How Much Does a Gallon of NASCAR Fuel Cost?

Roughly $8–$11 per gallon for teams at the track in recent seasons, with comparable Sunoco race-fuel blends sold to the public commonly listed around $10–$14 per gallon. The exact price varies by event, location, supply contracts, and taxes. Here’s how that figure is determined and what it means in practice for NASCAR in 2025.

What Fuel Does NASCAR Use?

NASCAR’s national series run on Sunoco Green E15, an unleaded racing gasoline blended with 15% ethanol. The fuel is engineered for high-performance engines and consistent combustion under long, hot race conditions. In 2025, Sunoco remains NASCAR’s official fuel partner, supplying standardized fuel across Cup, Xfinity, and Craftsman Truck events to ensure parity and reliability.

Why There Isn’t a Single, Publicly Posted Price

Unlike pump gasoline, NASCAR’s race fuel is supplied under contractual arrangements and delivered trackside, which means the per-gallon figure is influenced by several moving parts rather than a single national price.

• Supply contracts: Teams and series rely on negotiated agreements that can bundle price, logistics, and on-site technical support.
• Location and logistics: Transport to different tracks, especially remote venues, can nudge per-gallon costs up or down.
• Input costs: The underlying cost of base gasoline components and ethanol can fluctuate with commodity markets.
• Taxes and fees: Applicable fuel taxes and local regulations vary by state and track.
• Packaging and delivery: Bulk tanker deliveries versus drums, plus services like sampling and quality control, affect the final figure.
• Seasonal adjustments: Pricing can be indexed or periodically adjusted over a season based on agreed terms.

Taken together, these factors explain why teams typically report a range (about $8–$11 per gallon at the track) rather than a single universal number—and why posted retail prices for similar Sunoco race fuels often land slightly higher.

What Fans Might Pay for Comparable Fuel

For enthusiasts buying race-fuel blends from authorized Sunoco race-fuel dealers or on-track fuel pumps, recent posted prices for comparable unleaded racing gasolines (98–104 octane class) have commonly been in the $10–$14 per gallon range. These prices reflect retail distribution, smaller volumes, and local tax regimes, and they can differ from the contracted rates NASCAR teams pay at events.

How Much Fuel Does a NASCAR Cup Car Use—and What Does It Cost?

Fuel usage varies by track type, race length, cautions, and driving strategy. A modern NASCAR Cup car typically sees somewhere around 3–5 mpg, depending on conditions. Across a 400–500-mile race, that puts a single car’s consumption roughly in the 90–150 gallon range, plus additional fuel for practice and qualifying.

At an indicative at-track cost of about $8–$11 per gallon, race-day fuel outlay for one Cup car often falls in the neighborhood of $800–$1,700, with full-weekend totals higher once practice and qualifying are included. By comparison, tire budgets (multiple sets of Goodyears per event) usually dwarf fuel spend, underscoring that fuel is a meaningful but not dominant line item in a team’s race-weekend costs.

Bottom Line

Expect NASCAR teams to pay roughly $8–$11 per gallon for Sunoco Green E15 at the track, with retail buyers of similar Sunoco racing fuels commonly seeing $10–$14 per gallon. The variability reflects contract terms, logistics, and taxes rather than swings in the underlying fuel specification.

Summary

NASCAR’s official fuel—Sunoco Green E15—typically costs teams about $8–$11 per gallon when supplied trackside, while comparable Sunoco race fuels available to the public often list around $10–$14 per gallon. Real-world costs depend on contracts, logistics, taxes, and market inputs, and a Cup car’s race usage (roughly 90–150 gallons) places fuel well below tires in a typical event budget.

Who pays for fuel in NASCAR?

Each team has a production crew of around eight people following them throughout the race who gas up the car at night. If the team has to stop during filming for gas or food, the production manager pays for it.

How much does a gallon of NASCAR racing fuel cost?

And we have four cars in each race. This adds up to about 52,000. Mi per season there’s many variables to fuel mileage. But we’ll assume 5 m per gallon that’s 10,400 gallons of fuel.

What MPG do NASCAR cars get?

NASCAR cars get approximately 4 to 5 miles per gallon (mpg) under normal race conditions, though this can vary based on track type, driving style, and race conditions. Fuel consumption is a critical factor for teams, who use fuel mileage strategies to maximize their car’s performance and range during a race.
 
Factors affecting NASCAR MPG:

• Track Type: Shorter tracks and slower speeds naturally result in less fuel consumption. 
• Driving Style: Drivers who can maintain a consistent throttle and avoid excessive braking, especially around turns, can achieve higher MPG. 
• Race Conditions: Yellow flags (caution periods) extend the fuel window by reducing speed and fuel consumption. 
• Strategic Fueling: Teams often use fuel-saving strategies to extend their mileage towards the end of a race. 

How Teams Monitor Fuel Mileage:

• Weight Measurement: Opens in new tabTeams weigh the fuel cell and fuel cans before and after refueling to calculate fuel added. 
• Fuel Density: Opens in new tabThey also measure the fuel density to accurately determine the volume of fuel added to the cell. 
• In-Car Data: Opens in new tabModern NASCAR cars use a range of data points to help drivers manage fuel consumption and adjust their driving style accordingly. 

Key Takeaway:
While a passenger car might prioritize fuel economy, a NASCAR engine is designed for power and speed. Therefore, a ~5 mpg efficiency, a highly strategic number for racing, is a different kind of efficiency than what is seen in typical road vehicles.

How many miles can a NASCAR go on a tank of gas?

A NASCAR Cup Series car can go approximately 37 to 74 miles on a single tank of gas, or about 79 to 110 miles on a full 21-gallon tank, depending on track type, driver style, and race conditions. These cars get very poor fuel economy, consuming between 2 and 5 miles per gallon. 
Factors Affecting Fuel Mileage

• Track Type: Superspeedways like Daytona require less braking and allow cars to be more throttle-heavy, leading to better fuel efficiency compared to short tracks. 
• Driving Style: A driver who runs full throttle for longer periods will use more fuel. 
• Tire Condition: As tires wear down, a car’s fuel mileage can change, which is why teams monitor and re-calculate fuel consumption throughout practice. 
• Race Conditions: The amount of time spent under caution during a race can significantly impact a car’s overall fuel consumption. 

How Teams Determine Fuel Mileage

• Weight and Density: Teams weigh the fuel in the gas can to determine the amount of fuel added to the car’s fuel cell, allowing them to calculate mileage. 
• Tracking During Practice: Fuel mileage is carefully tracked during practices to estimate how much fuel a car will use under various conditions. 
• Strategy: Crew chiefs use these calculations to determine fuel windows (how long a car can run on a tank) and make strategic decisions about when to pit.