By John Copeland

Last month we finally got the awful truth; if someone really wants to cheat with their fuel, they can, and the odds are, they'll get away with it. But how can the honest racer help keep the playing field level? How can you and your club keep fuel cheating under control? Let's start by getting a couple of things clear. Like it or not, legal fuel will always be defined as fuel that will pass whatever test is being used. That means that, whatever it says on paper, if you or your club or track don't tech fuel, then fuel is open! Likewise, if you don't tech it the same way every time, you jeopardize the credibility of the tech. It is critical that the fuel tech be thorough, properly done, and fairly administered. Too many times tech people, even at the highest levels, have gone "headhunting" for a person whom they believe was cheating with their fuel. And their claims that the selection of who was to have their fuel checked was completely random, when everybody knew better, only made them look foolish and diminished the credibility of the whole process. We've already covered several fuel tech techniques in an earlier article, and we have a few more we'll share with you shortly, but first, let's look at the right way to use the Digatron meter.

We've all had our fuel checked with the Digatron meter lots of times, and it seems like every tech man does it different. But, hey!, if my fuel checks OK who cares how he does it? Well, you ought to care, because if the tech man isn't using the right procedure, you may be racing at an unfair disadvantage to a fuel cheater who slipped past the tech man because the testing procedure was wrong. Here's the way to do it right.

1. Turn on the meter and immerse the probe in cyclohexane. The cyclohexane should be in a plastic container, not glass. I know that Digatron supplies little glass bottles with the deluxe fuel testing kit, and they're real handy, but they can affect the meter readings. Always use plastic containers.

2. Allow the meter to "warm up" for at least, five to 10 minutes before setting the knob to read -55. If you just turn it on and start taking reading:. it will "drift" on you a bit. By the way, when you are "zeroing" the meter at -55, hold the probe in the middle of the container of cyclohexane, away from the bottom or sides. Something called the "Adjacency Affect" can change the meter readings if the probe is too close to the sides or bottom of the container.

3. The prescribed -55 setting is presumed to be at 60 degrees Fahrenheit. Temperature change will change the meter readings. The temperature of the fuel sample being tested and the cyclohexane standard must be about the same. A temperature difference of five degrees or more will make a measurable difference in the readings. When in doubt about fuel sample temperature, take a sample of the fuel to be tested, and let it sit next to the cyclohexane sample for about 10 minutes. Just be sure to put the fuel sample in a tightly sealed container so you don't lose anything to evaporation.

4. The meter should be re-calibrated every 30 minutes or so, to compensate for any "drift" in the zero point and to keep everything right. But here's where lots of folks mess up: Once the meter is calibrated, it is not desirable to re-immerse it in the cyclohexane after every fuel sample is checked. Doing so only dilutes the cyclohexane with random fuel carried back into the container on the probe. As the day goes on, the standard on which you are basing your testing will change. Not good. Instead, after each fuel is tested, gently shake any excess fuel off the probe and blot lightly with a paper towel.

5. Periodically clean the probe with aerosol brake cleaner and allow it to dry completely. This product will evaporate completely and will not contaminate the next fuel sample. It is important to clean the probe occasionally because some of the oils in use may remain on the probe after the gasoline has evaporated. In most cases this is not a problem, but sometimes it can bite you.
6. Just as when you "zeroed" the meter in the cyclohexane, when you take a reading on a fuel sample, don't let the probe get too close to the sides or bottom of the tank. Otherwise the "adjacency affect" may change the readings. If a competitor does not have enough fuel to take a good reading in the tank, then he or she is obliged to draw a sample through the fuel line to the carb into a smaller container for testing. Of course, according to the rules, if a competitor cannot produce enough to be properly tested, the tech man is required to disqualify them.

7. In the event that you find a fuel sample that does not pass the meter, that is, one that reads + numbers, immediately stop testing, clean the probe as described above, and recalibrate in cyclohexane. The test again. Fuel that fails under these circumstances should be considered illegal.

8. Moisture in the fuel will shift the meter in a positive direction. Rainy days, or even high humidity can cause fuel to come up illegal. Unfortunately, the rules do not allow for the tech man to vary the definition of legality just because it might have rained the night before! (Racers beware! I once saw a man lose a National event because he left his fuel in the kart tank overnight the fright before the race and it picked up enough moisture to fail fuel tech the next day!)

9. In cases where a fuel sample reads illegal (or suspiciously low) on the meter, you may request that a sample of the oil in use be mixed with a known legal gas. While it does not affect the immediate question of legality of the racer's fuel for that race, it may help identify whether the problem is in the fuel or in the oil.
Using this procedure, the same way, every time, will insure that fuel tech is fair and consistent. Now on to other issues.

Those of you who read Part Six of this series (NKN September 1995) will recall that there are some fuel additives that generate some performance improvements and some that we did not have adequate information on to draw any conclusions. And if you remember Part Five of the series, you'll remember that not all these additives show up in testing with the Digatron meter. Even the water/Digatron test and the 30/30/30 test are not as definitive as you might like: in some cases. Among these additives is 1,4 Dioxane, a very hazardous chemical. Among other things, 1,4 Dioxane is a carcinogen, and a skin-absorbable poison. This is nothing to fool around with! While 1,4 Dioxane will slide past the Digatron meter, there is now a definitive test to identify it in the field. We are indebted to the good folks at Precision Automotive Research, to the National Hot Rod Association and particularly to a company called Germane Engineering in Provo, Utah for their work in developing a positive field test for 1,4 Dioxane. The test is a simple chemical reaction done with materials supplied by Germane Engineering and is available to bonafide sanctioning bodies and their tech people. It requires a few, easily obtainable supplies, and some care in handling, but the test itself is simple and relatively foolproof. Here's how it works:

1. Draw a clean fuel sample from the competitor's tank and put in a small test tube. Disposable eye-droppers work really well for this and are available very cheaply at any laboratory or medical supply. These are also known as disposable pipettes. The test tube should be no larger than l0ml capacity to be easily readable. Five ml size is ideal. These too are cheap and easy to obtain.

