Nitrous considered "Fuel"...

[kustombrad]

Since I'm asking questions, this is one that I've always wondered. Why does the SCTA consider Nitrous Oxide a "fuel?" It's NOT flammable, it won't burn on its own (light a match and it'll just blow out the flame) but yet it's categorized with nitromethane and alcohol. Being it's only oxygen with a little nitrogen in it to calm it down, it's been referred to as "Blower in a bottle" for years because of it's premise is to stuff more "air" into the cylinder. Again, I'm just curious...

[Stainless1]

Brad, you almost answered your own question.... anything in your cylinder but air and certified gas puts you in fuel.  If you ever used N20 you would know immediately why it puts you in fuel class.  It allows you to burn as much fuel as you dare, thereby allowing you to make as much power as you dare. 
Figure on making 10 HP for every PPM of N20 you add, provided you give it .2 PPM of fuel to go with it...
if you don't figure on it burning 200 grams of aluminum per minute until the motor stops running
 

[kustombrad]

Neither Nitrogen nor Oxygen burn on their own (don't add gas) so technically they're not fuel, only air. Stuffing the cylinders with a turbo or blower does the exact same thing (adding air with nothing that actually burns) and you'll melt the EXACT same amount of aluminum. Nitrous, Superchargers and Turbochargers only work when you ADD fuel...

[RichFox]

I think we all know that gas is a fuel. So maybe we should run gas burning cars in fuel class. But no. Fuel class is for engines that burn other than legal gas. Gas with Ox added is not legal. So this is the kind of thing you should just accept. Plenty of other things to worry about.

[SPARKY]

break the seal on your gas tank--- and you are in fuel 

[jdincau]

Well for one thing they define gasoline to contain no nitrogen bearing compounds.

[kustombrad]

I guess I should've rephrased what I was trying to say of why I was questioning the idea of something that doesn't burn on its own in the fuel category. I was wondering why it wasn't thrown in the category of the "blown" classes when it's doing the same thing. With sealed gas tanks full of "spec" gas and a nitrous bottle, why wouldn't it be classified in "Blown Gas?" If anyone has ever watched a Pro Mod or Drag radial tires drag race, they've watched a never ending Iine of nitrous and blown cars (on either gas or alcohol) dicing it out. The blown cars will always dominate, but the nitrous guys are always trying to hang. As far as running "gas" in the fuel classes, that obviously happens all the time when the record is "bumped" up 2 or 3mph between gas and fuel. Heck, just throwing in alcohol is good for a 15% HP jump if you have a little compression and that's worth more than 2 or 3mph.

[RichFox]

 in the beginning there were gas and fuel classes. Fuel being a chemical horsepower enhancer. Then in time came N20. So what is the SCTA to do about that? It acts like Nitro. Class it with Nitro. Never mind  that gas is a fuel and N20 isn't. Just go fast and be happy.

[SPARKY]

GO FAST---- be happy 

[Milwaukee Midget]

I was wondering why it wasn't thrown in the category of the "blown" classes when it's doing the same thing.

Actually, it's not.

In a blown class, you've artificially increased the fuel charge pressure of the air/fuel mixture relative to the vacuum created in the cylinder on the intake stroke, thus creating more power through a larger volume of air/fuel mixture.  With nitrous and gasoline combined, as when running nitro or alcohol, you've altered the chemistry of the air/fuel cocktail.

[Rex Schimmer]

Just to extend this thread a little, we have all seen the articles in Hot Rod where they pressurize the inlet using standard compressed air bottles. This requires that the air inlet be sealed and that all of the air for combustion be supplied by the bottled air. What if you simply added an external line from a compressed air bottle that sprayed into your air scoop? The actual inlet pressure would still be a result of any velocity generated ram air but I would think that you would probably get a boost because the compressed air would be at a very low temperature (-70+ deg F or more)  and this should drop the the temp of the incoming air which will increase air density and power. Does the same thing as a inlet charge cooler except you don't have the pressure drop across it. I pretty much think they would put you in the supercharge class. But it would be interesting and easy to try.

Rex

[Stan Back]

Hol shitt!  Why can't anyone just run by the rules.  The SCTA has more classes than Harvard.  Pick one.  Read the damned Rule Book.  And set out to break it in one class.  We keep screwing with these, we'll look like the bikes --"I've got a green seat and some pushrods and a fairing (kinda) but I don't use all the gears and I modified the swing arm and I have saddle bags and the frame was made in 1912, but the motor is a H-D (no, not really, just an updated copy).  I'd like to run moonshine and nitrous -- neither are fuels by my definition -- why do you not have a class for me?"

[Stan Back]

Thinking about it (something I rarely do before posting) . . .

I bet Stainless can classified this bike-- it's 38.93 cu. in., if that helps (more in one cylinder than the other -- a great torque-building secret).

[Stainless1]

Stan, you made it too easy.... 650 APS/PF... unless the motor is as old as the frame... then.... well you throw a V in there...
Or you just run it TO

But we digress... Brad, have  you been reading too much Hot Rod, they race NA and power adder... N20 is a power adder.

[fordboy628]

Hol shitt!  Why can't anyone just run by the rules.  The SCTA has more classes than Harvard.  Pick one.  Read the damned Rule Book.  And set out to break it in one class.  We keep screwing with these, we'll look like the bikes --"I've got a green seat and some pushrods and a fairing (kinda) but I don't use all the gears and I modified the swing arm and I have saddle bags and the frame was made in 1912, but the motor is a H-D (no, not really, just an updated copy).  I'd like to run moonshine and nitrous -- neither are fuels by my definition -- why do you not have a class for me?"

Stan,

LOVED your post,    laughing my you know what off!!!