Beginning his racing career at six years old, PJ Evans is following in his dad’s footsteps driving the same number car. This road course and oval racer has been making a name for himself this year, finishing it off with a track championship. Hoping to get to the next level, PJ has dabbled in Late Models and attributes his ability to do so to all he learned driving touchy Legend Cars.
Hometown: Uncasville Connecticut
Division: Pro
Number: 12
Team: TS Motorsports
1. How did you get into racing?
I got into racing at six years old at Stafford Speedway. My dad got me a Go-Kart and I raced those for a few years before moving up to Bandos. I raced the Bandos for about three years, and then finally made it to the Legend Cars. Once I got into the Legend Cars, I learned really fast. I think they were helpful as well, especially when I was running road course. It was helpful getting the feel of the car and learning in them. And here we are in 2024, still racing, and having a great year, which is pretty amazing.
2. What has been your favorite racing memory?
My favorite racing memory was winning the championship this year at the [New London-Waterford] Speedbowl. I’ve done so much traveling throughout the years, and I finally stayed at a track and went for an oval championship. So, this was the first one I ever won, and it was such a special moment for me and my dad. We hugged in victory lane, and we both started tearing up a little bit. It was just such a great feeling and meant a lot to be able to share that moment with my dad.
3. How do you get focused or in the zone before you race?
I just talk to myself when I’m in the car lining up on the grid. I think about what I’m going to do and what I have to do to win the race. I tell myself to be patient and don’t go hard too early in the race. I know that I should stay back and feel it out for the first five laps, and then go for it whenever the time is right. I think about keeping it nice and consistent the whole race and remind myself not to get in my head and to not overdrive.
4. What is your favorite road course track?
Dominion [Raceway] has been my favorite so far. I ran it earlier this year for the first time. It was such a fun track and there were a lot of good people to battle.
5. What is your favorite oval track?
I like White Mountain [Motorsports Park] up in New Hampshire, and the Speedbowl, my home track, which is ten minutes down the road. I’ve traveled a lot this year and I like a lot of different tracks but those two are my favorites. The Speedbowl is especially nice because it is so close, and I always get to see my family and friends when I go there.
6. Who is your role model or someone you look up to in racing?
When my dad was racing, I looked up to him all the time. He was a really incredible racer back then, even before I was born. He won a lot of Mini Stock races and a few Street Stock races at the Speedbowl. He ended up retiring from racing at the end of my Bandolero year. He really helped me out in racing though, teaching me a lot of things to make me a better driver. I am so grateful to him for introducing me to racing. I truly would not be where I am today or do what I do without him.
7. What are your ultimate racing goals?
It would be amazing to be able to get to the next level in racing, but it is also very expensive to do so. But we are going to try our best and, in the meantime, just try to win as many races as we can and get more championships. That all helps with potential sponsorships, and I feel like our hard work has shown this season, so I am very thankful for that.
8. What was it like learning from Shaun Buffington?
It was a great experience. We got three wins up there at the New Hampshire [Motor Speedway] road course. He’s great at what he does, and I’m grateful to be a part of his team. He helped us out a lot when I was starting in Legends. I struggled the first year and he really helped us out all the time and gave us all the parts we needed. He got us going with the Legends and I can’t thank him enough. He really was a big help for us and without him I don’t think we would have made it far in the Legend Cars. And here we are in the top five now, which is pretty amazing.
9. Do you prefer driving road course or oval?
They are both great, but I think overall I still like road course a little bit more. It took me a full season to get used to it because of all the shifting and how tactical it is, but it was very rewarding because of that and I always have a lot of fun.
10. What are the major differences in driving etiquette for road course vs asphalt?
Well they both involve being smooth and consistent. It is also important not to overdrive the corners for both as well. But the breaking points are different. You have to break earlier on road course for the sharp turns and you have to turn more. And for oval, you are lifting in the same spot almost every time. Road course is just more technical with shifting and breaking. And it’s a lot harder to hit your marks consistently on road course than it is on oval.
11. Is there a significance to the number 12?
When I started, my dad was racing the number 12 Street Stock at the Speedbowl. I just went off of him. He inspired me to be a good racecar driver and helped me out so much that I wanted to be the next generation for him. I also haven’t seen a lot of that number out there, so I liked it for that reason too.
12. Do you have any hobbies outside of racing?
During the off-season I used to play baseball, but I kind of stopped doing that. Mainly I like driving around and having fun with my friends. I like to explore new places and try to find new things up here, even though there isn’t that much.
13. What is the biggest lesson racing has taught you?
Keep your head in the race, all race long. Don’t get upset about little incidents and just keep trying and move forward and focus on the next one. You can’t win every race, that’s how racing is, so you just have to keep your head in it and stay focused. Also, practice any time you can and try to get the best setup you can.
14. What lessons in the Legend Car can you translate to the Late Model?
If you can drive a Legend Car, you can drive anything. I had a Late model that I ran last year, so we were focused on that, but it was really hard to do some of these big races. It’s a big jump from the Legend Car to the Late Model, especially with driving style. It’s actually easier to drive the Late Model though. Legend Cars are so twitchy, but it actually helped me in the Late Model because I had good throttle control which is super important for driving smooth in the Late Model.