Achieving quick drag times takes greater than horsepower and a stripped-down, lightweight body. The secret is to place the ability down effectively, as even cars with 1,000 hp may struggle to grip the surface in the event that they skitter around. That is where a magic sticky liquid sprayed on the surface comes into play. And like many things in racing — resembling aerodynamics — this compound traces its roots back to the aerospace industry.
The resin, PJ1 TrackBite, was developed by Sperex Corporation and first utilized by NASA as a high-temperature coating for the Space Shuttle before being adopted for drag racing. More recently, it is also been used on some NASCAR tracks (even though it wasn’t well-received in IndyCar).
PJ1 TrackBite is produced from a proprietary resin combined with toluene, ethanol, isopropanol, methylcyclopentane, n-hexane, and hexane. It increases traction by improving the adhesion between the track surface and the tires, helping cars launch harder and maintain a straight, fast run with less wheel spin. The resin is not sticky when cold, but when warmed, it becomes adhesive and provides excellent grip. Different tracks employ various thicknesses of surface treatment depending on the temperature, while methanol is usually applied atop the coating to assist distribute it more evenly.
The compound is water-resistant, so rain cannot wash it away, but it will possibly cause a lack of traction where there’s oil on the track. Nevertheless, it doesn’t alter the drag strip’s surface, because it’s progressively removed together with tire rubber as more is laid down.
What else is required to make a drag track stickier?
It takes greater than just PJ1 TrackBite to make a drag track grippy — there is a certain science to it as well. Some event organizers wash the track with detergent to remove dust and oil, while the pits are cleaned thoroughly to be certain that dust and rocks don’t persist with the tires. Scraping the track to remove rubber amassed from previous events is crucial. This is finished using a mix of hand scraping, machinery, and blowtorches.
After applying a treatment like PJ1 TrackBite, old tires are pulled over the surface to deposit additional rubber, thereby increase a layer on the track. Some tracks previously used a tire dragger, a specialized little bit of machinery with racing slicks attached to a tractor, but there are actually specialized tire rotator machines that do the identical job. These slicks rotate in the other way of the tractor’s movement, effectively laying down additional rubber onto the track surface.
Other aspects also affect a track being quick or not, including the temperature — each surface and air — humidity, and moisture. Together, these elements interact to find out how much grip a drag track offers. But PJ1 TrackBite gives it a running start.
This Article First Appeared At www.jalopnik.com
