# What are they using to fuel tractor pulls? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [February 6, 2020, 6:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-they-using-to-fuel-tractor-pulls/158001 "2020-02-06T18:36:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 6:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-they-using-to-fuel-tractor-pulls/158001/1 "2020-02-06T18:36:56Z")
Pure alcohol replaced gasoline in the corn belt I guess > **[Louisville gets ready for Championship Tractor Pull](https://www.farmprogress.com/tractors/louisville-gets-ready-championship-tractor-pull)** > > The massive indoor competition changes classes, and announcers, for the 2020 event Will alcohol fueled automobiles be on the market in the midwest soon? ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 6:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-they-using-to-fuel-tractor-pulls/158001/2 "2020-02-06T18:40:33Z")
Alcohol is just one class, most aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 6:43pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-they-using-to-fuel-tractor-pulls/158001/3 "2020-02-06T18:43:22Z")
But I didn’t see any mention of ‘gasoline’ in the story @texases. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 6:51pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-they-using-to-fuel-tractor-pulls/158001/4 "2020-02-06T18:51:14Z")
Look at the schedule. Those that are alcohol (or diesel) say so: ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/f/7/f79801c090e95ee8349c33b62ff8452a0ee9cf23.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 8:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-they-using-to-fuel-tractor-pulls/158001/5 "2020-02-06T20:39:31Z")
My first thought was Nitro-Methane …engines love that stuff. The more you cram in…the more power you make…till your engine comes apart. Its all in good fun, expensive, good fun. But as @texases clearly points out… this stuff is written down somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![eddo](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/eddo/32/2594_2.png) [@eddo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/eddo)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 8:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-they-using-to-fuel-tractor-pulls/158001/6 "2020-02-06T20:59:24Z")
> [@Honda\_Blackbird](#): > > My first thought was Nitro-Methane …engines love that stuff. my first thought was the tears of tree huggers… ---
**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2020, 9:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-they-using-to-fuel-tractor-pulls/158001/7 "2020-02-06T21:00:00Z")
Those too… but I hear they are low on Octane sadly ---
**Author:** ![auto-owner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/50afbb/32.png) [@auto-owner](https://community.cartalk.com/u/auto-owner)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 2:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-they-using-to-fuel-tractor-pulls/158001/8 "2020-02-07T02:49:54Z")
I have heard that nitromethane was tried in tractor/truck pulls decades ago, but was soon abandoned after too many engine explosions. Tractor/truck pulls are essentially drag races pulling tremendous weight, and if you watch any nitro drags you’ll see they have enough problems with explosions as it is. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 4:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-they-using-to-fuel-tractor-pulls/158001/9 "2020-02-07T04:16:55Z")
> [@Rod\_Knox](#): > > Will alcohol fueled automobiles be on the market in the Midwest soon? Uncle Sam has been encouraging the manufacture of flex fuel vehicles since the 1990s, millions sold. ---
**Author:** ![oldtimer-11](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e79b87/32.png) [@oldtimer-11](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldtimer-11)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 5:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-they-using-to-fuel-tractor-pulls/158001/10 "2020-02-07T05:06:12Z")
That is pretty much what E85 is anyway. Lousy fuel mileage and range. ---
**Author:** ![CapriRacer](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/capriracer/32/22_2.png) [@CapriRacer](https://community.cartalk.com/u/CapriRacer)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 1:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-they-using-to-fuel-tractor-pulls/158001/11 "2020-02-07T13:54:25Z")
I think tractor pulls are using methanol fueled engines, where E15/E85 is ethanol. And they use alcohol because you can make more power for a given engine size than with gasoline - albeit with more fuel consumed. ---
**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 3:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-they-using-to-fuel-tractor-pulls/158001/12 "2020-02-07T15:58:08Z")
True… Something tells me the Tractor Pull owner drivers aren’t too concerned with fuel economy regardless of fuel type. After all…they are getting what…about 3 gallons per FOOT maybe? LOL ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 4:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-they-using-to-fuel-tractor-pulls/158001/13 "2020-02-07T16:06:00Z")
> [@Nevada\_545](#): > > Uncle Sam has been encouraging the manufacture of flex fuel vehicles since the 1990s, millions sold. And thousands and thousands never use E-85. Just based on my observation there’s a very large percentage of full-size pickups that are Flex fuel sold here in New Hampshire. There’s not ONE E-85 gas station in New Hampshire. There’s ONE in Massachusetts. ---
**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2020, 4:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-they-using-to-fuel-tractor-pulls/158001/14 "2020-02-07T16:16:14Z")
I need to brush up on what preparations besides the obvious fuel container, lines etc are involved in making a vehicle “flex fuel” capable all the way up to 85% ethanol. What do the valves and guides think of this witchcraft? Moisture in tank or ambient air? Drunks trying to put a straw in your fuel tank? Fuel economy Those sorts of things? Time for a little research n learn me something… Crap now I really got into the deep end… the former article I read just breezed thru suggesting only fuel container and injector modifications… knew it sounded too simple… now Im reading this monster… I was only looking for what if anything the valvetrain needed for E85… still havent found that info…maybe no info needed? > **[ft\_12\_agarwal.pdf](https://www.energy.gov/sites/prod/files/2014/03/f12/ft_12_agarwal.pdf)** > > 1599.61 KB ---
**Author:** ![PvtPublic](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/pvtpublic/32/13089_2.png) [@PvtPublic](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PvtPublic)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 11:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-they-using-to-fuel-tractor-pulls/158001/15 "2020-02-08T11:43:53Z")
> [@Honda\_Blackbird](#): > > but I hear they are low on Octane sadly Unfortunately that sadness creates even more tears that combine with previous tears further lowering the octane. Which creates more sadness, more tears. It’s a terrible downward spiral. ---
**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 12:47pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-they-using-to-fuel-tractor-pulls/158001/16 "2020-02-08T12:47:10Z")
You are correct, and I believe there is a mathematical equation for that phenomenon @PvtPublic. ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 2:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-they-using-to-fuel-tractor-pulls/158001/17 "2020-02-08T14:48:11Z")
> [@oldtimer-11](#): > > That is pretty much what E85 is anyway. Lousy fuel mileage and range. I think the biggest problem is that alcohol burns more efficiently at higher compression ratios than gasoline. The USA has a gasoline based fleet, and we can’t really take advantage of burning alcohol efficiently. ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [February 8, 2020, 4:10pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/what-are-they-using-to-fuel-tractor-pulls/158001/18 "2020-02-08T16:10:20Z")
Is vapor injection ignored by engine designers due to concerns that owners will fail to keep the tanks filled with water? Vapor injection seems to offer a better outcome than e-15 ethanol fuel and actually requires methanol to make it operational > **[Pratt-Whitney-R-2800.pdf](https://www.aviatorsdatabase.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Pratt-Whitney-R-2800.pdf)** > > 381.41 KB