The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) has made necessary changes to permit the use of alternate unleaded racing fuels and additives to those participating in events for the 5th Category.

From 1 July 2019, leaded fuel is not permitted for use in any CAMS sanctioned motor sport, in line with the Australian Government’s decision to ban the use of lead in fuel for motor sport.

CAMS’ revised fuel regulations will allow Historic competitors a wide choice of alternate fuels and additives, readily and commercially available in Australia.

’Schedule G – Fuel’ of the 2019 CAMS Manual will apply the removal of the use of lead in fuel as of 1 July 2019

Schedule G will now include the provision for CAMS Groups, such as 5th Category Historic, to apply alternate fuel and additive criteria in the specific Group regulations to better suit the needs of those historic engines that have relied on lead in the fuel since they were originally manufactured.    

The ’5th Category – Historic Cars; Vehicle Eligibility – General Requirements’ will provide the definitions for the fuels and additives that are now permitted for the 5Th Category. The definition applied for unleaded racing fuel and additives is much broader than that defined in Schedule G and will present a range of fuels and additives, commercially available in the Australian market to choose from.

The general conditions of Schedule G will still apply, where not varied by the 5th Category regulations; such as when an alcohol fuel is being used in competition, the car must display symbols with the letter “A” in white on a circular red background with a white border and must be placed adjacent to the racing number on each side of the vehicle, and one adjacent to the filler point.

HISTORIC FUEL Q & A 

Q; What changes need to be made when changing from leaded fuel to unleaded racing fuel?
A; It is advisable to consult your engine builder or reputable engine tuner as the engine may need to be re-tuned to suit the selected unleaded racing fuel. 

Q; What are the implications if I don’t retune the engine?
A; Unleaded racing fuels have differing viscosity and burn rates to leaded fuel, as well as a change to the lubrication qualities of the fuel. Differencing fuel specifications may cause issues with not only the engine components but also how the engine performs.

Q; Are there any problems that may arise from using unleaded racing fuel apart from tuning?
A;Unleaded racing fuels from various suppliers will have differing qualities, and may suit certain application better than others. It is advisable to check the specifications of the selected fuel to see if there are compounds in the fuel that may affect any of the components installed in the engine or fuel system. An example is the use of ethanol which is known to affect certain types of rubber and plastics commonly found in older specification fuels pumps etc.

Q; Am I allowed to used additives in the new fuel allowed for my category?
A; The 5th Category Historic will now permit the use of any additive that is commercially available in Australia and can be used by those vehicles as listed for the specific Group. It also remains permitted to use the additives that are listed in CAMS Manual Schedule G.

Q; Are the various brands of unleaded racing fuel compatible?
A; It is advisable to consult your engine builder and tuner before changing to a different supplier. Each fuel supplier should be able to provide the specific detail of what their fuel is including its contents and specifications

 

PERMITTED FUEL AND ADDITIVES ONLY FOR 5TH CATEGORY HISTORIC VEHICLES

From the 1 July 2019, leaded fuel is not permitted for use in any CAMS sanctioned motor sport. For the 5thCategory, the following is to be included in the ’5th Category – Historic Cars; Vehicle Eligibility – General Requirements’ to apply the use of alternate Unleaded Racing Fuels and Additives.

 

PERMITTED FUEL AND ADDITIVES ONLY FOR 5TH CATEGORY HISTORIC VEHICLES

Unleaded Racing Fuel;
Unleaded Racing Fuel is permitted as follows:

• In accordance with ’Schedule G – Fuel’ of the CAMS Manual; or
• An Unleaded Racing Fuel with a maximum Ethanol content of 30%, which is commercially available in Australia and distributed by a Fuel Supplier and complies with the Fuel Standards Determinations made under the Fuel Quality Standards Act.

Pump Fuel;

• In accordance with ’Schedule G – Fuel’ of the CAMS Manual.

Ethanol Blended Fuel;

• In accordance with ’Schedule G – Fuel’ of the CAMS Manual.

Fuel Additives;

• Fuel Additive is any additive which is commercially available in Australia and is distributed for the purpose of being added to a fuel to provide additional lubrication to the fuel or to effect the specification of the fuel (such as the Research Octane Number [RON]). 

5TH CATEGORY HISTORIC VEHICLES PERMITTED FUEL AND ADDITIVES BY GROUP

The table below details the permitted Fuel and Fuel Additive usage for each 5th Category Historic Group. 

 

NOTE:

1. Leaded Racing Fuel or any Fuel containing Lead is not permitted for use in CAMS Motor Sport from 1 July 2019.
2. Each Group may use the additives as per these regulations or those additives as permitted in Schedule G of the CAMS Manual.