I do not buy fuel from the track but i would buy 5 gals. before i would use fuel that i had sitting around for a year. I have bought drums of Sonoco with the plastic liner with rust in the bottom of the drum. I have run alcohol all of my 15 years of racing and if i have any left from the end of the season i pour it out and buy new fuel at the beginning of the new season. I have never ran race gas but i dont think it will pull moisture the way alcohol will. Have you ever laid your hand on someones intake who runs alcohol while the engine is running, it will be very cold, on a cold night it will be wet with moisture. If the barrel has not been sitting on a conrete floor you may be ok. This is just my opinion and the way i am with my fuel. It is abuot the cheapest item you buy for racing.