When the engine is built to make power, the fuel has to keep up. High-purity methanol is the workhorse of drag racing, sprint and dirt-track cars, speedway bikes, jet sprint boats and other alcohol-legal classes because it cools the charge, resists knock, and burns clean when the setup is right. Labtech supplies Methanol AR 99.8% minimum laboratory grade—the purity level that matters when a tune is on the edge and water or contaminants will steal consistency. In stock now: 5L, 20L, 200L Drums and 1000L IBC's available Pickup / DG delivery: Labtech Service & Supplies, 97 Fairey Rd, South Windsor NSW. Orders: 02 8064 2333 · orders@labtech.com.au BUY NOW - https://labtech.com.au/category/methanol Why methanol wins on the strip and on the water Methanol is not “just another fuel.” Tuners choose it because of how it behaves in a high-output engine: Knock resistance. Typical methanol octane is around 107–113 AKI / ~110 RON class—high enough to support aggressive compression, boost, and timing that petrol cannot live with. Charge cooling. Methanol’s high latent heat of vaporisation pulls heat out of the intake charge as it evaporates. Cooler, denser air means more power and a wider safety margin against detonation. Oxygen in the molecule. Methanol carries its own oxygen, so peak-power mixtures are much richer than petrol (commonly around 4.0–5.5:1 AFR vs ~12.5:1). That extra liquid also helps cool pistons, valves and chambers. Cleaner burn. No carbon-to-carbon bonds means far less soot than petrol—useful for engines that already run rich. Track-side fire behaviour. Methanol fires can be diluted/extinguished with water and do not throw the same black smoke cloud as petrol. The trade-off: the flame can be almost invisible in daylight, so crews must treat every leak as a fire risk. That combination is why methanol remains standard in many alcohol classes and why jet sprint and high-output boat teams still specify it when the rule book allows. Built for the engines that actually use it Motor racing Top Alcohol and other methanol-legal drag cars, sprint cars, midgets, speedway motorcycles, and many dirt-track programs run methanol because the cooling and octane let the engine live at compression and boost petrol cannot touch. In Australia, ANDRA treats generic methanol as a racing fuel when purity is 99.5% or greater —Labtech AR 99.8% min sits above that threshold. Always check your class rules, sanctioning body, and whether a branded homologated fuel is required for that event. Speed boats and jet sprints High-revving marine engines and jet units benefit from the same charge cooling and knock resistance, especially in hot Australian summer water and short, brutal runs. Australian Formula Jet Sprint rules allow methanol in specified groups (commonly “Methanol No. 5” with oil added where required) and mandate a clear red “M” on the hull so rescue crews know the fuel type. Confirm your association’s exact spec before you fill. What methanol is not It is n…