PERFORMANCE FLUIDS
Performance fluids are not better oil. They are oil built for a different job.
Everyday fluids are designed for commuting, emissions rules and long service intervals. Race fluids are designed for the track.
VP Racing's support trailer in the pits at a European drag meeting.
The tech
The fuel makes the heat. Everything else has to live with it.
The difference
What changes when the engine is working hard
Here can be a detailed paragraph that expands on the heading, providing insights, background information, or key details.
Engine oil
Everyday (PCMO)Built to pass road-car specifications such as ACEA and API. Priorities are long drain intervals, fuel economy and protecting the catalytic converter, which limits how much zinc and phosphorus anti-wear additive it can carry.
Performance Built for sustained high temperature, high RPM and high cylinder pressure. Anti-wear chemistry is chosen for protecting the engine rather than for emissions hardware, and the viscosity is formulated to hold up under shear. Changed more often, because it works harder.
COOLANT
Everyday Glycol-based antifreeze, designed for freeze protection and long life.
Performance Many series and circuits restrict glycol coolant because a spill makes the track dangerously slippery. Race coolants and cooling additives are built to be circuit-friendly and to move heat out of the engine efficiently.
BRake Fluid
Everyday Meets minimum road standards (DOT ratings) and is typically changed every couple of years.
Performance A higher boiling point to resist fade under repeated hard braking, and changed far more often, because brake fluid absorbs moisture and loses boiling point over time.
Who it’s for
Who needs performance fluids
Drag racing
Full throttle from a standing start, with the whole run at or near maximum load.
Circuit and track days
Sustained high RPM for a full stint, not a school run's worth of short trips.
Motocross and powersports
Small-capacity engines run hard, often air-cooled, for the length of a moto.
Rally
The same fluid across a weekend's worth of weather a circuit season never sees.
Classic and high-compression engines
Older engines and high static compression ratios that a modern road oil was never specified for.
Modified road cars
Forced induction, remapped power and track days that take a road car past what it left the factory doing.
Wide offerings
The Range of Products
Brand Stories
Why VP Racing Produces its own Fluids
everyday questions
Frequently asked questions
- Can I use racing oil in my everyday road car?
In some engines it is physically possible, but racing oil is not formulated for it. It is built for sustained high temperature and high RPM rather than for protecting a catalytic converter or for a long service interval, and it is typically changed far more often than a road oil. Check your vehicle's manufacturer requirements before changing what it runs.
- Why do some series and circuits restrict glycol coolant?
Glycol-based antifreeze is extremely slippery when spilled on a track surface, which is a hazard to every car and rider on it. Many circuits and championships require a coolant or cooling additive that is glycol-free for that reason.
- How often should performance fluids be changed?
More often than the equivalent road fluid, because they work harder. Race oil is typically changed every session or every few sessions rather than over thousands of miles, and race brake fluid is changed more often than the multi-year interval common on the road, since brake fluid absorbs moisture over time and its boiling point drops as a result. Follow the interval documented for the specific product.
- Which VP oil is right for my engine?
It depends on the engine's own specification, how it is used and what your class rules allow. Compare the documented viscosity grade and application of each oil in the range against your engine builder's requirements, or contact us with your engine and application details.
- Where can I buy VP oils and fluids in Europe?
Use Where to Buy to find a dealer, or contact us directly for a trade or team supply enquiry. the heading, providing insights, background information, or key details.