Hawk Performance
Hawk Performance, founded in 1993 and headquartered in Medina, Ohio, designs and manufactures proprietary Ferro-Carbon brake pads, rotors, and brake fluids for street vehicles, trucks, Jeeps, motorcycles, and motorsports applications, sold through a global authorized dealer network spanning more than 40 countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersSolon, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Hawk Performance does
Hawk Performance is a US-based manufacturer of high-performance and severe-duty friction braking products, founded in 1993 and headquartered in Medina, Ohio. The company operates as a brand under Carlisle Brake & Friction, which itself is part of CentroMotion, a global manufacturing conglomerate specializing in friction products, mechanical power and information systems, and thermal and motion controls. Hawk designs, engineers, and produces its products in the United States, serving street-vehicle enthusiasts, light/heavy-duty truck and SUV owners, Jeep and off-road users, motorcyclists, and professional and amateur motorsports competitors across more than 40 countries.
The company's core technology rests on proprietary Ferro-Carbon friction compounds and the Dynamic Torque Control (DTC) family of formulations, with technology roots in aerospace, military, and motorsports applications. Its product portfolio spans the HPS, HPS 5.0, HP+, Performance Ceramic, LTS, and Super Duty street/light-truck pad lines; the Talon rotor line featuring G3000 metallurgy and Magni coating; the DTC-30 through DTC-80 motorsports compound range plus the ER-1, HT-10, Blue 9012, Black, and DR-97 racing pads; non-asbestos organic and sintered metallic motorcycle pads; and HP520, HP600, and HP660 brake fluids. Technical claims include up to 40% more stopping power versus stock replacement pads and consistent friction performance at temperatures exceeding 1200°F.
Hawk generates revenue through one-time hardware sales of brake pads, rotors, and brake fluids, distributed primarily through a global authorized dealer network complemented by direct e-commerce and a dealer-inquiry sales channel. Pricing is per-unit, with brake fluids retailing between $15.99 and $30.99 per bottle and pad pricing varying by application. The company pursues an event-driven go-to-market motion, sponsoring racing organizations including NASA, SCCA, Porsche Club of America, Stadium Super Trucks, and American Endurance Racing, alongside driving school partnerships (Ron Fellows, Allen Berg, DirtFish, Team O'Neil). In the past decade, Hawk's friction products have reportedly won more motorsports championships than any other friction manufacturer.
Hawk Performance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Hawk Performance
- Legal name
- Hawk Performance
- Website
- https://hawkperformance.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Hawk Performance, founded in 1993 and headquartered in Medina, Ohio, designs and manufactures proprietary Ferro-Carbon brake pads, rotors, and brake fluids for street vehicles, trucks, Jeeps, motorcycles, and motorsports applications, sold through a global authorized dealer network spanning more than 40 countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Hawk Performance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Performance automotive braking components
- NAICS
- Motor Vehicle Brake System Manufacturing (33634), Motor Vehicle Brake System Manufacturing (336340)
- SIC
- Motorcycles, Bicycles & Parts (3751)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Brake Friction & Rotors (Pads/Shoes/Discs/Drums) (IMACAIAE)
Keywords
Where Hawk Performance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Solon
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Hawk Performance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Brake Pad Sales: Sale of high-performance and severe-duty brake pads for street vehicles, trucks/SUVs, Jeeps, and motorcycles. Revenue generated through one-time product purchases via dealer network and direct sales.
- Rotor Sales: Sale of Talon branded rotors including cross-drilled and slotted designs for street and motorsports applications.
- Brake Fluid Sales: Sale of performance brake fluids including HP520 (street), HP600 (race), and HP660 (hi-temp race) products.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | HP520 Street Brake Fluid |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | HP600 Race Brake Fluid |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | HP660 Hi-Temp Race Brake Fluid |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Hawk Performance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Hawk Performance designs, engineers, and manufactures high-performance and severe-duty brake pads, Talon rotors, and DOT 4 brake fluids for street vehicles, trucks/SUVs, Jeeps/4x4s, motorcycles, and motorsports applications. Products are built on proprietary Ferro-Carbon and DTC friction compounds and sold primarily through an authorized dealer network in the U.S. and 40+ international markets, with motorsports sponsorships and racing organizations supporting brand demand.
