There are two ways to look at brake setups for autocross: (1) Stock is good enough; and (2) stock isn’t cutting it. If you are in the latter camp, there’s good news, because a new autocross-specific brake pad is about to hit the market, and it’s from a brand that means business.

“HPX is Hawk’s inaugural autocross-specific compound, engineered with the unique smooth bite and cold modulation requirements and challenges this type of competition presents,” explains Hawk Performance’s Mitch Bloom. “Since HPX is explicitly formulated for autocross deceleration rates, mechanical grip, and ultimately the drivability and modulation required during a run, it’s a far superior option for autocross than anything we’ve offered before. Compared to OE brake pads, it’s more advantageous in every way.”

Some autocrossers, Bloom explains, use OE pads because of the softer bite they offer, but modulation and release become issues when the pads are warm – something that is especially true for vehicles co-driven at events.

Hawk Performance, the Official Brake Products Partner of SCCA® since 2003, has been very active in high performance street and road racing brake products, but this is the company’s first foray into an autocross-specific pad. Prior to the development of the HPX pad, Hawk would direct autocrossers to its HPS 5.0 and HP+ options.

“Both of these compounds were OK [for autocross applications], but neither were specifically developed or designed for autocross use,” Bloom admits.

The R&D that went into the HPX brake pad has been thorough and lengthy, spanning more than two years from the initial concept to development and finalization of the pad compound.

“We analyzed our existing options, the competition, and a number of unique and proprietary ‘recipes’ our internal R&D team created, as well as worked with a dozen Solo® Nationals-winning competitors to identify the most desirable characteristics and qualities to deliver a competitive advantage,” says Bloom. “We ran multiple field tests and ultimately narrowed down what will become HPX for the most rigorous testing a new Hawk compound has ever gone through.”

To that point, HPX is still in the final phases of production development, testing, and quality controls. “We will not be releasing it until it meets – or surpasses – our stringent set of criteria,” Bloom says.

Because the intended use for HPX is so distinct, Hawk even developed new dyno testing programs and procedures to simulate real-world sensations and challenges.

Target users for the HPX pad are those drivers who are all-in on autocross, as this will be a serious competition pad. “HPX is a strictly ‘off-highway,’ competition-use only compound,” Bloom iterates. “As with all Hawk Motorsports compounds, it’s not suggested for use on the street, even if it’s to or from the course or venue.”

Initial applications of Hawk’s HPX autocross competition brake pad will be available as early as this spring or summer, with Hawk working with SCCA directly to offer fitments for the most popular autocross vehicles out there. More applications will then follow.

As for when you’ll know when you’re ready to upgrade your pads to Hawk’s HPX autocross compound, Bloom has some simple advice: “Take the stock car, have fun for a few events, and when you’re ready for some competition, buy HPX, some sticky tires, and go rip it!”

Keep an eye on HawkPerformance.com for more information.

 Photo by Jeff Loewe