2.2 cavalier dirt track car oil recommendation

[donnyj08]

I have a distant friend who is getting into 4cyl dirt track racing. He was asking me my opinion on which weight of oil to run in the car. 2.2l 1997 cavalier. I told him I would probably just run a 30wt probably a shear stable 10w30 maybe even a 5w30 synthetic. He was thinking 10w40 or 15w40.

What do you guys think? My thoughts are that the 30wt will allow the engine to spin more freely and be plenty thick for that low power low rpm engine.

 

[skyactiv]

Shell Rotella T5 10W30 might be the diamond in the rough. It's a synthetic blend and a heavier 10W30. I've seen it at Wal-Mart.
You may need an oil that has more anti-foaming agents than typical oils however. Shell might have good anti-foam being that it's used in construction equipment that bounces around a lot.

 

[abycat]

i have a feeling that oil will be the least of his problems.

 

[bigt61]

Definitely run a synthetic IMO. I would worry about the oil pan pick up getting uncovered in the turns - especially on throttle out of the turns. Synthetic will help the bearings survive some air bubbles better than dino. I would use Mobil 1 15W-50 - a go to oil in almost any hi stress situation. Don't worry about a HP or two with a thin oil - worry about making the engine live to take the checkered flag.

 

[BearZDefect]

Can you get enough lateral g-force on a dirt track to uncover the oil pickup?