4 Ways to Tell If You Have the Best Racing Oil

Are You Running The Best Racing Oil?

Driving a race car is totally different from driving a minivan to soccer practice. This is an expensive high-performance machine we're talking about! If you want your race car to be good to you, then you've got to be good to it. A huge part of giving your race car the TLC it needs is using a racing oil that makes the grade.

But with all of the choices out there, how do you know that you've gotten your hands on the very best racing oil?

This may seem blatantly obvious, but there are so many oils out there that market themselves as "high-performance," and "high-quality" that it may seem like any high-grade oil will work inside your race car. However, that couldn't be further from the truth! 

1. Make sure you're dealing with actual racing oil

Racing oils are specially-formulated to work under extreme conditions, like very high temperatures and loads. They're designed to work with high-performance engines that are put to the test instead of "regular" engines that sit in traffic and drive around town on a daily basis.

We've also heard from an insider that some racing oils on the shelf are not the same oils that those sponsored big-name drivers use! We won't name any names here.

Bottom line -- no matter how great a particular oil claims to be, if it's not a genuine racing oil, it's not meant to be used in your race car!

2. Check out the additives

Each racing oil comes with its own "recipe." The big-name oil manufacturers have spent decades tweaking and perfecting their racing oils, so the exact recipe is considered a trade secret. However, good manufacturers will tell you which additives have been mixed in -- just not the exact quantities that are used.

For example, if you see "moly" on the list, you'll know that this particular racing oil has extra friction-reducing capabilities. That one ingredient can make it easier for the close tolerance parts inside your engine to move faster and more efficiently -- which will go a long way towards giving your race engine a longer, healthier life. Racing oils will also generally have additional phosphorus and zinc.

3. Look at the viscosity grade

When you look at a container of racing oil (or any type of motor oil, for that matter!), you'll see the multi-viscosity grade. There are two numbers at work here -- the one that comes before the "W" and the one that comes after it (like 20W-50, for example).

In racing oil, the second number is crucial. Specifically, it tells you the maximum viscosity the oil has when it's heated to 212° F. You'll need to check your specific engine's operating temperature before you buy any type of racing oil. Still, hotter engines require a higher viscosity grade. Since a race car's engine will get much hotter than a "regular" engine would, the more viscosity your oil has, the better.

Say, for example, you were comparing 20W-50 oil with 20W-40 oil. The "40" will have a viscosity of about 15 when heated to 212° F, but the "50" will have a maximum viscosity of about 20 when it's heated to 212° F. That difference can have a significant effect on how your race car runs!

4. Brush up on your knowledge of thermal stability

The term "thermal stability" may sound fancy, but it's measuring something straightforward. A particular racing oil's thermal stability lets you know how the oil reacts to very high temperatures. The better the thermal stability, the lower your chances of having oil that burns when it gets hot. This is important for all types of oil, but it's especially crucial for racing oils because the engines they're running through get so hot!

You can find the best synthetics and racing oils at Buy1oils.

11.21.21