less flammable

Methanol has less energy content than regular gasoline, so vehicles get about half the mpg out of the fuel. But it has a higher octane. As the smart people at Hot Rod magazine explain, race-car engines are built to squeeze more power out of that less-energy-dense methanol, by adjusting the air-to-fuel ratio.

Methanol is very corrosive and can eat through fuel lines if left sitting. For racing, however, methanol makes for a very good fuel, so expect to see more of it at the track near you.

Methanol makes more power

Methanol is a preferred fuel for race-car drivers and teams for various reasons. Firstly, it burns cleaner than gasoline, is less flammable, and you can get more power out of it. Methanol is less energy dense than gasoline but you can burn more of it for the same air. So while you use more fuel, you get more overall power. Methanol also requires higher temperatures to detonate so it absorbs heat from the engine. This makes it ideal for running turbo or superchargers because you don't need to cool the intake air as much if at all and the fuel is more resistant to knock.

Methanol has less energy content than regular gasoline, so vehicles get about half the mpg out of the fuel. But it has a higher octane. As the smart people at Hot Rod magazine explain, race-car engines are built to squeeze more power out of that less-energy-dense methanol, by adjusting the air-to-fuel ratio.

Since methanol makes more power and is more friendly in supercharged and turbocharged applications, why don't we use it instead of gasoline? Because there are drawbacks. Because it has a richer air/fuel ratio than gasoline, running methanol means reduced fuel economy. It's also very corrosive, and can eat through fuel lines if left sitting. For racing, however, methanol makes for a very good fuel, so expect to see more of it at the track near you.

To see a real-world example of just how potent a fuel methanol could be in a performance application, Riverdale, California's Richard Brown took his 9-second, 434Ci, small-block-Chevy-powered 1932 Ford Coupe and made the switch.

Methanol has been a preferred fuel for race-car drivers and teams for decades, for various reasons. In the movie PUMP, racing teams explain that the lower cost, compared with gasoline, is a big selling point. The footage, which depicts the 91st running of the Race to the Clouds on Pikes Peak, in Colorado, in 2013, includes …

Methanol is less energy dense than gasoline

Methanol has less energy content than regular gasoline, so vehicles get about half the mpg out of the fuel. However, race-car engines are built to squeeze more power out of that less-energy-dense methanol, by adjusting the air-to-fuel ratio.

Methanol has less energy content than regular gasoline, so vehicles get about half the mpg out of the fuel. However, race-car engines are built to squeeze more power out of that less-energy-dense methanol, by adjusting the air-to-fuel ratio.

Methanol has less energy content than regular gasoline, so vehicles get about half the mpg out of the fuel. However, race-car engines are built to squeeze more power out of that less-energy-dense methanol, by adjusting the air-to-fuel ratio.

Methanol has less energy content than regular gasoline, so vehicles get about half the mpg out of the fuel. However, race-car engines are built to squeeze more power out of that less-energy-dense methanol, by adjusting the air-to-fuel ratio.

Methanol is cheaper than gasoline

Methanol is a cheaper fuel than gasoline, which is a big selling point for race-car drivers and teams. It has less energy content than gasoline, so vehicles get about half the mpg out of the fuel. However, it has a higher octane and burns cleaner, making it more resistant to knock.

Race-car engines are built to squeeze more power out of that less-energy-dense methanol, by adjusting the air-to-fuel ratio. Methanol also requires higher temperatures to detonate so it absorbs heat from the engine. This makes it ideal for running turbo or superchargers because you don't need to cool the intake air as much if at all and the fuel is more resistant to knock.

Methanol is also corrosive and can eat through fuel lines if left sitting. It has a richer air/fuel ratio than gasoline, which means reduced fuel economy.

Despite these drawbacks, methanol is a very good fuel for racing and is preferred by race-car drivers and teams. It has been used in USAC Indy car competition since 1965 and is also used in mud racers.

Methanol is also safer than gasoline as methanol fires can be extinguished with plain water, unlike gasoline, which burns with a visible flame. If a fire occurs on the track, there is no flame or smoke to obstruct the view of fast-approaching drivers, but this can also delay visual detection of the fire and the initiation of fire suppression.

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