Interesting thoughts.
Race engine vs. street engine makes a big difference. Old vs. new also makes a difference. Most LS street engines seem to best around 200-210* water temp. But Fords seem to be around 190-195*.
I race with mostly stock/street type engine components - cheaper that way for my kind of racing. So I certainly would not argue with you about race engine components. Mike Pettiford told me his Corvettes run 300-350* in
oil temp, which I found pretty amazing. My
oil temps never get that high; I rarely see more than 210*. I hear some of the new Corvettes are running near 300* as well.
Non-racing Mobile 1
oil is not a true
synthetic. Meaning that it does not start with a PAO base stock. What about the racing oils? I looked at the info on their web site and a few other places, but couldn't really find the answer. What have you been able to find?
Considering the heat and abuse that the engine gets on the track, I would only recommend a true
synthetic oil to anyone; from a stock Honda to a full tilt racer. Just seems like cheap insurance to me. As you said, dino oils will die a quick death at those temps.
I use Royal Purple. It works well, and the UOA's show that it holds up well. And it's easy to come by around here. Other synthetics are tough to find locally.