Drag racing demands everything from an engine in seconds. Unlike endurance racing or road courses, drag engines face instantaneous peak loads, maximum cylinder pressures, and extreme thermal stress from launch to finish line. These conditions require fuels that resist detonation under violent acceleration while maintaining power consistency run after run.
Purpose-formulated race fuels deliver instant throttle response, maximum knock resistance under boost or high compression, and the thermal stability needed for back-to-back passes without performance degradation.
Sunoco offers several race fuels engineered for drag racing applications, from street/strip builds to professional heads-up competition.
260 GT Plus (104 Octane) is a high-octane, street-legal unleaded fuel perfect for aggressive street/strip builds, turbocharged imports, and modified muscle cars. It provides pump-gas convenience with race fuel performance, making it ideal for cars driven to the track.
Best for: Street/strip builds, pump gas eliminators, turbocharged street cars, high-compression aspirated engines
Supreme (112 Octane) delivers serious octane for serious power. This unleaded race fuel supports high-boost turbo and supercharged applications while providing the knock resistance needed for nitrous oxide systems and extreme compression ratios
Best for: Boosted street/strip cars, nitrous applications, bracket racing, Super Street classes
Maximal (116 Octane) is engineered for professional drag racing where maximum power and consistency are non-negotiable. Its advanced formulation supports extreme boost levels, aggressive timing curves, and the thermal demands of consecutive qualifying and elimination rounds.
Best for: Pro Mod, radial racing, blown alcohol alternatives, top sportsman classes
SR18 (118 Octane) represents Sunoco's highest-octane unleaded offering, designed for ultra-high-compression engines and extreme power applications. When rules require unleaded fuel but performance demands are maximum, SR18 delivers unmatched detonation resistance.
Best for: Unlimited heads-up classes, record-setting naturally aspirated builds, extreme boost applications
Drag racing places unique demands on fuel from the moment the tree drops. At launch, cylinder pressures spike instantly as the engine loads against the converter or clutch. Through the sixty-foot mark, boost builds rapidly in forced induction applications while naturally aspirated engines reach peak RPM.
From launch through the eighth or quarter mile, fuel must maintain consistent combustion characteristics under continuously changing loads and temperatures. Half-track, many engines experience their highest cylinder pressures and thermal stress. At the finish line, fuel consistency determines whether your dial-in stays locked or varies between rounds.
Sunoco Race Fuels maintain volatility and combustion stability throughout the entire power curve, ensuring your engine makes the same power on the starting line as it does at the finish.
Sunoco has powered drag racing champions across every class and sanction, from NHRA Pro Stock to outlaw small-tire racing. The Double Distilled™ process creates race fuel with three critical advantages:
Consistency you can trust: Batch-to-batch reliability means your tune stays locked in from qualifying through eliminations without performance variations.
Purity that protects: Cleaner combustion reduces carbon buildup and extends component life, critical for high-output engines operating at their limits.
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