During a recent episode of the Dale Jr Download podcast, former Hendrick Motorsports driver, Dale Earnhardt Jr., shared a story that deviated from the usual expectations one might have when one a ride-along with one of NASCAR’s former top drivers.
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The incident involved a passenger who was unexpectedly terrified during a ride-along, and interestingly, this passenger was none other than his wife, Amy Earnhardt. The event occurred while they were running laps at Bristol Motor Speedway, where Junior made a rare mistake on the track, leading to an experience that completely frightened his wife.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. shares the story of when he scared his wife
When asked by a fan about the most memorable reaction he’d ever seen during a ride-along, the answer was unexpectedly close to home. It was his own wife who had provided the most striking response when she joined him for a few laps in a Hendrick Motorsports race car.
Junior said, “My wife probably… Last year we were at Bristol, in a two-seater very good capable car. Hendrick has a two-seater that is set up well and you can get up to pretty good speeds. I think we were running within a second of race speeds. I mean, it was a really good lap time that we were running. At Bristol you can run up against the wall and all those things in the corner. It has some of that PJ1 down at the bottom.”
“I was running on the race track and put the left sides off the turn 4 and the PJ1 and the car just turns sideways. So I had a big, big moment of really loose off-turn four. And she starts waving her hands going frantic. And I slow down come down pit-road and she gets out and goes, ‘Y’all Are Crazy’… For doing this, that you wanna do this, you’ve done this all these years, you’re a maniac.”
What is the ‘PJ1’ that Earnhardt Jr. keeps mentioning during the incident with his wife?
PJ1, also known as PJ1 Trackbite, is a special compound used in NASCAR to enhance grip on race tracks. This substance offers much greater traction compared to conventional asphalt or concrete surfaces. Its primary application is actually for NHRA drag race tracks. It helps to ensure tires adhere better, thereby improving overall traction for drag races.
Despite its origins, this compound has found a unique role in NASCAR races as well. The idea is to apply the PJ1 TrackBite to less frequently used parts of the track or lanes that tend to degrade. One fine example would be the lower groove at Bristol Motor Speedway. By doing so, it enhances the tires’ grip, facilitating smoother and easier overtaking in areas where it typically would be really difficult.
So basically the surface that Junior touched while on a ride along was this very compound and the lower etches of the race track. The sudden change in grip level on one side of the car would have been the primary reason for his car to turn sideways.
