Except if spilled large quantities not all fuels and preps are considered pollutants, carcinogens and harmful. The problem is if you allow only so called good fuels and preps, it makes it much harder to keep out bad fuels and preps. It makes the only possible route of policing what is used to be to ban all.
Below I copied parts of MSD's for a tire prep we use to use almost 20 years ago. Though it was and still is a tire prep and helped on the track, I never considered it a prep. The only consideration back then was how well it cleaned tires and that if we cleaned tires with it, on track performance seemed to be better. I suspect like many 20 years ago or even many today, I never considered how chemicals altered tires internally or externally, because it was then and is today only about what works and what doesn't work. Most except for dummies like me who enjoy getting into the why of stuff, could care less about why it works.
After almost 20 years I recently gave some of the non toxic surface prep we use to use to a racer to try and the results were exactly as I said they would be. By the way the prep we used was the exact chemical with the only exception being meeting clean standards during production, weather it was sold in Food Grade or not.
Except for not being able to make money off racers who use it, why would anyone care if a "Food Grade" prep is used?
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Carcinogenicity: Not IARC, NTP or OSHA listed
Mutagenicity: Not reported to produce mutagenic effects in humans.
Reproductive: Has not been reported to produce reproductive effects in humans.
Sensitization: Persons with pre-existing skin disorders or eye problems may be more susceptible to this product
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Exposure Controls / Personal Protection
Biological limit values No biological exposure limits noted for the ingredient(s).
Engineering controls Good general ventilation (typically 10 air changes per hour) should be used. Ventilation rates
should be matched to conditions. If applicable, use process enclosures, local exhaust ventilation,
or other engineering controls to maintain airborne levels below recommended exposure limit
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Transport Information
TDG
Not regulated as dangerous goods.
IATA
Not regulated as dangerous goods.
IMDG
Not regulated as dangerous goods.
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I think a likely outcome of the case is if the racers only used surface preps which I think is most likely, because of the common use of surface preps now and legal use in the past, there is no way to prove their tires did not get contaminated from the track. If WRG and the track did not also take samples from the track at the same time, I don't see how they could possibly show tire prep did not come from the track. If that is the case I think WRG and the track should loose in court.
I think it's possible after being accused racers may have bought new tires from Hoosier, had them tested by labs of their choosing the same as WRG did and new tires failed.
I think it's possible we will not know the outcome and it will be WRG and the track who offer the undisclosed settlement or neither will say who's settlement offer was accepted. If it goes or is likely to go in the racers favor, all we will know is their racing again and it was settled.
Many years back now I was told by the Hoosier seller at Lernerville, the rules were you could do anything you wanted to the tires and the only thing required was you use a specific tire. Back then at the start of the late model race and into the first few laps, for awhile tire prep used on the track would hurt my eyes watching in the stands. I'll bet there are others reading on here who remember it the same. Some might respond on here saying the same but I think most would not because of the name calling and bull shit they would have to endure on here afterwords.
If it becomes about internal prep then all bets are off. I have a question thinking about Eldora for those of you who race super's. With the length of the race, the high speed demands of the track on the sidewall, along with IMO the primary sidewall consideration being a combination of track grip and hardness, would you even need to soften sidewalls or increase internally tire flex at Eldora?
Yes I ain't got nothing better to do.