Track pad vs street pad: bite, fade, and the compound you actually want

The number-one question we get on the support line: which pad compound do I actually want? Track pads on the street eat rotors and screech in the morning. Street pads on the track fade by the end of lap two. There's a middle ground — and a couple of pads that genuinely work in both worlds.

This piece walks through the five variables that matter (bite, fade resistance, rotor wear, dust, noise) and points you at the EBC, Hawk, and Brembo compounds that hit the sweet spot for daily-driven track-day cars. We tested each on a 2018 BRZ for a season — write-up below.

If you're new to tracking, the headline recommendation is the Hawk HP+: aggressive enough to handle a Friday at Roebling, civilized enough to drive home. If you're already on slicks and timing laps, the answer is different.