2. The test tube containing the fuel sample should be about 1/2 to 3/4 full. This will give the person doing the testing a clear view of any reaction. It's a good idea to write the kart number right on the test tube before doing the test to avoid any confusion.

3. Always wear rubber gloves when using the test reagent from Germane Engineering. It is a strong acid of some sort and you definitely don't want to get any on your hands.

4. Hold the test tube by the bottom so you can get a clear view of what happens in the fuel sample and carefully squeeze ONE DROP of the Germane reagent into the top of the test tube.

5. As soon as the reagent hits the fuel sample, the oil in the fuel will drop to the bottom of the test tube. THIS IS NOT A POSITIVE TEST!

6. If, however, a white or light brown precipitate forms (like little snowflakes) at the point where the reagent hits the fuel sample, and it drifts down through the fuel, THAT IS A POSITIVE REACTION FOR 1,4 DIOXANE! Any fuel sample producing such a reaction should be considered illegal and the competitor disqualified.

7. Used test tubes and eye-droppers should not be re-used and should he properly disposed of. Always use new test tubes and droppers for each new test.

Again this test was developed for the National Hot Rod Association by Germane Engineering under license from NHRA and they alone own the rights to it. Test materials are available only to bonafide sanctioning bodies and only when accompanied by a strict non-disclosure agreement. Any organization wishing to make use of this important testing tool should contact Germane Engineering by FAX at 801-374-0345 or you can contact me at Fox Valley Kart. 317-742-(1935, and I will help make the necessary connections. I want to stress again, use of 1,4 Dioxane is very dangerous, and no club, or track, or sanctioning body should fail to take every possible step to curb its use.

Last month I told you that we did not have sufficient information to report on two additives tested previously; Klotz COXOC and Hi Rev 3:1. We now have that data and can report that both of these products generate POSITIVE REACTIONS to the test outlined above. With the use of this test that are both now easily detectable and should not prove to be any problem for the tech man.

I STRONGLY urge you to contact your local track or club, and shops in your area, and tell them about the findings concerning products containing 1,4 Dioxane. This is a case of where we. the karters, will have to provide the enforcement for manufacturers who, apparently, have chosen not to regulate themselves. Take an active role. Police this at a local level and protect yourself, your family and your sport. The best way to stop the use of this stuff is for the manufacturers to stop making it. And economics dictates that they'll stop making it if we stop buying it! Now that we have a dead-reliable test for 1,4 Dioxane that is cheap and easy to do, every track, every club, and every tech man ought to be doing this, every race. WE MUST NOT TOLERATE THE USE OF 1,4 DIOXANE UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES!

One more thing about these additives: It's important that you understand that the purpose of this series of articles has been to educate the karting public. This is not a witch hunt. What separates karting from most other forms of motorsports is that, for most of us, karting is an end in itself. While many karters aspire to drive at Indy or in the Daytona 500, most of us do this because we love it and we know, deep down, that this is how we'll satisfy our love of racing, and that there is no Indy Car or Winston Cup ride in our future. Karting is not a matter of life and death, and it shouldn't be. It's about fun, fair competition. It's about testing yourself, not about testing the tech man. I can't believe anyone in karting is so driven that they would knowingly jeopardize their health, or that of their families, their friends, or their competitors for the sake of a small advantage in performance.

What 1 do believe is happening is that karters are using 1,4 Dioxane, without knowing it, or knowing what the hazards are. I know of at least one team owner who openly admitted that his fuel contained one such product, but didn't know what was in it or that it was dangerous or illegal. When their fuel failed the Dioxane test they were surprised, and when they found out what they had been running all season they were more than surprised, they were angry! "How could anybody who cares about karting sell this stuff? How could they not tell buyers what the hazards are?" Good question.

In the weeks ahead we will be working with a group of concerned karting industry leaders to pressure the companies who are making and selling these products to stop. In an industry that has historically been unable or unwilling to regulate itself, this will be an interesting undertaking. Of course, we'll keep you posted on how it develops.

Next month will bring the last of the planned installments of "The Question of Fuel" series. As I've said before, I really didn't start out intending this to be an eight part series. But the depth of information that came to light while researching this, plus the level of interest from around the country, has driven the expanding nature of this work. We will, of course, bring you periodic updates as new developments arise. But next month we'll try to wrap it up by taking a look at what we should all expect in the future, fuel-wise.

Clubs and tracks around the country are all trying to do the right thing and keep cheating under control, and they're doing it by a variety of different methods. We'll look at those, and at the pros and cons of each. We'll try to offer some suggestions for immediate remedies if your club or track is having fuel problems, and we'll try to look way down the track to see what's available as a long-term solution. Of course, if you have any input, or suggestions on this subject, or on subjects for future articles, please FAX me at 317-742-0935. NKN continues to be an excellent forum for the exchange of ideas and information to make karting a better sport. Your ideas help make it better. See you next month.