OK, this is the plug in a two stroke dirt bike we are talking about here.   I'm running out of time and you guys are all I got right now.

Sooo will running old (5+months) premix turn a normally nice light tan electrode gray?   I don't have a lot of time to fix problems between now and the race on Saturday and I'm going to change the fuel anyway.  But I am going to have to make time for a jetting season/carb inspection if I change the premix and that DOESN'T return things back to normal.
Somehow I developed a serious case of water in my tank and I have NO friggin idea how it happened.  I mixed it and the raw gas came right out of a 5 gallon drum of VP that I had just bought.   I haven't changed any jetting but I have made a number of suspension and clutch changes.  I really need to focus on them and getting the brake shoes changed out between now and this Saturday.  I would really sleep better knowing that stale gas will cause a tan plug to go gray.

C'mon someone please at least blow some smoke up my ass.

I never let gas sit in carb after even a short run. I also pull the plug after each use, clean it and a quick squirt of penetrating oil down the cylinder. Gas is drained out of tank if going to sit for more than a few weeks (used elsewhere) and the the tank is cleaned as well the petcock/filter.  Carb cleaned every season, air filter/oil every 3 or so trips depending on use. If I have a plug looking a bit dirty, its tossed and new one installed. Never run gas if sat more than a month or so especially with mix in it. I have ran 32-1 but usually bout 40-1 depending either mountains or desert.