Product overview
Hawk Performance is a high-performance braking products company offering a comprehensive portfolio of brake pads, rotors, and brake fluids for street vehicles, trucks/SUVs, Jeeps/4x4s, motorcycles, and motorsports applications. The product line includes street compounds (HPS, HPS 5.0, HP+, Performance Ceramic), light truck/SUV products (LTS, Super Duty), Talon rotors (street, plus, super duty variants), HP brake fluids (HP520 street, HP600 race, HP660 hi-temp race), and an extensive motorsports catalog (HPX, DTC-80/70/60/50/30, ER-1, HT-10, Blue 9012, Black, DR-97). Motorcycle-specific products include non-asbestos organic and sintered metallic brake pads. The company leverages technology from aerospace, industrial, military, and motorsports applications, with products designed and produced in the United States since 1993.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Talon Rotors: High performance rotor replacement brand featuring cross-drilled and slotted designs for street vehicles, motorsports, and heavy duty trucks.
- HP520 Brake Fluid
- HP600 Brake Fluid
- HP660 Brake Fluid
Products and services
- HPS (High Performance Street) Brake Pads High Performance Street disc brake pads delivering 20–40% more stopping power than standard replacement pads with higher fade resistance, better pedal feel, and less dust; targeted at enthusiast street vehicles.
- HPS 5.0 Brake Pads Ferro-Carbon compound brake pads engineered for big motors and aggressive torque in American muscle cars and European touring sedans, providing extended rotor and pad life with smooth, predictable control.
- LTS (Light Truck & SUV) Brake Pads Ferro-Carbon friction brake pads for light-duty trucks, SUVs, and vans up to 1 ton, providing 20–40% more stopping power over stock with greater fade resistance and excellent pad and rotor life.
- Super Duty (SD) Brake Pads Severe-duty Ferro-Carbon friction brake pads for Class 2 and higher on-highway commercial vehicles, mining, construction, and military applications, offering extremely high fade resistance.
- Performance Ceramic (PC) Brake Pads Premium ceramic composite brake pads delivering quiet, ultra-low dust performance with reduced NVH, linear friction profile for ABS operation, and extended rotor life.
- HP+ Brake Pads Ferro-Carbon high-tech friction material brake pads for sport driving with lower wear rates and higher torque than competitive materials; ideal for Autocross in low to mid temperature ranges.
- HPX Brake Pads Proprietary friction material brake pads engineered specifically for Autocross, providing smooth bite, clean modulation, and quick activation for predictable braking power in varying vehicle configurations.
- Talon Rotors High-performance street rotors available in cross-drilled and slotted (Talon), slotted-only motorsports (Talon Plus), and slotted-only heavy duty (Talon Super Duty) variants, using G3000 metallurgy with Magni coating.
- HP520 Street Brake Fluid DOT 4 premium brake fluid with minimum dry boiling point of 500°F / 260°C for high-performance street applications.
- HP600 Race Brake Fluid DOT 4 race brake fluid with minimum dry boiling point of 572°F / 300°C and minimum wet boiling point of 383°F / 195°C.
- HP660 Hi-Temp Race Brake Fluid Hi-temp DOT 4 race brake fluid with minimum dry boiling point of 608°F / 320°C for extreme motorsports environments.
- DTC-80 Brake Pads High-torque, high-temperature-resilient friction material for the hardest braking circuits in circle track and road racing, with consistent performance over 600–1500°F optimal temperature range.
- DTC-70 Brake Pads Extremely high-torque compound with aggressive controllable initial bite for high deceleration rates, with or without downforce; applicable to NASCAR, ARCA, Super Late models, and pavement circle track.
