NASCAR: What is PJ1 TrackBite and why do tracks use it?

There’s been a lot of talk this year about various NASCAR tracks using something called PJ1 TrackBite, but what is it and what does it do?

Sometimes asphalt or concrete just aren’t enough to provide exciting racing. When that turns out to be the case, it behooves NASCAR track owners to try anything possible to make the product better, and this year, the solution in several places is something called PJ1 TrackBite.

But what exactly is PJ1 TrackBite, and what does it do?

Put simply, TrackBite (which used to be known as VHT, and is still referred to by that name by longtime fans and veteran team employees) is a special compound made specifically to increase traction for cars or other vehicles. It’s been used in various forms of racing since the early 1970s and can also be applied to a newly repaved course as a sealant.

While it’s been used more often in NHRA drag racing, the resin has seen increased use at NASCAR tracks as a way to combat one-groove racing. The idea is that if you apply TrackBite in the groove that either never comes in (usually the high groove) or the lane that starts out okay and then goes away (like the bottom groove at Bristol Motor Speedway), the product will help cars’ tires stick better and enable passing in places it otherwise might not happen.

Several tracks have used it during the 2017 NASCAR season, and the results have been mixed. Some drivers love it, while others, like Kyle Larson, like it in theory but have been critical of how specific tracks have applied it. The consensus, such as one exists, is that it would be best used to allow cars to get the tires on just one side to stick in it and grab on, as opposed to a wider application where the whole car can sit in the sprayed area.

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At this year’s XFINITY Series night race, the NBC announcers, including retired Cup Series racer Jeff Burton, suggested that the TrackBite actually wasn’t holding up enough to serve its intended purpose. Other tracks have looked for alternative solutions to the same issue, using tire dragging machines to lay down rubber prior to race weekends.

Of course traction is a double-edged sword, because while NASCAR drivers love to have it when they need it, there are plenty of other times they prefer things a bit slippier, reasoning that those conditions put driver skill at a premium. As tracks look to get the balance just right, expect to hear more about PJ1 TrackBite for years to come.