I went to the track today. First time since I've owned my DSM. I was running, tuning, running again, etc. I arrived at the track with 93 octane and 1 bottle of octane booster in the tank. One of my tuning strategies was to dump some more octane booster in the tank. The results were suttle, but for some reason, all other things being equal, I couldn't get the times I was running before I added it. In fact, just to throw some rough number out there, I ran a 13.90 @ 102 with a crappy 2.35 60' time. Then, after the extra octane booster, I ran a 14.0 @ 101 with a better (2.23) 60' time.

So, better launch, good driving each time, yet slower. Could this be the effect of the octane booster? (Before you flame me for my 60' times, remember - my car is front wheel drive, cheap tires, and it was my first time)

octane booster in a can does not raise your octane much. If it says it raises it by 2 or 3 points, that means it raised it to 93.2 or 93.3

and higher octane doesnt give you power, it only helps keep you from detonating (if you are having problems in the first place)

here's some good reading

http://noclownz.dnsalias.net/racegas.htm#toluene

Yes, I knew that about a point being 0.1 octane, and I understand it doesn't necessarily give you more power, but if there were tiny detonations that were undetectable, then more octane may be beneficial, which I why I gave it a shot. However, if it is NOT needed, then will too much octane-booster-in-a-bottle actually decrease performance?

I bet the reason why you trapped 1 MPH less is the car was slightly heatsoaked. A bottle of octane booster will make almost no difference, if you want to increase octane either use toulene/xylene or race gas.

Race gas is almost always the cheaper, more effective method here. Torco 110 is $4.00 at the pump and that beats out any paint thinner homebrew.

Octane boosters- whether the iffy stuff in a jar or the real stuff put in by the refinery -displace the energy in fuel. Which is what they're supposed to do, by reducing pre-ignition tendancies of the gas.
Do you see everyone else at the track dumping bottles in between runs? Or, anyone else?

there isn't a big gap between 13.9 and 14.0

you could have lost that tenth of a second anywhere.. i wouldn't attribute it at all to the octane boost.