Apparently methanol is a substitute for ethanol so it could be used quite effectively for snowmobile drag-racing. Whether it helps to go faster or not is kind of a moot point since it does put out less emissions but is really more of a clean-burning fuel that can give the advantage of enhancing performance, but still leaves a lot of the skill up to the driver when it comes to outfoxing one’s opponent in a race. Methanol is considered an alternative to ethanol but unfortunately it’s not in huge demand since manufacturers aren’t creating a lot of cars that can handle methanol.
It would seem though that snowmobiles are able to handle the mixture of ethanol and methanol, but I get the feeling that it has to be mixed just right so as to avoid any complications or problems with the engine, if there is that type of worry. Having never been on a snowmobile I couldn’t tell you much about them save for the fact that they can go fast, look like a lot of fun, and are obviously a great way to entertain yourself and others when there’s nothing to do on a snow day. Drag racing is a favorite sport of a lot of people whether it’s snowmobiles or race cars, but doesn’t make nearly as much sense to those that aren’t into such sports. To those of us that don’t follow it the sport looks fairly simple, but I”m betting there’s more to it than what we see.
Really, it looks like a driver is accelerating as quickly as they can for a short distance to outpace the other driver so that they can reach the established finished line and that’s it. That seems like a very quick ride with a lot riding on it at times for the minimum amount of effort. Still, don’t get me wrong, there’s likely a lot more to it than that. For starters being experienced in jumping off the line at the precise moment that’s needed is something that a lot of people couldn’t do on a whim. The acceleration needed is likely to knock a lot of people back if they’re not prepared and it’s possible that a lot of people wouldn’t even react as quickly as is needed to get that edge over their opponent. A lot of it has to do with the response that a person gives when they see it’s time to go. At a normal stoplight, for example, most people won’t think about hitting the gas as hard as they can in order to get ahead of the other cars unless it’s absolutely necessary.
I remember as a young man trying to take someone off the line when I was challenged, and it’s similar to drag racing. You wait for that critical moment when the light is just about to shift from red to green, and then once you see that emerald hue you stomp on the gas and shoot forward, hoping that your opponent isn’t as quick on the pedal. I would imagine that the same thing applies here.
