Rally racing is leading the way in reducing vintage green house gas emissions with a Wales organizer being the first to introduce a sustainable race fuel.
The Rali Ceredigioin rally, which is a mix of modern and classic racing rally cars, has allowed vehicles to be powered by the bio-fuel mix, Hiperflo ECO98 R70 from Haltermann Carless, to compete because it requires no alteration to even vintage cars from virtually any era. It is the first race to make the move to be followed by three other racing championships including the Motorsport UK British Rally Championship, Protyre Aspahlt Rally Championship, FIA European Trophy and Tour European Rally.
The fuel consists of 70% biogenic components and enables greenhouse gas emissions to be almost halved when compared to equivalent super unleaded fossil fuel in any gasoline ICE powered car. It is engineered to conform to EN228 Super Unleaded British standard, the ethanol-free composition can be used as drop-in fuel without any engine or fuel system modifications.
Racing competitors report no drop in performance compared to fossil fuels. Phil Mills in an 1960s Ford Escort Twin Cam and Nick Heard in a Ginetta G40, confirm the performance of the sustainable racing fuel. Mills, WRC champion co-driver, says: “We carried out extensive testing with the new Carless Hiperflo ECO98 R70 on the dyno and were extremely impressed. You can just pour it in and go – even in an engine that was designed in the 1960s. Whilst there’s more development to come, this is a massive step forward for sustainability in motorsport. I am therefore proud to be one of the first to use this new fuel and hope it will lead to more competitors, be it in modern or historic vehicles, to follow suit.”
Nick Heard, added: “I was immensely impressed with the new Hiperflo ECO98 R70 fuel. It was a seamless transition from the fossil-based equivalent fuel without the need for any remapping. Over 100 stage miles on fast, narrow lanes our vehicle performed flawlessly on this fuel, demonstrating exceptional performance, particularly at low revs and during acceleration.”
— Paul Myles is a seasoned automotive journalist based in Europe. Follow him on Twitter @Paulmyles_ and Threads
