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Bristol will use PJ1 TrackBite compound for night race

By Nick Tylwalk

BRISTOL, TN - AUGUST 20: Cars race during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 20, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
BRISTOL, TN - AUGUST 20: Cars race during the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway on August 20, 2016 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) /
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The compound formerly known as VHT will make another appearance at the Last Great Colosseum.

Better racing through chemistry hasn’t been proven yet, but NASCAR tracks continue to figure that it can’t hurt either. As a result, it’s not a surprise to hear that Bristol Motor Speedway is putting its faith in PJ1 TrackBite for the upcoming Bass Pro Shops NRA Night Race.

The Racing Experts (via Jayski) received confirmation that the custom resin will be used again later this month. It will be the third straight time the compound has been applied for a NASCAR race weekend at Bristol.

Tracks including Charlotte and New Hampshire have used TrackBite in order to increase passing and promote the use of multiple grooves. TrackBite is proven to increase traction, and is used in other racing series like the NHRA.

However, the effectiveness of the compound is still up for debate on a location by location basis. Some drivers love it, others not so much, and the amount of TrackBite and exact place it’s applied can make a difference as well.

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Some of the NBC Sports announcers recently expressed the idea that TrackBite makes the most sense when it is used to let cars get one side in it. Kyle Larson told The Racing Experts that his beef with its application at Bristol was that it was spread too wide, enough for cars to easily place all four tires in the increased traction zone.

Still, any effort to increase two-wide racing and more passing opportunities is worth a shot, and Bristol is obviously pleased with the results to keep using it. The fans could be the ultimate winners, but we’ll only know for sure in a few weeks.

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