Is it better to purchase race fuel from a service station at the pump or from a place that pumps it by hand from a drum? I ask because the place with the drum states all the good stuff is lost to the atmosphere due to venting....any truth to this?
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Well, only a little truth in that. (very little)
The "light ends" in race fuel can be lost to the atmosphere but the reality is that is isn't much unless it sits open for a long time.
Most tracks dispense from a large tank and have little issue losing anything from an above ground tank and certainly a service station with underground tanks will lose far less. Also, tanks don't vent to atmosphere unless they pressurize with increased temp. Underground tanks will never do that so nothing is ever lost. Barrels (and above ground tanks) have a greater risk of that happening because they sit in a far more variable temperature environment and can heat up forcing pressure release of the more volatile components of the fuel.
There is a reason gasoline is stored underground at service stations. The consistent cooler temp (55-60° F) means that the fuel remains stable for long periods of time and the volume pumped is more consistent because the density doesn't change much with a consistent temp.
The guy selling the barrel approach is just looking for a marketing angle but it is unsubstantiated by fundamental fuel science.
