Oil for track usage?

[Sean 86]

I couldn't find any threads (partly because typing "oil" is too broad for the search function and I'm a little lazy) but what engine oils do you guys use and recommend for the occasional track day? My closest track is the nurburgring if that makes a difference to what you'd recommend. The coldest it gets here in Germany where I live is probably the 30s and I would be dailying the car as well. All help would be appreciated

[gen3v8]

30f is freezing 30c is hot

[BigTuna]

Originally Posted by gen3v8

30f is freezing 30c is hot

Using context clues, I can imagine he is using Fahrenheit.

Originally Posted by Sean 86

I couldn't find any threads (partly because typing "oil" is too broad for the search function and I'm a little lazy) but what engine oils do you guys use and recommend for the occasional track day? My closest track is the nurburgring if that makes a difference to what you'd recommend. The coldest it gets here in Germany where I live is probably the 30s and I would be dailying the car as well. All help would be appreciated

It depends on if you have an oil cooler. If you do, then the 0W-20 would be fine, maybe 5W-30 to be safe. If no oil cooler, some people use up to 5W-40.

There is a bunch of threads and I understand there are so many thoughts on what to do and its hard to sift through. Its more about the oil pressure at high temps than the actual temperature. My vote would be 5W-30 for the occasional track day and just keep an eye on the temps on track.

[racingfool]

https://drivenracingoil.com/i-304977...motor-oil.html

https://www.millersoils.co.uk/produc...ry/motorsport/

https://www.redlineoil.com/high-performance-motor-oil

[Sean 86]

Originally Posted by gen3v8

30f is freezing 30c is hot

Sorry, I'm an American in Germany so that could be confusing. I meant 30 degrees Fahrenheit so 0 degrees Celsius for the rest of the world

[SCFD]

Originally Posted by BigTuna

It depends on if you have an oil cooler. If you do, then the 0W-20 would be fine, maybe 5W-30 to be safe. If no oil cooler, some people use up to 5W-40.

There is a bunch of threads and I understand there are so many thoughts on what to do and its hard to sift through. Its more about the oil pressure at high temps than the actual temperature. My vote would be 5W-30 for the occasional track day and just keep an eye on the temps on track.

This is pretty much the conclusion I got from reading a couple of the oil temp threads.


During my first track day a few weeks ago, my oil temps (factory 0W20) peaked at a toasty 264F during each session. A session typically consisted of 1 warm-up, 6 hot laps, and 1 cool-down lap. Keep in mind though, the ambient temp was also only around 45F.


I think a good 30 weight oil would be a minimum for any mild track use to cope with the heat and ensure high rpm oil pressure.

[TommyW]

I have an IAG Stage 1 motor and to keep their warranty intact I need to use 0-20 Motul synthetic. These blocks have very close tolerances and improved oil flow. With my oil cooler I’m around 230 on the track. The thinner oil also helps keep the engine cooler. I never thought I’d be using that low of a viscosity however I understand the benefits especially on a cold start

[rice_classic]

I have an oil cooler and I race with valvoline full syn high mileage oil. 5w-30. I’ll change out to a 10w-40 if it’s going to be super hot that weekend and I’ll be drafting a lot. HM oils tend to have more zinc and I don’t think expensive boutique oils are necessary. A good syn gets you there, just make sure to keep oil pressure up.

For endurance racing I’ll likely go thicker. The TAPG team that did the 25 hours of Thunderhill I believe used a 50wt oil for the sake of reliability.

[gen3v8]

Would 5w-30 be good daily use in 30c+ Temps.

Sorry for slightly off Topic but Oil Gurus are here.

[EndlessAzure]

0W20. If you are a proficient driver, get an oil cooler and continue to run 0W20. If you don't have much track driving experience, you can still run 0W20 without an oil cooler for the first few times if you watch your oil temperature (keep it under 265F).



5W30 without an oil cooler can be okay if you need to band-aid high oil temperatures on track, but it can only take you so far. Plus there is the added downside that your engine will see higher than ideal oil pressure when the car is cold. Cold engine oil pressure is already really high even with 0W20

[Bonburner]

https://www.eneos.us/product/eneos-racing-street-0w-20/

VI of 239 gives a bit more protection than other oils as the temps start to creep up

I'm also excited to try toyota's GR with a VI of 335

https://toyotagazooracing.com/jp/gr/...pEpyB51cA_O2P0

[glhs386]

Originally Posted by Bonburner

https://www.eneos.us/product/eneos-racing-street-0w-20/

VI of 239 gives a bit more protection than other oils as the temps start to creep up

I'm also excited to try toyota's GR with a VI of 335

https://toyotagazooracing.com/jp/gr/...pEpyB51cA_O2P0

A viscosity index of over 300 is crazy. I'm curious how shear stable these oils are, with what must be massive doses of VI improvers in a group III base. They both note that they're for short oil change intervals, but I wonder how quickly they actually drop off under hard use. Even Mobil 1 0W-40 is known to shear down with a VI of only 190ish.