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StumblePublished Friday, April 10, 2009 | 8 p.m.
Updated Saturday, April 11, 2009 | 10:43 a.m.
Would you spend $1 million a year for motor oil that would give your car’s engine a little more horsepower? I didn’t think so. But Joe Gibbs Racing does.
According to a story in Friday’s Wall Street Journal, Gibbs Racing has spent $10 million over the past decade to perfect the motor oil used in its Sprint Cup cars. Less friction inside the engine means more horsepower. The result is an extra 10 horsepower for the Gibbs cars, which can be the difference between winning or losing a race.
The story also pointed out that this is one area of racing where NASCAR currently has no policy in place to reign in costs. As a result, spending on formulating special oil can proceed without restraint. Selling its own brand of oil to amateur auto racers is one way Gibbs Racing makes up for some of the development costs.
This brings up an interesting question. Does Kyle Busch gain a competitive advantage by using special oil? Frankly, I think you could put Kyle in just about anything, regardless of the oil that’s being used, and he could win. And I would be surprised if other teams aren’t doing the same thing as the folks at Gibbs Racing. But the story pointed out that at the Aaron’s 499 at Talladega last year, Gibbs Racing used a blend of qualifying and racing oil, which had the effect of thinning the oil. Kyle won that race.
You can be sure of one thing: if NASCAR determines that teams are spending too much to gain an advantage, there eventually will be new rules regarding what oil can be used in Sprint Cup.
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This week's StockcarToon takes a look at how fans feel about Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s season.
In the WSJ piece, the author writes, "The team's officials admit it's not the same oil the team's drivers use: Their formula is a secret combination of its retail brands. "I'm not going to give you the whole recipe," says Mr. Speed". A visit to the 'Joe Gibbs Driven Racing Oils' website states that their XP2 engine oil, for example, is "...used by Joe Gibbs Racing in all their restrictor plate engines...". So it appears that their description is omitting critical details in it's sales pitch to the potential buyer in the racing community.
But the racing oil business is a side issue. If the special blend of additives and such actually produces extra horsepower and that translates into better finishes week in and week out, then the $1 million is well spent. I suspect all the top teams have chemists and metallurgists looking at this, as it is relatively inexpensive research compared to, for example, wind tunnel time.
Snake oil
I guess they don't have to economize!!!
I bet it's probably very good oil for the type of racing engine it's specially designed for (which is not what's under the hood at the local dealer showroom). Taking a research expense and building a side business to help fund it (and perhaps even make a profit) sounds like an excellent business plan to me.
Next up: car wax that makes your car's coefficient of friction drop!