This is why I like E85. You can lean on it pretty much like race gas at a fraction of the cost. Fuel doesn't really factor into my racing budget because it's such a small percentage of the big picture. It works for ME on MY budget. I don't mind filling drums and testing for Ethanol content. I can get it local at the pump if I want to take the car on a cruise too.
I have friends that run C16 and the cost of fuel is fairly significant in their racing budgets. But that works for THEM. They drive less. To Big Squeezes point, they have a ton more $$ in their motors than I do so I get the fact that they don't want bad fuel killing a high dollar motor.
Lots of ways to go fast and have fun....There's no one answer to this debate.