My guess is that they did it so that stuff had to be specially engineered to compete in the US dominated circuit, to keep foreigners from dominating. The same reason they allowed pushrod engines more power, then banned the Mercedes effort when it proved to be a winning innovative design. Formula One (the highest tech racing in the world by far) does not use methanol.   Oh yeah right, specially engineered so that no one else uses it. It is used because you can make more power out of it because of it's resistance to detonation and it's cooling effect. It no magic US fuel, it's used all over the world in drag cars especially.

They don't use pump gas either.  They use very specially blended fuels that wouldn't run or would cause your car to blow up if you turned the key.  High tech doesn't always mean better either.  If you can spend hundreds of millions of dollars on your two vehicle program, it might be for you, but don't stall it at a light, cause you will need a whole crew just to crank it over. Well it's not pump gas but it is 100 RON unleaded without flame accelerants, oxygen liberating compounds or any other exotic additives. If you don't know anything about the fuel don't make comments like ...would cause your car to blow up if you turned the key That total BS.

They don't use pump gas either.  They use very specially blended fuels that wouldn't run or would cause your car to blow up if you turned the key.  High tech doesn't always mean better either.  If you can spend hundreds of millions of dollars on your two vehicle program, it might be for you, but don't stall it at a light, cause you will need a whole crew just to crank it over. From http://www.f1-racing.org/_frame_s1.html : 38. Is a special type of fuel used in Formula One? No. Unleaded ( green ) fuel is used, similar to that available at petrol stations. It already has to comply with the EEC standards which will come into force in 2005. At one time, the fuel used in Formula One consisted of a mixture of hydrocarbons, and was a very special fuel, which bore little resemblance to commercial petrol. The FIA introduced regulations, with the dual aim of steering the oil companies' research in the right direction, so that it would benefit the ordinary motor car, and of significantly reducing pollution. The fuel used by Formula One cars is in general not yet available from petrol pumps. However, the oil companies are now using fuels which could be commercialised, and which probably will be in the future. Thus Formula One serves as a laboratory, which will ultimately be of benefit to the ordinary motor car (see also question 40).

Next time you go to a race, take note of what truck pulled the race cars to the race. I do, its always been those big duallie Chevrolets etc. Of course, I dont go to the all Ford drags either.