Global Shipping Crisis Strikes Drag Racing Traction Compounds

While there has been little in the way of visible disruption — a couple of canceled races that we are aware of — behind the scenes there has been turmoil among the key manufacturers of drag racing traction compounds. The issue centers around a brand of chemical used in the production of popular VP Racing Fuels and PJH Brands (formerly VHT and PJ1) compounds known as Lutanol, which is manufactured by BASF in Germany and has been unavailable since around the first of the year. 

Lutonal is described as a “saponification-resistant polyvinylethyl ether, used as a plasticizing soft resin for cellulose nitrate coatings and in printing inks for packaging to improve adhesion to aluminum foil and cellophane.” In simple terms, it is an adhesion promoter. 

“When you see the cobwebs come up on the tire after you spray the track, that’s it — that stringy adhesive,” explains VP’s Jason Rueckert. “When you walk across it and it rips your shoes off and you fall down, that’s Lutonal.”

Lutonal is used in varying percentages in compounds from VP and PJH. PJH has utilized the same formulation in its TrackBite product since 1986. VP’s popular Lane Choice 7 (LC7) uses a number of other adhesion-promoting chemicals in a blend it performs at its facilities in the United States. According to Rueckert and PJH Brands CEO Brandy Harvey, word of an interruption in delivery of Lutonal began in December.

At that time, VP and its chemist got to work adjusting the properties of its other adhesive chemicals to come up with alternative, should it need it. Harvey says she typically buys enough Lutonal to produce a year’s worth of TrackBite, and so that is why many key customers have had adequate stock to continue racing unabated, despite PJH not shipping any product in the last three or four months.

By January, the feared interruption became reality.

According to Kurt Johnson of Total Venue Concepts, a track can go through upwards of a drum a week, more if it’s 1/4-mile or has mid-week racing in addition to its weekend activities. Rueckert says some tracks use as many as 5-6 barrels a month, others one a month, all depending on how many days they are active. Harvey says the majority of her customers purchase TrackBite by the truckload, and so many have what they need for the season; others simply buy as needed. Rumors suggest some tracks have been or are down to as little as two or three barrels on-hand, illustrating the gravity of the situation for…