As Mustang enthusiasts we want the best for our cars. We invest in high performance parts and sometimes even straddle the line between full blown race car and street driven daily driver. That line has become even more skewed in recent years with advances in engine technology and performance parts.

Even our 1,000 horsepower turbo Coyote engine doesn’t require racing oil.

One of the issues that can arise from the constant barrage of high performance upgrades is keeping the engine lubricated properly. Whether you’re running forced induction under the hood, higher compression, or turning more RPM than a typical stocker how do you decide what will work best in your engine?

Traditional thinking has often been that if the car is making big horsepower and running high-tech racing parts, then we should also run a high-tech racing oil. With modern oil technology however, that traditional thinking needs to be left behind. For some advice on what to run in our street/strip/track cars verses what to run in our dedicated racers we turned to the experts over at Driven Racing.

Driven’s Lake Speed Jr. explained to us, “Many high performance street enthusiasts believe that because their engine contains “race” engine parts, they should use “race” engine oil. That is not the case if the engine is not a “race” only engine that is maintained like a “race” only engine.” The reason for this is the change in viscosity due to heat and the operating environment. As engine oil gets hotter the viscosity changes, and the oil becomes less viscous, or thinner with heat.

So for example let’s say you’re running the autocross in your street driven mod motor powered Mustang. This engine might have some bolt-on modifications, possibly even a supercharger, but the oiling system and bearing clearances are stock, if not the entire short-block internally. For this street driven car, with OEM bearing clearances and oiling system Speed recommends Driven’s FR20 engine oil. FR20 is a 5W-20 engine oil that was developed specifically for high performance Ford modular engines and in this example offers the viscosity needed for the operating temperatures at the track as well as the additive package required for street driving on pump fuel.

Taking this same engine and putting it into a drag race only situation also changes its oiling needs. If the car is trailered to and from the track, running on race fuel and only seeing normal drag racing temperatures, then Driven’s XP10 oil is appropriate. XP10 is a 0W-10 formulation. At 150 degrees XP10 has the same viscosity on the drag strip as the FR20 would have at 220 degrees going around the cones at the auto cross.

High performance street cars that run on pump gas and also see track time don’t necessarily need a racing oil.

This means that the usage of an engine should dictate what oil is used more than the parts that are inside that engine. The oil needs to be able to continue to lubricate and provide protection to the engine under operating conditions. At the same time, the wrong viscosity will hinder engine performance and possibly lead to engine damage. Inside the crankcase is like a blender, the thicker the material in the blender, the more difficult it is for it to turn, leading to losses in power due to excessive windage. Conversely if an oil is too thin it can’t provide the proper shear protection which then leads to excessive wear and even engine failure.

Speed says that Driven also recommends in either of these situations checking the engine oil after each outing of hard driving. In addition to checking engine oil level owners should look at the coloration and smell of the oil. Oil that smells strongly of gasoline or has a burnt smell should be changed. Oil that is dirty or discolored would also warrant changing. If the oil is clean and doesn’t have an unusual odor after a day at the track then changing it is not necessary. Street performance formulations like the FR20 are designed to deal with combustion byproducts from pump fuel and the effects of idling that are common in street driven applications. Conversely, the race only formulations are better equipped to deal with race fuels and are more suited for a race only environment.

Whether your Mustang is a show car, a daily driver with a few bolt-ons that sees some weekend track duty, or a drag strip or cone slaying beast check out Driven’s full line of lubricants. If you’re still having trouble deciding what products to use, their technical support staff can help you find the oil that’s right for whatever kind of conditions you drive your Mustang in.