VP Racing Fuels will soon be opening a new gas station with their Winner’s Circle convenience store on the Black Horse Pike in Washington Township.
Because of the name of the brand, I’ve gotten a lot of questions from folks asking me if VP Racing Fuels were offering something different… Including people wondering if they would offer a much higher octane gas!
I stopped in recently to check the place out and see what it’s all about.
First off, if you’re unfamiliar with the location it is on the northbound side of the Black Horse Pike in the heart of the Washington Township commercial district there. The property sits between Dunkin and Crab Du Jour (which was originally a Wendy’s).
Clearly everything about the VP Racing Fuels property looks like it’s going to be a traditional gas station, and in fact for about the last eight years the property operated as a Gastral station, and before that it was Shell.
So to the point, this VP Racing Fuels gas station is simply a traditional automotive and truck gas station, offering traditional Regular/Premium octane levels of gasoline for cars and trucks.
They will also offer a Convenience store which they call Winner’s Circle, which will be located in the center building underneath the overhead canopy.
There is a separate building off to the side which years ago was a small drive-thru car wash, While I’m not certain, I don’t believe a car wash is part of the planned offerings.
The gasoline is standard but one twist is.. they will offer off-road diesel. Which I had never heard of, but I explain in the next section.
Readers are asking about E85 gas. I apologized that I didnt ask about that specifically, but the conversation went something like “people are asking me if there will be higher octane fuels. Different fuels” and the answer was “just the standard gases up to 93 premium, and offroad diesel”. So he didnt volunteer E85
Regarding opening, a date is not locked in but while I was there gasoline was being delivered so that is an indication it’s not too far off. The Winner’s Circle convenience store is still being worked on and there is a chance it opens after the gas pumps.
That all being said I expect them to open… soon. ha.
Off-Road Diesel and VP Racing Fuels
So overall this is a fairly simple story of a formerly closed gas station property being remodeled and reopened as a new brand. It’s almost something I normally wouldn’t even bother writing about!
But the name “VP Racing Fuels” does seem to confuse people and make them wonder if it’s something more, or as I said some folks we’re curious to know if they would be also offering a higher octane brand of gas.
When I stopped in recently there were folks working at the site, and I had a chance to chat with them unofficially.
What I’ve learned is this is a very traditional gas station offering octanes up to a standard premium level of 93. They will also have the convenience store.
Offroad Diesel
The one twist though that I have not seen in other area gas stations is they will offer off-road diesel.
Honestly I didn’t even know that it was a thing, and had to do some quick Googling… maybe that’s an indication as to how rare it is to see this type of diesel fuel being sold, ha!
Simply, as the name implies, off-road diesel is to be used in vehicles that will not be driving on public roadways. This includes farm vehicles, industrial and construction vehicles and equipment… diesel powered vehicles and equipment that do not travel on the public roadways.
Construction backhoes. Farm tractors. Large Diesel-powered generators. Seems they can all use off-road diesel.
But why? What is the difference compared to standard diesel?
There used to be two “lower-cost” reasons for the offshoot diesel, and seems today there is still one very valid reason.
In my googling I see that years ago off-road diesel was a different blend which was cheaper to produce but created more pollution. Off-road vehicles which don’t drive on public roads were allowed to use it.
Later on due to updated EPA regulations to protect the environment, the off-road diesel needed to meet low pollution standards.. so today it is the same diesel as “standard” diesel… except off-road diesel is dyed red, and there is a reason for that.
The second advantage is that since the vehicles it is intended for do not drive on public roadways, the fuel does not need to be taxed the same. The standard “cars on a roadway gas tax per gallon” does not apply.
So why dye off-road diesel red?
Technically you could use non-taxed offroad diesel in a standard passenger vehicle and save money, but this would be getting around the required taxes, is illegal… and can carry stiff fines.
But how would authorities confirm you were using offroad diesel in your passenger truck? Well, if they have suspicions, the diesel fuel color in your tank could be checked and if it’s red tinted…
VP Racing Fuels
VP Racing Fuels today offers a variety of fuel products including automotive, outdoor, powersports, marine, retail gas stations and even radio-controlled hobby fuels!
And like name says, they are also a big name in racing fuels and track prep products.
VP Racing Fuels started as an auto racing fuel company, and that’s where the name comes from. The name remains today even as they’ve have moved into other related products.
Their website describes how in the 1970s founder Steve Burns was a young racer in San Antonio who also was a tinkerer. Believing a better racing fuel could be developed, this young man worked in his parents shed to develop his own racing fuel formulas!
Consider that even in the 1970s fuel products were mega-billion dollar businesses, and here is a young man not even trained as a chemist… thinking he could outsmart the big fuel companies by creating a formula in his backyard shed.
Well he did outsmart them!
His research lead to the development of C12 racing fuel which lead to product innovations that made VP Racing Fuels a household name in NHRA pits around the country, and the C12 fuel going on to become one of the most successful race fuels in motorsports.
Over the decades they branched into a variety of new fuel related industries… which brings us to the new Washington Township VP Racing Fuels gas service station
Links and Locations
VP Racing Fuels Gas Station (Coming Soon)
5440 Route 42 / Black Horse Pike
Washington Township NJ