We’ve only just come into Spring and already getting 30c temperatures. In Summer we can expect high 30’s and beyond. Is there any benefit to storing fuel in an esky/cooler with ice on race day?
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Tried it, but it’s hard to maintain temperate in the actual tank. Difference was negligible
I noticed that you put this in the 2T forum… which makes me think of potential oil separation depending on how far you cool it… This might be a fringe thing since It depends on the oil and the temps you bring it down to… But I’d imagine if you use something like dry ice it could be an issue.
Some oils separate from the fuel as warm as 50° F. Was a big issue here a few years ago with the spec oil we had to run. Karts were seizing engines in morning warm-up because the fuel would separate from the oil just walking down the grid.
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Cue mechanics shaking up entire go karts on the grid before the kid/driver gets in.
Been there in the 1990’s 
Exactly! Plus the oil would gel up in the carbs so every night we had to completely disassemble everything and do a thorough clean.
Glad we have a better oil now.
what type of oil was that TJ?
I believe it was the Xeramic that separated bad. The Elf has been great.
That’s good to know, I will stay clear of that oil
Yes, cold fuel makes more power but throughout a heat race it is impossible to tune… If it’s a hot day in the sun and the fuel is rising in temperature lap after lap I believe keeping the tune perfect would be impossible and the difference would be then negligible.
Elf will do it too. It got down to 40 this weekend and we had 1-2 competitors that had gelling conditions with the Elf that was left out.
MCC has historically allowed motul in the colder months because it seems the least prone to separation issues.
On the topic of cooling fuel. I agree that there’s benefits in power but as Samuel mentioned tuning for it as the fuel heats up would be a pain. Maybe for a qualifying run in a competitive class it might be worth considering but it sounds like one more thing that’s easier to screw up than it is a potential competitive advantage.
Before you try, be sure to double check whatever rules you’re racing under. Some series specifically state you cannot cool the fuel, and some have a specific gravity test for the fuel which is dependent on sample temp. tech will have a range for the spec fuel and if you’re outside it- even with temp compensation- then you’re going to have a fun talk with the stewards.
Also note you have to deal with condensation. if you have fuel that cold and it’s humid outside (like it is all year round in south Texas!), then you’ll wind up with condensation on and in the tank which could cause other nefarious issues.
Personally, I wouldn’t bother with it. just keep the fuel in the shade, maybe inside a trailer with air-con, but I would not cool the fuel much below ambient.