fresh and lean attack using illegal fuel?

It’s sooo odd how there are so many differences in the way pro motorcycle racing works compared to other racing.

you can go to any late model car race and they will have tech open for hours after a race and always engines or carbs or rockers, rods etc checked.

In flat track we would get our fuel tested at least once per event sometimes twice. Tires also checked, however this year was the first time I’ve seen any 450’s torn down in over 5 years.

in MA last time I was there they were more worried about quick shifter than anything else. Of course I was with a rookie but they still didn’t check a lot.

anyone know the technical standards after a GP race or formula 1?

I know there’s like hour of press and interviews, but with sealed engines, wonder what motogp tests….

What I don’t understand is why and how backyard roundly round racing (not nascar) checks soooo much. And here we are the absolute top of the level in motorcycle racing in America and we don’t test fuel, the easiest way to cheat….. for like 6 years.

 

My point is that tech standards for a car race for $5k or less has way more tech than the top level of motorcycle racing.

if like to see Stamboli etched by Ricky Brooks, who’s a dear friend of mine in the car world who’s thrown out more shady shit than any tech man in history. I might have him read up on this and give me his take.

 

It seems like bringing an unopened can of 2022 fuel to tech and having them verify it's legality would be a pretty simple way to address this. If it passes then tell them you're using it and have them test the fuel in the bike afterwards. If it fails the tell them to figure the shit out and refund everyone for the 2022 fuel that supposedly is identical to the 2023.

 

Yeah the entire “gotcha” plan needed a better foundation it seems…

 

If you read the article in RRW, there's clearly a large piece about MTBE that "could" lead someone to read it as to say "Hey.. Betcha can't guess what they found and where you can buy it! Oh and here's some test fuel that was sent out that's got some fun stuff in it too."

 

whoops, hadn’t read the most recent RRW article about this. And looks like I should, at a glance it seems reasonably technical.

Ironically, I actually use MTBE a decent amount in a scientific setting, we probably have enough of it to DQ the whole paddock sitting in a solvent cabinet at work.

 

I started running Klotz Nitro additive in my 400 Bandit when I was racing. Same thing, had to jet for it but it did add hp and torque. Tested it on the dyno, same day back to back.

 

Ahh fine memories of the WERA GNF Suzuki Cup nitro gate of 2000 something at Road Atlanta

 

Ah fine memories of Kurt Hall’s Methanol Monster

 

9 classes in Moto America and one full time tech director. Over 100 bikes on any given weekend. That's a lot of work

 

Oooohhhh, the Nitro cup was something much much different than the MM.

 

Oh for sure but the days of “run what ya brung” sure were fun to see

 

The 2022 VP has no MTBE. The 2024 can clearly lists MTBE on the label. Maybe it's been a reporting error and Stanboli used a can of 2024 VP that was given to him to "test." I'm sure one run on the dyno, and some mapping work made a bunch more power in their R1s. And who doesn't like more power at COTA?
The saga continues. We have all winter to solve this, so easy on the facts chem nerd guy!

 

The only one of those I’ve heard of is the Yosh crank.

Have any info or links, I like to learn about the old history. I did hear once, who knows if it was BS, that Honda 600's would get the rake decreased by running it into a wall to slightly bend the front end towards the radiator, in the SS classes?

Yea, even when I raced go karts, the fuel was checked every round and they would tear down motors randomly or if protested. The year I won the championship, I was torn down 2 or 3 races and completely legal.

 

Hypercycle was Nicky’s bike IIRC, he spanked factories and embarrassed them, Honda bought him the next year… material removed from the head…

4&6 was the worst one… Todd Harrington won at Daytona SS against all the factories and they DQd him for not having the 1/2” of a knub from the turn signal holes on the bodywork… seriously.. Jim is on here @GNC he can confirm if that’s correct as I remember it….

Erion was JH4s 200 win that they got DQd for a knife edged polished crank so the win went to Chaz Davies with the very Stanboli at Attack Kawasaki

Yosh was told not to use the endurance crank anymore and the still did on Mat’s bike but House didn’t on Ben’s

Honda Vacuum pump I don’t remember the details but it came out of the horses mouth the very crew chief that did it… it was a hush hush one iirc

 

agreed. There’s so many rigs at the snowball derby you can’t walk in the infield. Approx 300 late model cars.

the point is that at the end of the weekend with 9 classes you only tech top 5 in each. But actually “teaching them”

not bullshit about Dunlop stickers in wrong spot, not whether or not you have a shark fin, but check fuel, check bores, check cams.

you need realistically 3-5 “tech folks”

one master-who can oversee it all.

a decent guy that can measure cams and bores.

a fuel guy

and two others for the smaller stuff.

MotoSt checked more stuff than MotoAmerica and American Flat Track

 

man don’t get me started on karts. I ran a kart track semi successfully for 5 years.

we would bring in 2-3 tech guys.

if it’s a money race the top 5 cranks out.

anything else was tires and fuel.

but of course you can have a flathead/clone/animal apart on the bench in less time than removing just a motorcycle engine but still.

they got engines back in a box and all for a $300-$1000 check

 

Nicky and Jason got DQ'd for frames at Mid Ohio. 99 or 00 I think.

I remember a similar issue where they were going to DQ several of the GSXR's as guys didn;t have the little mesh screens in the air snorkels (01-02) I think.. That one died quickly