This weekend at Bristol, fans may notice a black, sticky substance on the bottom of the race track at Bristol. This is known as PJ1, and it is used to encourage drivers to seek out multiple grooves on the race track. What exactly is PJ1, and why does NASCAR use it?
PJ1 is actually not the name of the product, but the name of the company that makes the product. The product is officially called, “PJ1 TrackBite Traction Compound”. The compound was originally used on drag racing tracks to give dragsters more grip at the starting line.
The compound is a sticky resin that is black in color. Its sticky nature, especially when heated, causes tires to grip heavily. The compound is also quite durable, as it sticks to the track for months and even years afterward.
NASCAR tracks rarely used any kind of traction compound, but, in 2016, it made its first appearance at the Night Race at Bristol. The idea was to bring back the bottom groove at Bristol, and it generally worked. Drivers were able to use the bottom groove, and Bristol still uses it.
Soon afterward, other race tracks began to use it, such as Texas, New Hampshire, and Pocono amongst others. The result was multi-groove racing on tracks that often struggled to build in that second groove. New Hampshire is perhaps the most prominent example aside from Bristol.
However, traction compounds have had some negative effects as well. The compound was stained in the upper lanes at Texas Motor Speedway, which provided the opposite effect for IndyCar races and did not help NASCAR races. IndyCar left Texas Motor Speedway before the 2024 season, but, the traction compound began to wear off by then.
Overall, the traction compound will likely be in use this weekend, and it’s a part of modern NASCAR. Even if it has not always had positive effects.
Two NASCAR Cup Series crew members for Ross Chastain’s No. 1 team were suspended following the race at Circuit of the Americas
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On February 17, Ubisoft released a trailer that confirmed that NASCAR would be included in The Crew Motorfest’s next season update. Details were limited at the time, but in a press release issued today, Ubisoft revealed the full details of the update ahead of its March 4 launch.
Ubisoft says drafting will affect car speed and help save fuel, implying that drafting will be a huge factor in the game, at least with these cars. You can check out this and much more on Ubisoft’s official post linked below
Earlier this Tuesday, the official The Crew Motorfest account clarified confusion around the NASCAR bundles. The Crew Credit (CC) bundles only include cosmetic team liveries, not additional cars. The 3 base Next Gen cars (Ford Mustang Dark Horse, Toyota Camry XSE, and Chevrolet ZL1) are part of the free Season 9 update and can be purchased separately.
Mitch Rasmussen, NASCAR’s Senior Director of Interactive, said in the press release:
We’re excited to bring our iconic brand to life in The Crew Motorfest. This collaboration represents another important step in our strategy to bring NASCAR into the digital spaces and places where next generation fans spend their time, giving players new ways to interact with the culture and communities they love.
The content arrives as part of Year 3 Season 9 and is officially licensed by NASCAR. You can watch the first trailer and learn more in the article linked below
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Four road courses on the schedule, and somehow that’s enough to spark one of the biggest debates in the garage. After recent comments from Brad Keselowski questioning the business value of road racing, the conversation has picked up serious steam. Is NASCAR leaning too far into it, or is the current balance about right?
There are valid points on both sides, from sponsorship realities to fan traditions to competitive diversity. Some tracks have gained traction. Others have struggled. The question isn’t just whether road courses belong, but how many make sense within a 36-race season. It’s less about extremes and more about direction. And with future schedule changes always looming, this debate probably isn’t settled anytime soon.
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