...use the octane that is ment for your car. I dont understand why yall get wet dreams over 98 octane, or 104 octane, or 1,000 octane. If you take 91, use 91...and nothing else. if you use 87, use 87, and nothing else. If you go to low, you run the risk of pre detonation. If you run to high, you run the risk of incomplete detonation, which means LOSS OF POWER! DUR, use the recomended octane.
the falacy comes from racing gas being high octane. Its not the fact that racing gas is high octane, but how the gas is mixed. There are many highly combustable chemicals in racing gas, as compaired to pump gas. If you want to get power from gas, go to the track and fill her up. Youll run hotter, get full combustion, and by getting the higher octane in the racing gas, you dont run the risk of pre detonation. But expect to pay @ $6 per gal.
you are right on the money, except...if he guts his car and the other guy doesnt, he will flame him for saying its not a fair race, and then guess what...another thread about a rematch. Dont go so drastic in saving weight as to be obvious about it, but enough that it counts.
I dont know if youd be willing to, but if you get tires with a shallow sidewall (ie. 225/60/16> 225/40/16) will give you a better time accelerating. its kinda like stepping up your gears by .05. I noticed when i did that, i was getting much better times. I dont know if its true that its because of the tires, but it certiantly seemed to help.