Hawk HT-10 on Track: The In-Between Pad and Where It Fits Now
HT-10 is the Hawk pad people forget about. A decade ago it was a common first real track pad: more heat capacity than HP Plus, more bite at low temperature than the DTC pads. Then DTC-60 took over the front axle on almost every platform, and HT-10 moved to the back. Today you mostly find it as a rear pad behind a DTC-60 front, on S2000s and Mustangs.
This article is part of our guide to Hawk pads for track cars. It covers what Hawk claims, where owners place HT-10 in the range, which cars still run it and how. The full HT-10 range is here if you already know your shape.
What Hawk says
Hawk describes HT-10 as giving "linear in-braking in a medium temperature range", with smooth, controllable initial bite, a consistent pedal, high torque and excellent modulation. It is still on Hawk's motorsports compound list, unlike HT-14, and it uses the same progressive bedding procedure as the DTC pads.
| Compound | Operating | Optimal | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| HP Plus | 100–800°F | 300–600°F | Autocross and first days; the mild end |
| Blue 9012 | 250–1000°F | 350–800°F | Entry-level endurance pad |
| DTC-30 | 100–1200°F | 100–800°F | Works cold; a common rear pad |
| HT-10 | 300–1300°F | 500–1100°F | The in-between pad; now mostly at the rear |
| DTC-60 | 400–1600°F | 700–1100°F | The default track pad |
| DTC-70 | 400–1600°F | 800–1200°F | Front pad on sticky tires |
On paper HT-10's optimal range starts 200°F below DTC-60's and tops out at the same 1100°F. That lower start is the point of the pad: it is working sooner, on a cooler car, than a DTC-60. Owners do not treat the shared top number as equal heat tolerance, though, as the next section shows.
What owners actually use it for
What follows is forum report, not Hawk's guidance. Hawk does not publish any HT-10 front/rear pairing; its only named split is DTC-70 front with DTC-60 rear.
Where owners place it
The clearest description comes from an ft86club thread: "HT10 slots between the DTC30 and 60… The HT have more bite at lower temps… DTC compounds have better modulation (less initial bite) but better fade resistance." A civicx poster put it the other way round, saying many rate HT-10 for "more heat tolerance than the DTC-30 and below, with less bite than the DTC-60". Read together: HT-10 bites earlier than a DTC pad, does not bite as hard once everything is hot, and gives up sooner.
That is also why it has faded from the front axle. As early as 2012 a poster on mazdas247 said HT-10s were being "superseded by the DTC-60s". A 350Z owner's pad database on my350z rated it well — "Very nice modulation" — but noted it "need[s] some heat".
The old S197 starter setup
On s197forum in 2010, the standard advice for a Mustang GT owner new to the track was "Hawk HT10 up front and HP+ in the back". The same poster called the DTC pads "a bit overkill" for a novice, citing a 450°F minimum temperature (Hawk lists DTC-60 as operating from 400°F). It was a sensible gentle step: the front pad worked at novice temperatures, and the HP Plus rear kept the bias safe. Intermediate S197 drivers on the same forum also ran HT-10 at both ends, with "only a little fade" per 20-minute session.
Today: the rear pad behind DTC-60
As those drivers got faster, the front went to DTC-60 and the HT-10 stayed at the back. On s197forum, one owner who runs DTC-60 front and HT-10 rear goes through "2–3 sets of pads a season" on the front; another chose "Hawk DTC 60 for the front and HT 10 for the rear" right after a first HPDE. On trackmustangsonline, a Boss 302 owner said "Usually we would run 70 front and 60 rear, since 70 is the more aggressive" — and with 60s up front, HT-10 in the rear.
The S2000 follows the same pattern. A race-shop vendor posting on s2ki recommended DTC-60 front with Blue or HT-10 rear, keeping DTC-60 rears for "a well-setup car with a wing". Keeping DTC-60 rears for winged cars says the rest: on most S2000s, a full DTC-60 at the back is more rear brake than the car needs.
