That seems like it's going to be a wash between the two routes at those distances, stops and elevation changes.
I don't think he can realistically EOC a moonshiner, and he'd have to get a couple of mpg more on the long route to break even. But that's pretty much what you'd expect to gain from less stop and start, so I call it a wash.
I'd pick the route that I liked the best at that point.
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