- DTC-60 Brake Pads High-torque compound with excellent modulation and release characteristics, recommended as a split with DTC-70 between axles; applicable to NASCAR, ARCA, Super Late models, and sports car/GT racing.
- DTC-50 Brake Pads Very high-torque compound with aggressive initial bite for high deceleration rates and downforce vehicles, bridging the temperature range between DTC-30 and DTC-60 race pads.
- DTC-30 Brake Pads Controllable-torque multi-purpose compound for dirt and circle tracks, NASCAR Modified, drag racing, and trophy trucks, with smooth pedal feel across a 100–800°F optimal range.
- ER-1 Brake Pads Versatile endurance racing compound with medium-to-high torque, superior pad and rotor wear, and friction stability across the thermal range up to 1600°F; ideal for HPDE, track days, and time trials.
- HT-10 Brake Pads Linear in-braking compound with smooth, controllable initial bite and consistent pedal feel in the medium temperature range (500–1100°F optimal).
- Blue 9012 Brake Pads Entry-level endurance compound with medium/high torque and excellent brake modulation, developed for road, rally, and circle track racing (350–800°F optimal).
- Black Brake Pads All-purpose, low-cost race pad with good cold effectiveness, suitable from Dirt Modified to IMCA-style pavement racing (200–700°F optimal).
- DR-97 Brake Pads Drag-racing brake pad for specialty calipers with aluminum rotors, featuring good static and dynamic coefficient of friction with medium torque (100–900°F operating).
- Motorcycle Brake Pads - Non-Asbestos Organic Non-asbestos organic motorcycle brake pads with progressive brake modulation characteristics, ideal for bikes with polished or chrome rotors.
- Motorcycle Brake Pads - Sintered Metallic Sintered metallic motorcycle brake pads with HH+ rated friction material, superior stopping power, fade-free performance, and virtually dust-free operation.
Quantifiable outcome
- 40% more stopping power over stock replacements (LTS/Truck-SUV products)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Hawk Performance
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
Hawk Performance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Hawk Performance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
15 partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.
- Thunderhill RacewaymajorOfficial Performance Brake Pad sponsor for Thunderhill Raceway. Hawk provides promotional codes for track customers and gains exposure through 100% track utilization and over 1,000 events per year.
- DirtFish Rally SchoolcoreOfficial Brake Partner for DirtFish Rally School and Motorsports team. Hawk provides brake products for rally school fleet vehicles and team support. DirtFish tests products for multiple industry partners including Subaru, Method Race Wheels, Motul and Hoosier.
- American Endurance Racing (AER)coreOfficial Brake Pad Sponsor providing full driver contingency reward program and product support to AER racing series.
- National Auto Sport Association (NASA)coreOfficial Brake Product partner for NASA's motorsports events and racing programs.
- Sports Car Club of America (SCCA)coreOfficial Brake Product partner for SCCA racing events and Time Trial Nationals.
- Porsche Club of AmericacoreOfficial Brake Product partner for PCA events and member programs.
- Stadium Super TruckscoreOfficial Brake Product partner for Stadium Super Trucks racing series.
- Ron Fellows Performance Driving SchoolmajorOfficial brake partner providing products for performance driving school programs.
- Allen Berg Racing SchoolmajorOfficial brake partner for racing school and driver training programs.
- Team O'Neil RallymajorRally-specific partnership for motorsports support.
- Hoonigan Stream TeamminorProud partner providing brake products for Hoonigan racing stream content.
- Contingency Connection Engine Professional RewardsminorMotorsports contingency reward program for engine professionals.
- Contingency Connection Racer RewardsminorMotorsports contingency reward program for racers.
- SVRAmajorSports Car Club of America partner for vintage racing events.