Which cars run it
Only cars where we found owner reports. The last column links the HT-10 pad for that car, or the pad owners pair with it.
| Car | How it's run | Our pads |
|---|---|---|
| Mustang S197 GT | Older starter: HT-10 front, HP Plus rear. Intermediate: HT-10 both ends, or DTC-60 front, HT-10 rear | Rear HB485S. DTC-60 front HB484G |
| Mustang S197 Brembo / Boss 302 / GT500 | DTC-60 front, HT-10 rear (Boss); 70/60 is the usual alternative | Front HB453S or DTC-60 HB453G · Rear HB485S |
| Honda S2000 | DTC-60 front, HT-10 or Blue rear | Front HB361S or DTC-60 HB361G · Rear HB145S |
| Nissan 350Z (base brakes) | Rated for modulation; needs heat (little data on pairing) | Rear DTC-60 HB370G |
| BMW E9x M3 | An m3post regular called it "too aggressive" for a mostly stock car; DTC-60 is the default | Front HB551S |
| Civic Type R (FK8) | One driver thought it "might be too much for the rear" | Front DTC-60 HB453G (shared with the STI and Mustang Brembo) |
| Miata NA / NB | Little data on HT-10; Miata racers mostly use DTC-30 or Blue behind DTC-60 | Front HB149S · Rear HB159S |
Pairings
HT-10 sits in the middle of the range, so it can be either the stronger or the milder pad in a pair. The hub's rule decides which: never the more aggressive pad at the rear.
- DTC-60 front, HT-10 rear. The main modern use, on the S2000, S197 GT and Boss 302. It gives the rear more friction than HP Plus without the full bite of a DTC-60.
- HT-10 front, HP Plus rear. The older S197 starter setup. Still a reasonable first step on a car where DTC-60 would run cold, if the shapes are available.
- HT-10 both ends. Reported on the S197 at intermediate pace with a little fade per session.
- Not HT-10 front with DTC-60 rear. That puts the stronger pad at the back. If the front outgrows HT-10, move the front up first. If you go to DTC-70 up front, Hawk's named rear partner is DTC-60, which is what Boss 302 owners usually ran.
Owners disagree on mixing compounds at all. One s197forum poster argued "the ABS doesn't like different pad compound" and ran the same pad at both ends; plenty of others split without trouble. If you are new, matched pads are the simpler place to start.
Where it falls short
- Less fade resistance than DTC-60. Owners consistently put the DTC pads ahead on heat. Once your front pads are fading on HT-10, the usual move is DTC-60.
- Feel and rotor wear. On Grassroots Motorsports, the "older HT10" was described as on/off in feel and "aggressive on rotor wear", which contradicts Hawk's own "excellent modulation". The 350Z owner above found the opposite, so this is mixed.
- Too much for some cars. An E9x M3 owner on m3post grouped HT-10 with DS1.11 and DTC-70 as "too aggressive" for a mostly stock car, and an FK8 Type R owner thought it "might be too much for the rear". On cars where the stability systems lean on the rear brakes, start milder.
- It needs some heat. Hawk's optimal range starts at 500°F, against 300°F for HP Plus. Less warm-up than a DTC pad, but it is not an autocross pad.
- Thin availability. Hawk still lists HT-10, but it is made in fewer shapes than DTC-60, and stock moves quickly. Read your pad number with our Hawk part number decoder: HT-10 is the letter S.
- Carbon-ceramic rotors. Like every Hawk compound, HT-10 is not compatible with them.
HT-10 pads ready to ship
These HT-10 pads were in stock when we wrote this and fit cars covered above.
 HT-10 Rear — S2000 (HB145S.570) $169.19 Shop on Enzuca → |
 HT-10 Front — S2000 (HB361S.622) $225.89 Shop on Enzuca → |
 HT-10 Rear — Miata NA / NB (HB159S.492) $167.39 Shop on Enzuca → |
The Bottom Line
HT-10 is no longer the pad most people should put on the front of a track car; DTC-60 took that job, and owners say it holds up to heat better. Where HT-10 still earns its place is the rear axle of rear-drive cars like the S2000 and the S197 Mustang, behind a DTC-60 front, when HP Plus or DTC-30 is too little and a DTC-60 rear is too much.
If you are deciding between HT-10, Blue and DTC-30 for the rear, tell us the car, the front pad and how you brake, and we will help you pick. Or browse the HT-10 collection and the full Hawk range.