- CRP RacingminorRacing team partnership for motorsports support.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Hawk Performance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Stoptech / PowerStop (consolidated competitor view): [Deduped: see EBC entry]
- Baer Brakes: Manufacturer of high-performance brake systems, calipers, and rotors primarily serving street performance and pro-touring segments. Overlaps with Hawk in street muscle and pro-touring applications but more niche/kit-oriented versus Hawk's pad-centric focus.
- Galfer USA: Spanish-origin brake rotor and pad manufacturer for street, off-road, and motorcycle applications with US distribution. Comparable motorcycle and off-road/4x4 product overlap, particularly competing against Hawk's Jeep and motorcycle segments.
Direct peers
- EBC Brakes: UK-based manufacturer of aftermarket brake pads, rotors, and brake lines for street, performance, and motorsports segments with global dealer distribution. Highly comparable product portfolio (street/motorsports pads, rotors, fluids) and similar enthusiast-channel GTM.
- Wilwood Engineering: US manufacturer of high-performance disc brake calipers, rotors, and pad kits for motorsports, street performance, and heavy-duty applications. Direct overlap in motorsports pad offerings (circle track, road racing, drag) and US enthusiast-channel distribution.
- Akebono Brake Corporation: Specializes in advanced ceramic and friction material technology for automotive and heavy-duty applications, with strong OE and aftermarket presence. Closest direct competitor to Hawk in friction material engineering, particularly in the truck/SUV and OE-adjacent segments.
- PowerStop: Aftermarket brake kits, rotors, and pads brand focused on trucks, SUVs, and tow-vehicle applications with strong e-commerce and dealer distribution. Directly comparable truck/SUV aftermarket positioning, particularly competing against Hawk's LTS line.
- AP Racing: UK-based motorsports brake specialist producing calipers, discs, and pads for top-tier racing series (F1, WEC, NASCAR). Comparable in DTC and motorsports friction technology depth, though more focused on top-tier professional racing versus Hawk's amateur/club racing emphasis.
- StopTech (Brembo): Performance brake brand offering big brake kits, rotors, and pads for street and track use, now a Brembo subsidiary. Comparable product mix in street performance and motorsports, with strong enthusiast brand recognition similar to Hawk.
Broad incumbents
- Brembo: Global OE and aftermarket brake system leader offering calipers, discs, and pads across premium automotive, motorsports, and motorcycle segments. Directly comparable friction product portfolio and motorsports presence, though Brembo is a far larger, publicly traded incumbent with broader OE exposure.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks4 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Hawk Performance social profiles
Digital presenceHawk Performance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Hawk Performance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Hawk Performance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Hawk Performance M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Hawk Performance
What does Hawk Performance do?
Hawk Performance designs, engineers, and manufactures high-performance and severe-duty brake pads, Talon rotors, and DOT 4 brake fluids for street vehicles, trucks/SUVs, Jeeps/4x4s, motorcycles, and motorsports applications. Products are built on proprietary Ferro-Carbon and DTC friction compounds and sold primarily through an authorized dealer network in the U.S. and 40+ international markets, with motorsports sponsorships and racing organizations supporting brand demand.
Is Hawk Performance a public or private company?
Hawk Performance is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Hawk Performance founded?
Hawk Performance was founded in 1993. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Hawk Performance based?
Hawk Performance is headquartered in Solon, United States, in the North America region.
How does Hawk Performance make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Brake Pad Sales are the primary driver. The others are rotor Sales and brake Fluid Sales.
Who are Hawk Performance's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Stoptech / PowerStop (consolidated competitor view), Baer Brakes and Galfer USA. Direct peers are EBC Brakes, Wilwood Engineering, Akebono Brake Corporation, PowerStop, AP Racing and StopTech (Brembo). Brembo is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Hawk Performance have an API?
No public API is recorded for Hawk Performance.
What industry is Hawk Performance in?
Hawk Performance's product category is Performance automotive braking components. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMACAIAE, Brake Friction & Rotors (Pads/Shoes/Discs/Drums). Its NAICS code is 33634 and its SIC code is 3751.